As freelance writers and bloggers our business revolves around how many articles we put up either for ourselves or for our clients. And the more you write, the more money you make.
If you want to stay on top of your game as a freelance writer or blogger, then you need to learn how to write fast. The faster you’re able to write, the more articles or blog posts you’ll be able to churn out and of course, increase your income.
Writing fast is tricky. But with a lot of practice you’ll be able to train yourself to increase your speed. So if you have been wondering how you can get more work done fast, then these tips will help you.
- Do your research first
It’s so much easier writing about something you know very well than writing about something you’re not familiar with. That’s why before you start writing anything at all, the smartest thing to do is to research and grasp all the major concepts relating to the topic you’re about to work on. This will help get the creative juices flowing such that you won’t have to struggle writing on the topic.
Here’s a note of caution: you don’t have to go overboard with your research. Restrict yourself only to the relevant things relating to the article. Don’t get carried away with all the information out there. Stick to the topic as much as you can.
- Draw up a very detailed outline
Outlines are like maps. They will help guide you in which direction the article will go. The reason why outlines help you to write faster is because you won’t have to stop and think about what the next paragraph or section of the article will be about.
With an outline, you know exactly where you are going and the main points the article will touch. With a detailed outline your work is half done.
- Quit editing as you write
As important as editing your writing projects is, editing is one of the reasons why you don’t write fast. There’s no problem with editing. The main problem is editing as you write.
If you want to write faster, you need to train yourself to write without editing. Leave all the editing later after you have finished writing the article. This way, you will focus more on getting the project done and less time fussing over whether it is constructed well or not.
- Time yourself while you write
When you know that the clock’s ticking and that you’re running out of time, it creates a sense of urgency which will naturally push you to increase your writing speed. Get a stop watch and challenge yourself to write a 500-700 word article in 45 minutes, then start reducing the time week after week until you achieve your desired speed.
Don’t get discouraged if you fail to meet the time limit. It’s all part of the practice. With time you’ll be able to get more work done within a short period of time. The idea is to take it one step at a time.
What do you think of these tips? Do you have any writing tips to share?