Be a Better Writer Blog

7 Quick Tips For Writing Better Articles, Faster

What stops you from writing articles better and faster? Is it the thought of missing out on more lucrative writing assignments which puts you in a rush?  Seeing the one or two day deadline? Whatever your reason--panic attack, instant need for a job change or (insert your personal experience here)--you’re about to find out the seven quick tips to writing faster and better.

1. Separate Research from Writing
Research and writing are two different, but equally important tasks. Some writers think they can combine both tasks. It’s possible. However, it won’t allow you to writer better and faster. Actually, researching slows you down. Imagine, you write a few sentences then stop to search for a statistics, fact or quote on the Internet. You’ve just wasted precious writing time.

Instead, research first. Researching, whether you use the Internet or other materials, does a series of helpful things. It helps you:

• Understand your topic

• Become excited about getting to your writing task
 
• Compose notes

• Think about what you want to include in your article

• Focus solely on writing when you’re ready

2. Write an Outline
Yes, you’ve heard this quick tip before. Some high school teacher or English professor probably told you to create an outline before writing. Heck, it works—especially when you want to improve your speed and quality of writing. It helps you know what you’re writing about and avoid staring at a blank screen because you’re not sure how to start.

This task you can combine with your research work. For example, make a list of subheadings to organize your article. You know when to stop researching and your article (non-writing part) is done.

3. Forget Your Deadline
Unless you’re a journalist who is not bothered by deadlines, the thought of having an article due within an hour or day can terrify you. The last thing you want is to do the hard work and miss out on money. However, do not let it control you. Keep track of the time, but put it out of your mind. If that’s easier said than done, try this: turn your deadline fear into a friendly reminder. Say things like “I have plenty of time” or “I’ll be done before that time” whenever you look at the clock.

4. Just Write
This is where the fun starts. This quick tip involves just writing without looking at notes or stopping. Act like you’re being tested on your topic knowledge. If you need to, set a timer for 10 or 20 minutes. Don’t worry about:

• Spelling

• Fragments

• Changing words

• Deleting sentences

• Any other grammar mistakes

This is your first draft and part of the process of writing better. When you write an article or blog one time and think it’s your final draft, you’re on your way to rejection or a low writing score.

Besides, you’re giving yourself the freedom to make mistakes and increase your writing speed when you just write. Any time you stop writing, you decrease your momentum. Talk to any editor and they’ll tell you the same thing. It’s better to overwrite than to underwrite.

5. Write in Short Sentences
Readers typically read in 25-word sentences or less. Long sentences are usually skimmed. During your revision process, see if you can trim down your sentences to less than 25 words. This keeps your article concise and to the point. It also makes you a better writer.

6. Write for the Web
Yes, you’re writing content. However, content appears differently than it does in a magazine or book. Thus, you must add bullet points and numbers to break up the text. It helps the reader avoid reading long, drawn out text.

Also, write in chunks. Have you ever seen a sentence more than 5 sentences long on a webpage? Did you read, ignore or skim it? Exactly. Keep your paragraphs to three to five sentences long and you can improve your writing. This tip creates structure for you and your readers.

7. Relax
Don’t treat writing articles or blogs as a mission impossible task. Instead, enjoy it. You’re telling people something they don’t know.

Writing isn’t something you’re born doing. It’s an acquired and nurtured talent. No writer is ever finished acquiring writing knowledge. However, when writing, remember these quick tips and you’ll be closer to writing faster and better.