9 Great Hacks to Help You Write Faster and Better
Having a plan is the first step…
Writing can be so much fun, but it doesn’t always come easy.
Do you sometimes sit to write and suddenly find yourself busy doing other things. All of a sudden, you remember that email you haven’t sent or that chore you are yet to do or your mind suddenly wanders off to fantasy land. On some days, the delicate balance between mind-wandering and deep concentration is pure struggle.
You are not alone. Even great writers experience this too. It’s never easy to just sit and start writing.
In this era of high speed internet, chatting and endless distractions, it’s easy to lose one’s creative flow while writing, especially if it is done without proper planning.
Here are some useful hacks that will increase your writing speed:
1. Set writing goals for yourself
Make an effort to set timelines and deadlines for your writing. Schedule a time for writing and commit to it.
While doing this, it is important to set realistic goals that you can meet. Be very practical about it. As Darren Hardy says, “a goal that is not in writing is merely a fantasy.”
Nothing hurts like setting goals and not being able fulfill them.
The first step is to be sincerely honest with yourself and what your writing plans are. Ask yourself these questions: “how many minutes/hours can I devote towards writing?” “Would my writing be on a daily or weekly basis?”
Also, remember to factor in short periods of rest as you set your writing goals. Burnout is real. An overworked brain can’t be productive.
After you have set your goals, you can now consistently track your progress and use it as a yardstick for performance monitoring and evaluation.
2. Write down your ideas as quickly as you can
Once an idea comes to mind, quickly write it down. If you wait around and think you will still remember it, you are most likely to forget. Don’t let it float around.
Always carry an idea notebook around; it could be manual or digital. Technological advancement now makes it easy to have various gadgets like tablets and phones. Apart from physical notebooks, there are popular note-taking apps like apple notes, evernote and google keep. Let it be something compact and easy to carry around.
You never know when inspiration will strike. Be ready to jot once inspiration comes.
As Greg Iles a New York Times bestselling author observes, the art of writing is much more passive than we know. It starts in our subconscious and most of it is done in our minds. For this reason, we should always be ready and willing to write.
Sarah Wendell, an author and editor of the writing with impact blog, compares the readiness of a writer to something she calls “word labor”; like a woman giving birth. For Sarah, when she feels that words are about to burst forth, she stops everything she is doing and immediately starts to put it down in writing.
“Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.”- Francis Bacon
3. Find your best writing time
If you are yet to know which time of the day works best for you, do some more practice.
Try writing at different times of the day; morning, afternoon and night. At the end of each period, write a quick note indicating whether it was difficult or easy. After doing this for some time, you will notice a trend. Then compare and see which time you are most productive and adopt it.
Getting into the zone quickly is what matters most. You have to channel your energy into writing during those prime hours when your brain’s reasoning capacity is 100 percent!
“That’s not to say you shouldn’t write any other time of the day, but rather you should save your most creative needs for those times when writing comes easy.” — NY Book Editors
4. Do some research before writing
Research is a necessary part of writing.
A quick way to write productively is to check your facts and sources before you eventually begin to write. This prevents you from getting stuck as you write. Have everything you may need on standby.
As Anne Janzer notes, “Research primes your brain to work on the topic long before you are ready to start writing.”
While researching, avoid deviating to unrelated subjects so you don’t find yourself reading outside your originally intended topic.
Read books, watch a documentary, go on YouTube too. You will be surprised at how many videos are related to what you have chosen to write about. While researching, allow yourself to enjoy the process because new knowledge is interesting. However, do not get carried away that you lose sight of what could appeal most to your readers as you continue shaping the content of your work.
5. Don’t multitask when writing
This may sound surprising, but it is true.
A research conducted at Stanford University shows that the multitasking is way less productive than doing a single thing at a time. When one multitasks, it takes the brain twice as much effort to finish a task. For example, you may not be able to have a conversation and write at the same time because eventually, you may end up spending way more time than you had initially envisaged.
Frequently multitasking while writing could also cause burn out and more errors.
Another research has further shown that multitasking reduces your productivity by 40 percent. Switching tasks takes more time than sticking to just one and completing it immediately. Every time you switch, it costs the brain more time to adjust from where you stopped.
“Multitasking is like constantly pulling a plant. This kind of constant shifting of your attention means that new ideas and concepts have no chance to take root and flourish.”- Barbara Oakley
6. Set a timer
Use a timer that puts you on track. It’s also a good way to stay focused. Many people may not like this, but it sure helps.
Set a timer, put an allocated time and start writing.
You could try the Pomodoro technique which suggests assigning 25 minutes to a task and doing it within that allocated time.
Remember, a healthy writing habit helps you keep writing-especially on days when it feels tough!
Before setting a timer, create an outline on what you intend to write.
7. Get an accountability partner
Get a writing buddy who will keep you motivated. It’s easy to go off track when we have no one to put us in check.
Set deadlines together with your accountability partner. It could be a close friend or family member; just ensure that it is someone who cares about writing just as you do. It certainly helps if it is someone who knows about the struggles writers encounter and is ready to give some tough love, in case you need more push.
Compare notes and advise each other where necessary.
“Accountability is the glue that bonds commitment to results.”- Will Craig
8. Practice freestyle writing
If you are really pressed for time and eager to write, open a fresh page and begin to type. No correction, no grammatical accuracy.
Editing takes time and may wear you out if you constantly see a need to correct every sentence you have written.
Now, write without stopping. No long breaks. Practice writing with this consciousness till you are able to come up with a rough draft. The rough draft does not need to be a perfect work.
You may not believe that this works, but try it. As Stefano suggests in the travelling author, “… don’t write and edit at the same time.”
9. Never stop asking yourself questions
Make use of everything that happens around you. Let your curiosity speak through your writing. For every writer, self-examination is crucial because writing is like a journey where you are leading and expecting others to follow.
On a regular basis, ask yourself these questions:
“What can I do with that?” “What exactly do I expect to achieve by writing?” “How can I help, teach and inspire others through my writing?” “Is my writing convincing enough and will readers understand the message I am putting across to them?” “Can they hear my voice through my words?”
Know that whether your style of writing involves story telling, use of facts and figures, political argument or pure science, your readers must be able to find answered questions within your writing because you are not doing it for yourself, but for them.
Writing is a process and understanding it thoroughly is key to being a great writer.
Do these and watch your words flow like magic.
