If you are a writer, you’ve probably wished that you could write faster, better, and easier. I have too. I’ve been writing for many years now and I’ve found some tricks that help. They just may help you too! Everyone has their own system, but sometimes learning about another person’s system can flip a switch that enables you to improve your writing.
This system is about being organized and prepared. This will allow your ideas to flow at their fastest rate. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will flow at lightning speed, but I think you”ll find this allows them to flow at their maximum speed.
The Writing Routine
1. Dream Time. This is where you prime the pump, your thinking time. I recommend having set times each day where you allow yourself to brainstorm away from inputs such as TV, computer, print materials, and people. Some ideas of where and how: being where you can look at nature, while exercising, or sitting in a darkened room. You can also use those unplanned times during the day where you find yourself waiting. If any of these times allow you to close your eyes, that can be very helpful. During these times, do some purely brain based free thinking and if you come up with some ideas, do some pre-planning in your head.
2. Idea Time. This is where you expose yourself to a variety of new inputs to generate ideas. In life we often have routines, go places, and read things that are often the same. Find ways to expose yourself to new ideas every week. You might not get to this every day, but try to do this at least weekly. Ideas are: reading magazines you don’t normally read, watch TV shows you don’t normally watch, call a friend or colleague you haven’t spoken to in a while, go somewhere new, listen to different music, or even do a “walkabout” online where you see where the cyber winds blow you on a particular topic. As you do this, be prepared to discover ideas you can use in your writing.
3. Planning. The next step is to write your outline. Don’t worry about it being 100% complete or accurate. Many times my outline will change as I write my first draft. The important thing about an outline is it helps you to stay focused as you are writing. It keeps you on track which will help you write faster. You can change your outline on the fly once you’re writing. The outline can be rough, but the more detail you can fill in the faster your writing will go.
4. Research Time. Depending on what you are writing you may need more or less of this. The key with research is to strike a balance between getting enough information, but not spending more time than is needed. So how do you stay focused during research and keep from getting pulled into the web’s infinite distractions? Planning, clipping, and distilling. Here’s how:
Planning: Before you go to Google or other sources, write out in bullet points the questions you need to answer.
Clipping: When you find information you need “clip it” which means to collect it somehow. Don’t read the research in depth until you it’s assembled in one place.
You could clip it using Google Notebook or Evernote, both of which are free online applications. Or you could simply clip it using a text file. If you do that, be sure to also clip the URL and source so you can cite it in your work.
If you are working with print material, either make photo copies or take notes, also being sure to include the source information.
If you are working with original research, you can either take notes or use a recording device. If you use this a lot you could look into voice recognition software to convert it into text later.
Distilling: This is where you highlight only the information that you plan to use, the quotes, the facts, the bullet points. This makes it easy to refer to when writing. You can highlight online with boldface or color, or highlight on paper with a highlighter pen. Do your distilling after you’re done collecting all your research information.
5. First Draft. With your outline as your guide and your research facts handy, just start writing. If you need to fill in facts and figures that you don’t already have then highlight them in some way to come back to them later. The idea is to keep the flow going on this first draft. Even if you have the facts, you can fill them in later to keep your writing moving along.
If you normally write on the computer, give longhand a try for your first draft. I use both longhand and typing for first drafts, but I have to admit that writing longhand always makes it flow faster.
If you are tired, just type your outline assuming you have it in longhand. Tell yourself it’s ok if this first draft stinks, because once you have the body written then you have something to work with! If you’re really tired, quit and get some rest. You won’t get good work done if you’re exhausted. If you must meet a deadline, at least take a small break. It will boost your productivity.
6. Type It. If you have your first draft in longhand. This will also be your first edit. If you are a hunt and peck typer, do yourself a huge favor and take a typing course. Here is a link to a free online typing course. The time you invest in learning this skill will pay major dividends in time.
7. Print It. Some may not like this option because it is not environmentally friendly. If you can edit on the computer screen, then go for it. I need to read from paper for editing. I just find that I can concentrate, find mistakes, and fill in gaps better when I read from paper. Re-use paper by printing on the flip side of used paper. I keep a pile of “garbage” paper for this purpose. Also, try printing in a different font than you type in. This trick helps you to find errors more easily.
8. Editing: Read Out Loud. It may seem funny, but this is a good practice. Read your draft out loud as you are editing. You’ll be more likely to find errors and parts that need to be re-written. The more time that you can let pass between writing and editing, the better too. Remember to fill in data that you left out when writing the first draft. Depending on how important the piece is, you may want to ask another person edit it as well. And then finally you may want to do a final edit.
9. Final Draft. Type in your edits and then do one more final read through before publishing or sending it off to be published.
10. Quiet. All of the above steps will work best if you can work in a quiet, distraction free environment. Turn off and remove everything but the essentials when writing. If you do have noise in your environment on a regular basis, try to find a solution such as a new location or noise cancelling headphones.
These steps may seem longer when you read through them, but they truly will make your writing better, and your ideas will flow faster and easier.
What are your tips for writing? Please share in the comments below!
Written for Pick the Brain by K. Stone, author of Life Learning Today, a blog about daily life improvements. Popular articles include How to Write a Book in 60 Days or Less, How to Nap at Work – or Anyplace You Need a Rest, and Should You Start Your Own Work at Home Business?
Hi,
nice post, but where can i find the link to the free online typing course?
Greetz
Benjamin
Brilliant post, very useful, thanks.
I have an article to write shortly, will try and work through your suggested steps and see how it compares with my normal routines.
Benjamin,
I’m not sure if this was one the Kristin was referring to, but there is a free online typing course here.
Ben & John, Yes, that’s the typing course to which I was referring: http://www.goodtyping.com/
Bruce, So glad you found this useful! Looking forward to hearing how it works for you!
Hi John,
One of the best ways to send people a powerful message is to use a story. I would add this to your list of writing tips for faster writing. By using a story or a personal experience, it will help people relate to your message and remember your message.
I wrote a powerful article that was published in a magazine (Confidence Bound) based on a personal experience of mine and it only took 15 minutes to write!
You can check out the published article here > http://www.stephenmartile.com/?p=15
Cheers,
Stephen Martile
Personal Development Made Simple
http://www.stephenmartile.com
[...] PickTheBrain.com: How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] PickTheBrain.com: How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
Steve, that’s a great tip about personal stories! So true!
Another little tip that can help which I forgot to put in is not to worry about the title until the end.
Put together your working title in the beginning and then at the end you can tighten it up during the editing process.
I used to think I had writer’s block when in fact what I really had was idea block. Where do ideas come from? I’ve got a work in progress called the Eclectic Guide to Ideation – 250+ links to resources people might find comes in handy when they are stuck. Give it a try…
Nice article. I am a journalism student and writer and I will definetly see if this works for me. Thanks
I’d say make sure you take a complete break from your article before doing a final read through to check for errors, make sure you’ve done something completely different, that way you come at it fresh and are more likely to spot things because you won’t just be skim reading.
Excellent advice. As a professional editor, I am a firm believer in letting time pass from the draft to the edit if possible, and I agree that reading aloud is an excellent way to edit.
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
I’ve been writing more than ever. I’m finally starting to understand advice like this as well as similar advice given to me in the past few years.
Thanks!
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | Pick the Brain (tags: écrire productivité organisation billet astuce howto) [...]
Thank you for the great article! With respect to the ‘clipping’ portion of the research, your best resource is Clipmarks.com. I’ve used Google Notebook and Evernote; Clipmarks is far superior to both of them. They invented the ‘clipping’ technology!
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | Pick the Brain (tags: BlogTips Advice Writing) [...]
It always helps me to have a day or two of doing nothing related to the paper/article/etc between the first and second drafts. This lets me clear my mind completely and read it almost like it was written by somebody else.
Really gives a good perspective and fresh, new ideas.
after you finish writing you can send it to outer space so it will live for ever and help spread life to other galaxies.
http://www.beinspace.com
this site also allows you to put a link to your site.
simply upload a file give it a name and a link to your site.
I’ll be honest. I opened this site up from digg.com and expected it to be something I’ve never heard before, but all of these tips are things that were taught to me in middle school, and then hammered into my brain in high school and college. Now, as a professional in the field of journalism, I guess I just assumed that everybody wrote this way. Maybe it’s not common sense like I thought.
“Re-use paper by printing on the flip side of used paper”
I prefer to print duplex (on both sides) which results in about the same amount of paper being saved, without all the bother of keeping a garbage pile.
Of course, this only makes sense if what you are writing generally spans multiple pages.
How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier…
This story has been submitted to Stirrdup. Your support can help it become hot….
[...] Pick the Brain: How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier – “This system is about being organized and prepared. This will allow your ideas to flow at their fastest rate. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will flow at lightning speed, but I think you”ll find this allows them to flow at their maximum speed.“ [...]
I found it easy to dim down the computer monitor when I write a first draft. It helps me just jot things down quickly and not worry about any grammar until later.
Thanks everyone for the great comments and honest feedback!
[...] 5, 2007 at 9:35 am · Filed under Writing How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier This system is about being organized and prepared. This will allow your ideas to flow at their [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier – Everyone has their own system, but sometimes learning about another person’s system can flip a switch that enables you to improve your writing. [...]
[...] Today’s Happy web page is How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | Pick the Brain [...]
Related to the Clipping part…
Do yourself a favor and check out TiddlyWiki – http://www.tiddlywiki.com/ “it’s a wiki implemented in javascript and stored in a single html file. But you can think of it as an electronic notepad from the future.”, free, open source.
Related to the Planing and Draft:
Check out several tools about mind mapping (there are several Free, Open Source) that will even let you interact with other files/resources and build a better structure and help you evolve concepts in a non linear way…
I like FreeMind, but there is a list of available choices in http://del.icio.us/search/?fr=del_icio_us&p=mindmap&type=all that will give a better idea on preferences/needs…
[...] this week, K. Stone laid out a process to help you write faster, better, and easier. To follow up, here are 10 timeless tips to help you improve style and substance, straight from the [...]
When I’m completely through with a piece, I set it aside for at least a day then I re-read it. I’ve caught typos, incomplete thoughts and mis-placed words by doing this.
I also write a few sentences on a topic, then jot down short notes for the rest. I put it aside to I think about the topic. Then when I ready to write I already have something to work with – no blank page to slow me down.
[...] Writing better guide. [via Digg, actual link via PickTheBrain] [...]
[...] Epps A writing rut, that is. If so, check out this useful website, which has an article on how to write faster, better, and easier in 10 steps. My favorite is [...]
This seems more like a way to be organized then to avoid writers block
[...] Today’s Happy web page is How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | Pick the Brain [...]
[...] His blog is tremendous. If you write you must read The Art of Writing: 10 Tips from the Masters and How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier by K. Stone. This blog’s content just gets better. Publishing two posts this powerful in a [...]
[...] In some digg article about writing good articles (oh the irony…!) I remembered that I really should improve my typing. I do use about 6 to 8 [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier September 4th, 2007 by syndicated How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier I have a guest post at PickTheBrain.com today. This article outlines a writing routine that once adopted will make your writing flow faster, easier, and the end result will be better writing. If you’ve ever wanted to improve the speed and quality of your writing, I think you’ll find these tips useful. Take a peek. If you enjoy it, please vote for it on your favorite social network such as a Digg, Stumble or Delicious. Thank you! PickTheBrain.com: How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] maintain the necessary discipline, while having some tracks to jump back on to when you slip. This blog post details a nine-step writing [...]
Thanks for the ideas, one process I can offer, to expand on your suggestion of writing down questions, is to imagine you are sitting with the top expert of the topic in which you are writing , and draft interview questions for him/her. Then go about finding answers to these questions in research. This is a way to really dig up the material that means the most to you, and your writing will be more enjoyable, both in the process and on the page.
in goodness.
Garrett from Wishtank
http://www.wishtank.org
[...] GTD in Google ReaderHow to Write Faster, Better, and EasierWindows process and DLL library7 Wonders Panoramas – The New 7 Wonders 40 Unusual Websites you [...]
Live TV – I find that being organized in my writing Does eliminate writers block. When I’m disorganized, I have a harder time.
Garrett – What a great suggestion about questions! I love it. Your site is interesting too, but I didn’t see anywhere to comment.
article writing…
…
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier by K. StoneThis article describes some essential steps in writing such as dream time, idea time, planning, and research time. [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | PickTheBrain [...]
[...] read more | digg story [...]
howdy,
Nice one and useful post. I’m a newbie of using blog, but ireally dont have any article to post on.I’m also want to find a free online job too. Can u visiting my blog and give me ur opinion ’bout my blog to help me to imorove better? And where could i’m really find a site with a free job online too. Thank!
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier Those are the magic words: faster, better, easier. Writer K. Stone shares her step-by-step method for writing, starting with “Dream Time” and ending with the final draft. Some good advice in the comments too. [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | PickTheBrain If you are a writer, you’ve probably wished that you could write faster, better, and easier. I have too. I’ve been writing for many years now and I’ve found some tricks that help. They just may help you too! Everyone has their own system, but someti (tags: writing productivity tips howto lifehacks organization inspiration) [...]
How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier…
If you are a writer, you’ve probably wished that you could write faster, better, and easier…
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier | PickTheBrain (tags: writing chapter2) [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better and Easier from Pick the Brain. When I first read this post, I hated it. “Duh!” I thought. “Who doesn’t know this stuff?” Then I realized that while I knew the information presented here, I rarely practiced it. A good reminder of what a good writing process entails. [...]
Thanks for the post (and replies) full of good tips for easier writing. Most are basic, yes, but I imagine people looking for writing tips will appreciate them for being basic.
I’d hoped to find information about organizing a store of many posts to various blogs, but my search terms proved too general for that purpose. Still, I read all the comments here, and found the suggestions for Clipmarks, tiddlywiki.com and Mindmap interesting. I’ll have to take a look at them.
Here’s another editing tip: after I think I’ve banished all the junk from my copy I read it through once more, this time from back to front. Invariably, one or two last errors will appear.
vylance: I’m finding odd your claim of being a newbie considering the sophistication of the blog posts at the link under your name.
Hmmm. Interesting.
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier (pickthebrain.com, K. Stone) Hier erscheint jeden Morgen von Montag bis Freitag ein [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better and Easier – an article on Pick the Brain, which describes a pretty similar process to mine (though applies it to writing in general, not just essays). [...]
For me, it really is effective to separate research task from the writing task itself because researching takes a great amount of time. Like when I write my custom essays, I make sure that I read all the info I’ve gathered and highlight significant details so I can easily relate them to the statements I’m supposed to write.
hey thiss very useful
thak
[...] For How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier – PickTheBrain [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]
[...] other choice but to produce, often in areas they have limited knowledge of. Luckily, there are many tips out [...]
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier – PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement [...]
I think you have mentioned almost every important part of how to write a good article and specially the parts dream time,idea time..this sections will definitely help to go for a good one…Thanks
[...] How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier [...]