People regularly ask me how I can create so many posts each week.
I write about nine articles and newsletter posts each week on average. And I’ve been keeping this up for years.
I’m no different to most. I have momentum, and I’ll never let go of it. Even during holidays.
Writing, for me, is life. It’s sustenance. It’s like eating.
I can do all this because I write fast.
Here are some tips to help you become a fast writer:
Practice writing fast. Whenever you can, write a little faster. You will train your brain to get better at feeding you the information you need when you write fast.
Make more mistakes. You’ll never write fast if you’re scared of the delete button.
Stop clouding your brain with bad food. Diet is inextricably linked to sharp writing. You will be slow if you’re weighed down by sugars and simple carbs.
Be playful. Play is the secret sauce for creative output. Entertain yourself. Experiment. Write hilarious things. Play with fun words. Don’t be uptight.
Stop thinking about writing and just write (best point of them all).
Think small. Slow writers overwhelm themselves with ‘big deal’ writing projects that seem enormous and ungratifying. Just take tiny steps. Write more shorter things until you can write more longer things.
Practice ‘writing sprints.’ These can be super loose and experimental. Or they can provide the foundation for your next completed article. Set a timer for 5 (then 10, 20) minutes and write non-stop, with no distractions. Whatever comes to mind. You’re developing the skill of fast writing, not perfection.
Rely less on AI to do the actual writing. AI is helpful but gives you an excuse to allow your writing skills and speed to atrophy.
Publish more posts, more regularly. Fear is replaced by enthusiasm when you expose it to the light. Confront the fear of rejection by stepping regularly into the arena.
Write more than feels ‘reasonable.’ When you do what the average Nancy is doing, you get average results, which is demotivating. Write what seems to you like ‘a little too much,’ and keep this up. This is the sweet spot.
Write about stuff you want to write about. If it’s in your ‘niche,’ but you hate writing about it, change your niche or the angle.
Edit at the end. There are distinct writing stages; critical voice editing should never mix with the loose, freewriting stage at the start.
Focus on one helpful idea. Don’t do like most, and ramble in nine different directions. There’s always enough to say on one point.
Write listicles. When I write in chunks, afforded by lists, I write fast without even trying.
Write more than you need. Speed is practically impossible if you shy from the concept of writing more, and then cutting.
Become an idea machine. Ideas by themselves mean little until you transform them quickly into finished pieces. Collect your ideas, close at hand, to inspire the mind to think up more. Also make a list of real problems your readers face and continually write through to the solutions.
Get good at strong headlines. Write the headline first, then write a fast article that satisfies this headline.
Focus on volume. The more you create, the more you want to create. The more you want to create, the faster you will be. This is why there is a ‘creator’s gap.’ Those who create more and those who barely move.
Have a simple article or chapter formula you stick to. Forget complicated templates. I have one thing in mind when I write anything: Hook, build, payoff.
You could voice record your first draft and have it transcribed by some AI tool that you later refine. I don’t do this, but that will help some of you put out more material. I prefer to type, because the act of writing with dancing fingers gives me momentum and better ideas.
Any other ideas, share below.
Happy writing,
Alex
Couple fast writing with exceptional writing and you will be unstoppable.
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Thank you for your sharing your tips on how to write faster I have Parkinson’s Disease which makes typing fast almost impossible but I do write each day on different topics and I reply to posts regularly and I am getting a new subscriber each day so I will continue to write about my topics each day at the speed that I can do easily.
I am not afraid to make mistakes as I learn from them. I will seriously consider upgrading my subscription to paid as I like what you write and I believe you can help me grow my audience.
Hi Alex, I also write regularly and have posted tips on this topic on Medium—yours is a great set of tips! I especially agree with your point on not letting AI write for you. While editing may be helpful later, writing from scratch or brainstorming before writing is a big no if readers want to truly develop their skills. I just wanted to drop you an appreciation note for sharing your content each week. Best, Jayshree