How to be a Fast Writer

Today we are going to dive into how to be a fast writer.

When I first started blogging (16 years ago, can you believe that), it bothered me how long it took me to write a post. It used to take roughly three hours to write a 1000-word post. I think it was a combination of feeling insecure and trying to learn how to use the blogging platform.

Over time, I worked on cutting down the writing time for each post. Thankfully, I have gotten faster.

Even if you are not a writer or blogger, you may need some help improving your writing times, particularly if you write a lot of corporate reports or papers for your company.

Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Any compensation I receive does not affect the price you pay.

Here are my thoughts on how to be a fast writer.

Use a timer

Put yourself on a timer.

If you want to complete a task in two hours, put the timer on and work like crazy. You might go over the set time the first couple of times, and that is okay. Don’t give up.

Keep working on improving your time, making sure the quality of your writing doesn’t suffer.

Depending on the length of the work, you will need to adjust the timer accordingly.

Related post – How to Be More Creative

Avoid distractions while you work

Shut all tabs that you have open. Put your phone away so that you are not checking it or picking it up all the time.

If you want to be a fast writer, you need to avoid distractions.

Avoid distractions and focus on what you are doing.

Have an idea

It helps to write faster if you know what you are going to write about in the first place. Have some ideas already thought out.

I have a brainstorming folder on my laptop as well as a hard copy book. I’m always jotting down ideas that pop into my head into one of these resources.

Then it’s a matter of choosing which idea I will use when I sit down to write.

Related post – How to Get Brilliant Ideas Out of Your Head

Write an outline

This one makes a big difference.

When I am writing a blog post, I always start with an outline. My outline is usually my heading and a list of sub-headings, then it’s a matter of filling in the blanks.

Don’t edit as you go along

If you start censoring yourself as you go along, it will take a lot longer. Start censoring, and you will start questioning yourself. Questioning leads to doubting yourself.

Don’t edit your first draft, just get all of your ideas out.

Don’t spend too long editing

This is where I usually come unstuck, to be honest.

I tend to edit, edit, and over-edit. I am prone to tinkering, which can be very time-consuming.

I turn into a complete nightmare when editing a short story. Let’s face it, there is always a word here and there that can be tweaked, to the point where you end up picking your original story to pieces.

Books on Amazon that can help with your creativity –

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon

Come back to it

I find this one very useful. I write a draft and then let it sit for a bit. Usually it’s for a day or two, but that time varies, depending on how my health is going.

Then I have another look at it. The reason for this is that in the time I left the draft, my brain has been thinking about the article and has come up with more ideas, additions, or changes.

Taking that small amount of time helps improve the post.

A post you might find helpful – Copyblogger – How to Write Articles Fast: 10 Pro Tips

Use a voice-to-text function

Someone told me about this the other day, so I need to try it myself.

If you have access to a voice-to-text option, then give it a try.

Just make sure you proofread and edit your work at the end because the software does make mistakes. It may interrupt things incorrectly, so you must check the text.

It is not always the writing that takes time

When it comes to blogging, it is not always just the writing that defines how long it takes you to hit the publish button.

With blogging, sometimes it’s getting all the links, formatting, and photos right that can take a long time.

While some people may see link posts as an easy style of posting, they are not as easy as they look. Checking every link and making sure you use the correct spelling for the blog and blog author can take a long time if it’s a detailed post.

The same can be said for writing reports and papers. Having been a personal assistant, I’ve seen many people frustrated by formatting and design problems. Anyone who has ever struggled getting a graph or object into a report properly will understand what I am talking about. It can add a significant amount of time to your project.

Be a fast writer

While I understand that AI is now starting to dominate this space, I still think it’s important to work on your writing skills.

You can become a faster writer. The key is to find a process that works for you.

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How To Be a Fast Writer