Become a better writer

How I Posted 13 Articles in 7 Days — 5 Writing Tips That Work

Total word count: 22,500

For right now, I run two accounts.

My first account is in tarot. My second account is in meta-writing.

This past week, I published 13 articles in total, with a staggering word count of 22,500.

There are 5 reasons behind this:

1. Content Direction
2. Outlines
3. Notion Research
4. Holistic Care
5. No Plan B

Let’s take a deeper look at each of them.

1. Content Direction

For a very long time, I simply published whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. After months of little to no growth, sub-niching in tarot helped my account go viral.

Now, I want to move on from my tarot account. So, I planned a 6-week course to teach my followers about tarot.

On this account, I want to get 1,000 followers as quickly as possible, and I know I want to do that by writing about writing.

Having such a solid and specific content direction for both accounts helps plan out what I’ll need to write weeks in advance.

I can write thousands of words a day because I’m not wasting time on figuring out what to write about.

2. Outlines

I never draft an article without writing an outline. Every article I’ve written in the past few months once began as an outline.

When I go to write an article, I pick my idea, and then I write a bullet list of everything I have to say about that idea. Then, I organize this list into a logical order. When I go to actually write my article, all I have to do is fill in the blanks.

Thus, my points flow easily from one to the next. My drafting time is only about 30 minutes, and I don’t have to worry about what to say next.

I can write thousands of words a day because I save myself hours in the drafting process.

3. Notion Research

I could write several articles on Notion alone.

Yesterday, I wrote about how I used Notion to (ethically) steal from other creators. The truth is, Notion hosts all the nerdy research that goes into my writing.

I have Notion spreadsheets for:

• Publications
• Tagged topics
• Writers in my niche
• Article Ideas
• Keyword research

For this account alone, I have 100+ unused (and semi-drafted) article ideas just waiting for their chance to shine.

I can write thousands of words a day because I have put in hundreds of hours of research.

4. Holistic Care

Obviously, writing like this is exhausting.

To keep one step ahead of burnout, I need to make sure I am staying in tip-top shape.

I rely on a few holistic measures to supplement my writing. For example, I have a strict routine for my days. I always write at the same time every day. At this point, not writing feels weird. It’s easier to write than it is to not write.

Here are some other measures I take:

• Afternoon nap
• Yoga 3x/day for 20 mins
• A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of water
• Gratitude journaling before bed
• Breaking my afternoon routine now and then for social outings

I can write thousands of words a day because my self-care is more important than my writing.

5. No Plan B

I work a job outside of Medium that keeps the lights on and food on the table. Luckily, I can work on my writing during downtime at my main job.

I don’t see Medium as the ultimate destination for my writing career. However, I do see it as a very necessary stepping stone.

I take this work seriously because I know this work will set me up for the life of my dreams. I’m working for peanuts now, but the seeds I plant today will bring me an opportunity tomorrow.

I am willing to put in a ton of legwork upfront.

There is no Plan B for me. I will be a writer.

If I want to take my future seriously, that means I have to take Medium seriously. The skills I learn here will set me up for life. There is no point in half-assing anything I do on this website.

I can write thousands of words a day because I know all of this work contributes to my future.

Bonus Reason:

I’m only in competition with myself.

I started this account to prove to myself I’m capable of growing faster than I did on my first account. So far, I’m three months ahead of my first account.

There are many writers on Medium undertaking similar challenges.

I can succeed because I see these other writers as friends. I can see their wins, celebrate alongside them, and keep going on my path.

I can't get discouraged because of someone else’s successes because I’m not doing this to outshine anyone else. I’m doing this because I believe in my ability to apply everything I’ve learned and show myself it’s possible to grow on Medium much faster than I originally did.

This account is my victory lap on Medium.

I can write thousands of words a day because I believe that I can.