When it comes to effective article writing, it pays to write with your reader in mind. This means creating helpful content. But you’ve also got to work at an efficient pace, or it will be too easy to avoid writing more articles in the future. Below are 10 timesaving tips for article writers:
1. Plan first, write second. The process of article creation involves thinking, planning, typing or speaking. Map out your article in advance. Think of the key points you want to include and keep it simple. When you sit down to create your article, simply describe each of the key points as quickly as you can. As your concept develops in your mind, capture it on the page. That’s the essence of article writing. Don’t judge your writing until your piece is complete. Get it done, then work to improve it. Planning first and then writing your articles utilizes both halves of your brain the way nature intended.
2. Be the expert. Speedwriting forces your mind to get to the good stuff without delay. You have an idea that you would like to convey in your article, and you want to do so effectively and efficiently. When you write it fast you tap into the essence of the concept, letting your creativity spill onto the page. Write it at a rapid speed and you’ll often astound yourself with the quality of material your mind generates. When you write slowly, you stifle your natural creativity. When you analyze and assess as you write, you make productive writing impossible. Write it first, then polish it after.
3. Set your target and stick to it. We’re all busy. But what happens is the days, weeks, months, and years slip by and sometimes we miss out on achieving the things we resolved to achieve at the start of the year. But a successful year begins with a successful day and that’s one that moves you closer to your objective. Decide how many articles you’re going to write on your specific niche and make it happen. The only problem you’ll ever have in getting it done is you. Don’t let anything (including yourself) get in your way and the results you want will have to be yours if you persist.
4. Schedule your weekly objectives. Fast article writing involves time management. Even at supersonic writing speeds, there’s still time involved in writing each piece. If you don’t manage your time, you’re setting up unnecessary blocks that will only impede your progress.
5. Make several titles. Highly productive article writing requires grouping several articles together and working on them concurrently. Make your goal of multiple articles attainable by creating the titles first. List 10 article topics in advance and you’re on the way to having them all completed. When your mind can visualize multiple sub-topics, you break through any resistance. Truth is… you are capable of much more than you probably imagine and you have plenty of unique, in-demand article ideas inside, just waiting to be unleashed.
6. Write constantly. There’s a myth that writing is hard. But it’s not actually. Thinking (or worrying) about it is much harder on you than actually sitting down and rolling up your sleeves. Writing is communication and effective writing is effective communication. Putting your thoughts and ideas into words that are instantly clear is what it’s all about and the more you do it, the more it becomes a natural form of expression for you.
7. Keep it simple. Explain things in a way that any reader can grasp. Use words that are easily understood. Make your article easy to read at a fast pace. What is it that you enjoy about good reading? When you enjoy your reading, one of the big reasons typically is that the book is well written. It’s simple… concise… clear… and maybe even clever. But it draws you in and you move through it fast. It feels like the writer created it effortlessly. Communicate the same way in your articles.
8. Make it routine. You can find time to write more articles – everyone can. If you really want to, you can squeeze in an extra 15 to 30 minutes a day, even with a jam-packed schedule. All you have to do is make it a priority. Look for opportunities to grab a few minutes here and there. Keep a notepad with you and use “found†time to generate new article ideas and outlines.
9. Use the expert in you. Article writing involves both sides of your brain. The left-brain is the logical side. Use it to outline your content and to edit later. The right brain is the creative and freewheeling part that’s used to express your thoughts, ideas and images into sentences and paragraphs. The right side is about getting your ideas onto paper in a coherent manner. Both sides of the brain are important to writing quality articles fast. If you can use both in harmony your writing will be efficient and organized. But when logic interrupts the creative flow, or when creativity goes off the rails, writing productivity and the clarity of your communication suffers.
10. Dictate. Your mind works faster than your fingers – that’s just the way it is. You can think faster than you can type. No one has fingers that can move across the keyboard as fast as they can form thoughts in their mind. Therefore your most productive article writing process involves a more direct expression of your thoughts. This is best achieved through your own voice when you speak your articles into a recording device or software, rather than write them in the traditional way.