Writing is a multi-step process. From brainstorming to drafting and adult swim quotes, it can take hours to write a single sentence! And while that may not seem like too much of an issue when you’re just composing a personal status update or medium blog post, writing the next bestseller can be an agonizing process. Especially if what you’re writing about is something that you know little about and are afraid of getting wrong.
8 easy ways to make writing faster are:
1. Read your first draft aloud.
Okay, so this one is going to sound a bit weird. But it’s probably the most effective way to make writing faster. As your eyes scan the words on your paper, you’re not really comprehending what you’re reading. It’s a lot of work for your brain to decode written language, especially when that writing is loaded with complex sentence structures and big words. Do you write by hand? If so, it might be time to swap out the pen and paper for your voice recorder. Either way, reading your piece aloud will help you catch typos and wording mistakes that can make all the difference in how readers at home react.
2. Read it again.
If you’re using a word processor like Word, don’t stop at your first draft. Instead, take a look at it and make sure you don’t have any formatting errors. Reading through more than once is a great way to improve your writing-but this time, use a fresh pair of eyes to look over what you’ve already written instead of relying on your own memory alone. In other words, don’t trust yourself.
3. Read it out loud for a friend.
This is the same idea as above, but this time, say whatever you’re writing to someone you love and trust: a mom or a brother or best friend-someone who will give you honest feedback (and not just tell you what you want to hear). Ask them if what you’ve written makes sense and be sure to listen carefully to the changes they recommend. Take notes if needed.
4. Read it aloud in bed.
If you’re a person who likes to read in bed (and, really, who isn’t?) use this time to listen to your own words. Not only will this help you catch mistakes, but it will also help you go to sleep. If you can’t get your head to stop spinning after reading a sentence or two out loud, chances are readers at home won’t be able to either! This may seem like a silly suggestion but trust me, if something sounds silly in your head, it probably does too when read aloud.
5. Ask someone you don’t know.
The best way to be able to write clearly and understand your own writing is to ask someone who has never read anything you write before what they think about what you’ve written so far. You want an unbiased opinion and by talking to someone who does not know you or your writing style well, you can get one. This person (or people) will be able to help with things such as grammar, sentence structure and word choice that you might not have considered on your own.
6. Print it out, then read it aloud again.
At this point, you should have printed copies of your piece in full. It’s time to read your writing aloud again, and this time, from paper to paper. This is definitely a step you can skip if you don’t have a printer- but it won’t take more than 10 minutes to get your computer connected. Printed reading not only catches mistakes that digital reading misses, it also gives you a chance to put your writing in order and reread sentences and phrases that are maybe misplaced or need to be removed.
7. Read it again in the morning.
This is another great way to fix those typos that can stump you at night. Poor sleep is linked to poor concentration and focus, which becomes problematic when trying to read through your own writing the first time around. It might be hard for some people to get up early enough to read this way, but if you can manage it, this trick will certainly help!
8. Consider using a professional editor.
The final step to writing faster takes the most time of them all but is also the most important. Your writing, whether it be a novel or an article, may need serious help before it’s ready for publication. And that’s OK! You don’t have to write everything perfectly on your first try. In fact, you probably won’t! A professional editor will be able to help you improve the clarity of your writing and read over your work for errors and mistakes that you might have otherwise missed.
Conclusion:
By following some of these tips, we will be able to write faster and more effectively. I hope that it helps you. If you want to add anything here, feel free to comment. Don’t forget to share it with your friends as well! Thanks a lot for reading and keep writing.
