There is absolutely no denying that writing can be a dreary and draining task. Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist and short story writer, Anne Tyler, once said, “If I waited till I felt like writing, I’d never write at all.”
If professional authors and writers need to force themselves to write, one can imagine the sheer willpower required for an ordinary person to sit down and put pen to paper… or fingers to keyboard just to produce a piece of content.
Even if you love writing, there will be times when you’re just not into it. What do you do then? You may still have deadlines to meet, or your blog will need its scheduled post. You don’t have a choice but to write… and it can seem torturous.
The best way to get around this problem will be to become a more productive writer. That essentially means that you’ll be able to write more in less time. For example, if it takes you an hour to write your weekly blog post, by becoming a faster writer, you might be able to write two posts in that same hour.
You’ll then have content for two weeks and you won’t need to worry and fret so often about having to write. Being faster also means that your work gets completed sooner. If you’re a freelance writer, you’ll be able to take on more work and double your earnings.
You’ll have more free time to do what you want to. There are many benefits that can be accrued just by writing rapidly. This article will give you three tips that will make you a faster writer, if you follow them.
Learn To Type
This may seem like a very basic tip, yet most slow writers are also slow typists. Your typing speed has a direct correlation with how fast you can churn out content. Even if you know how to type, you should try and become a faster typist.
The faster you are, the better. You’ll be able to think through your fingers. There will be no lag between your thoughts and the words appearing in front of the screen. The best writers usually type very fast.
You can learn how to type online from sites. There are many sites to choose from so a basic search should turn up many to select from. Find one that you like and get started.
If the idea of learning to type seems too much of a Herculean task to you, there is always the option of dictation software like Dragon Naturally Speaking. You’ll be able to dictate your article or whatever content you want written.
Another option would be to speak out your content and do a voice recording of it. You can then send the audio file to a transcription service where it will all be typed out for you.
Whatever option you choose to go with, what really matters is that you try and accelerate the speed at which your thoughts become text.
Countdown timer
Another important tool you should be using is a countdown timer. You can use an any timer to help you in this area. I have one on my phone that works just fine.
The goal here is to always try and do more in less time. For example, if you take 15 minutes to write a 500 word article, you should aim to do it in 14 minutes or even 12 minutes. Use a countdown timer whenever you write and always try to beat your personal best.
Over time you will become much faster, and you’ll also be more focused.
Have a fixed time
Writing is a habit that must be cultivated over time. Ideally, you should have a fixed time to write. Some people do well early in the morning before anyone else has woken up… while others work well into the night while the world sleeps.
It doesn’t matter which way you go but what you’ll need to do is find out what works for you. Writing should almost seem like a ritual. The same time, at the same place and for the same duration.
Aim to make it mechanical and predictable. This is ideal to making your mind and body accustomed to writing. Once you have gotten used to the ritual, the moment you sit at your desk at the specific time, your mind will be ready to write. You’ll be in the ‘zone’… and will photograph your thoughts and put them on paper or on your word processor quickly and easily.
By following these 3 tips, you’ll see your writing speed improve and not only will you write faster, but you’ll also write better. The fear and hesitation you anticipate at the thought of writing will dissipate. It may not go away entirely… but you’ll not loathe writing as much as before, since you know that you’ll be able to do it fast.