Episode 49: Practical Strategies on How to Write Faster

I’ve always been told that I need to write faster. I can create content quickly and I pride myself on that. It doesn’t happen because I have some magical superpower. It happens because I have a plan, routine, and rituals that I do. Take a listen and implement some tips for yourself.

Tips that could help you write faster

This is my process that doesn’t mean the right process. I just know and have been told by people that I produce content quickly, so let’s dive right into it.

First, for you to write faster, you can’t do everything before writing. You have to do the background of writing which is research. Google away, look at different publications and resources, whatever you have to look at to do credible research. But I tell you, don’t spend too much time doing the research side because you could really get down a rabbit hole. I try to limit myself to two to six different sources, so it does not get overwhelming. Set a timer for like thirty minutes of research and make an outline with a working title of all of my research.

Then it’s time to write your first draft. Everybody hates this stuff because it’s the writing portion, we like to write as writers, but you hate to start with a blank slate that’s why you should have a template and an outline. When you have a template to go off of, it takes care of 40% of the writing.

When it comes to doing your writing, you have to find out what works for you. Do you like writing in your home office, outside of the home office, and kitchen? Think about where you like to write. Do you want to write in a coffee shop with a little background noise of people or sit down in a local library where it’s just quiet? Find out where you are most inspired or comfortable, wherever that is, you go. You have to find what it is for you and go with it.

Find out what you like to drink or what you like to snack on. I personally like to drink coffee when I’m writing. Some people enjoy a nice warm cup of tea, others don’t care to drink anything at all, and that’s fine, whatever works for you.

Another thing I like is tomato-timer.com. It’s a timer, the Pomodoro technique. You can set the timer, and when it rang, you’re supposed to take a break, meaning you’re supposed to get up and move for like five minutes and get back to work again.

Ignore your internal editor. Don’t worry about spelling, spacing, indenting, formatting, and grammar. Just ignore it all, write and let your mind go. You will be surprised how much you can write, and that’s how you write faster.

Set the timer, write as fast as you can, let the timer be up, take a break, come back, and keep going. So you got everything you wanted to write faster. That is it, it’s not a secret- Ignore your editor, start with your rituals, and that is how you write faster.

Moving on, you do have to go back to edit your grammar. The editing takes longer than the actual writing itself but of course, you have to do it because you don’t want to submit with crappy grammar. Also, if you’re looking for music to keep you focused, I suggest you listen to Binaural Beats on YouTube. It keeps me focused and prevents me from dozing off. Go get that right on!