How to Write Faster

—without sacrificing too much quality.

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Happy May! Spring is well and truly underway in my northeastern suburban corner of the world—and with a new month comes a new topic: Writing Fast vs. Writing Well. We’ll spend each week discussing one aspect of writing speed and quality, beginning with this week’s overview on increasing your writing pace.

Introspective Ink will be taking its summer hiatus in June (though hopefully you’ll be receiving another artist interview 😉) It’ll be a busy month for me, since I’ll be moving to Connecticut!

This month, though, we’ll focus on writing faster. I tend to write quickly, though recently I’ve been struggling with getting out of editing mode, so this was a good refresher for me, too!

Without further ado, here are my six tips for writing faster:

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1. Outlining

Sacrifice a little time to save a lot.

The first tip I have for writing faster is to outline beforehand. This may seem counter-intuitive, as you’re delaying the actual act of writing, but the result of investing a little time at the beginning is saving a lot of time along the way. When you write without any idea where the story is headed, it’s easy to meander, writing scenes that serve no real purpose and end up needing to be cut. You’ll also likely find yourself pausing as you write, wondering where the story needs to go, and these pauses can add up.

Investing a chunk of time in brainstorming the plot outline will save you the headache of trying to figure it out along the way—and it’s alright if the story ends up changing! Just having a basic road map can help you get started.

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

2. Just Write!

If you really want to write faster, commit to writing and writing only—do not edit as you go. Do not look back at what you’ve written. Do not ruminate on whether you could’ve phrased it better. It’s hard to turn that editor off, but if you spend every session focused on simply getting words on the page, you’ll be surprised by how much faster you can write. Save the editing for later.

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3. Goals

Start small to build momentum.

Start each session with a writing goal. Keep it small, especially if you’re feeling resistant to writing. Promise you’ll start with 10 minutes, 200 words—whatever sounds good to you. You’ll likely end up exceeding your goal, and this sense of accomplishment will help build momentum.

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4. Minimal Breaks

If you’re writing something shorter, try to write it in as few sittings as possible (ideally one, depending on its length). If you’re writing something like a novel, try to keep a consistent schedule, and try to take minimal days/weeks off. I plan for natural breaks like vacations, busy holidays, etc., but I try to get back on schedule ASAP, because otherwise that little break can turn into several weeks of not touching your work. Once you’re finished with the draft, reward yourself with a well-deserved break!

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5. Writing Sprints

If you’re looking for a structured way to put this advice into action, try writing sprints: a 5-30 minute writing session where you attempt to write as many words as possible, without stopping to re-read or edit. Framing it as a “challenge” or a fun writing activity can help your brain embrace the idea of not editing as you go. Try these weekly, or daily, or whenever you feel like you need to get “un-stuck.”

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6. Placeholder Scenes

If you’ve built up a good momentum but run into scenes you’re really not excited to write, skip ‘em for now. You have my permission to fully ignore them, or write in a few bullet points (e.g. “Danny tells Tommy about their parents’ divorce, they cry, yada yada). Keep that momentum going! Come back to your trouble scenes later. Come back to them once you’ve finished the rest of the manuscript—whatever works!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Writing faster is mainly a matter of knowing the general idea of what you want to write (via outlining), and removing any distractions that keep you from writing continuously (e.g. stopping to edit as you go). The more you practice things like writing sprints, the more natural it’ll feel to write without stopping. Over time, your speed will increase.

Remember, you don’t need to write faster if you don’t want to. If writing slowly and methodically works for you, do that! But if you’re looking to increase the speed of your artistic output, try implementing the tips from this article. Let me know how they work for you in the comments—and please let me know if you have any tips for writing quickly!

See you next Sunday for a case study on authors and their writing speed!

Allie

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