5 tips for writing faster

Writing is a solitary endeavor. You sit at your desk, staring at a blank computer screen, hoping the words will come, and they will be the right ones.

OK, let’s stop right there. That’s Mistake No. 1. Composing perfect sentences in your brain and then sending them down to your fingers and onto the screen is TOO HARD. It takes way too much time to make so little progress.

In a perfect world, we would do our best writing while sitting at a sidewalk café, wearing a beret and drinking absinthe while inspiration seeps from every pore. (Note: I’ve tried this. It’s not inspiration. It’s actually perspiration, brought on by drinking too much absinthe.)

If you’re a communicator, writing doesn’t work that way. In the office, you’re surrounded by interruptions and endless, often inane requests for God Knows What. The second a creative idea pops in your head, someone wants to talk about the upcoming awards ceremony. Poof! Gone.

When COVID drove us to our home offices/kitchen tables/bedrooms, there were new distractions. Zoom meetings out the ying-yang. Even more requests. Not to mention your kids, your pets and, yes, your refrigerator.

Here are five tips to write better, faster ― and ultimately more effective ― stories.