7 Ways to Make Writing Faster

One distraction from improving your writing can be simply how long the process can
take. After all, there’s a reason all your teachers warned you not to leave an essay
until the last minute, isn’t there?
However, there are ways you can improve your writing so you can knock projects out
quicker. In this article, we are going to look at some of the things you can do to get
your writing up off the ground and where it needs to be in half the time.

Plan What You Write

If you are making things up as you go along, you are much more susceptible to
writer’s block. This is why the “prewriting” stage is so important. It may sound
elementary but it is absolutely crucial if you want to speed up the writing process.
The best way to do this is to create an outline rather than a jumbled web of ideas.
With this method, you not only have what you are going to write about planned out,
you also have the order in which it will be written planned.

Practice Writing

This is the tip that infuriates most writers but it’s true. If you want to become better or
faster at anything, practice is the key.
Think of a guitarist for example. Guitarists like Jimi Hendrix played extremely quickly
but they had to practice first. The same concept is true for writers, without practice it
is nearly impossible to improve.
This practice needs to be regular as well. You can’t practice for 2 weeks, stop writing
for 6 months and then come back. Your skills won’t even be close to what they were
at the end of that 2 weeks.

Be in the Correct Mindset

There is more to writing, as we have already covered, than just sitting down and
pressing keys on a keyboard. One outside factor is your mindset. You won’t get
anywhere if you are sitting, staring at your computer thinking that you can’t possibly
get better as a professional writer.
Before you start, take a second to get yourself in a mindset that allows for
productivity. These couple minutes will help you in the long run. This tip, though, can
be applied to more than just writing and can help you in your day to day life as well.

Edit Later

Do not edit as you go. This disrupts the creative process and can distract you from
what you’re writing. If it is too distracting, turn off spell check features while you work.
Instead, go back after you’re done and edit then. This way, you still get a
grammatically correct paper but you don’t have to worry about stopping and starting
writing constantly.

Set Aside Time

It can be stressful to try and find time to write and even easier to get distracted.
Instead of working through your day and hoping you have time, make sure to
schedule it into your day.
When you set aside time like this, you are less likely to be interrupted by the
disorganization of forgetting a project or a similar problem. By scheduling time you
are likely to avoid intrusive thoughts about how you should be doing something else
right now.

Challenge Yourself

Rather than simply picking a task you do everyday, try to challenge your writing with
something new. Many writers like to do this in the form of more stressful deadlines.
For example, if you write for your profession, take on an extra chapter this week. Or,
in the same strain, try promising extra work to your client or boss for a week, really
stretch yourself.
Of course, if you aren’t comfortable with your skills just yet, don’t put your job on the
line. If you think you need a little more practice, then practice. However, remember it
is meant to be a challenge so it will be slightly uncomfortable.

Summary

When you are aiming to speed up the writing process, you need to set aside time to
work and plan ahead. Above all, you need to practice and to keep your head up and
trust yourself to get better with work.
Remember to keep your research before and your editing after. This will save you
time and help to keep you in your writing flow.