You're a writer and you know that speed is essential to getting work done. But do you ever feel like your writing drags or gets stuck in slow motion? Don't worry, you're not alone. Lots of writers struggle to pick up the pace from time to time.
The good news is there are proven techniques you can use to rev up your writing speed. In this article, we'll share 20 awesome tips to help you increase your writing speed.
From optimizing your environment to leveraging technology to streamlining your process, these tricks will have you writing faster than ever.
What is Speed Writing?
Speed writing is all about maximizing your productivity and efficiency as a writer. It refers to techniques and strategies that allow you to write faster without sacrificing quality. The goal is to increase your words per minute (WPM) while maintaining clarity and effectiveness in your writing.
Tips for Faster Writing
Speed writing refers to using techniques and strategies to increase writing speed while maintaining clarity and effectiveness. Here are 15 tips to help you write faster:
Set WPM Goals
Setting clear goals for your writing is one of the most powerful ways to increase your speed. When you have a specific outcome in mind, you can stay focused and motivated.
Decide how many words you want to write per day or week. Break your target into smaller, daily goals that are realistic yet challenging. Write down your goals and cross off each one you hit.
Practice!
The more you write, the more it trains your brain and your typing skills. Follow these tips to get the practice you need:
- Whenever you have a spare moment, try doing a quick 5-10-minute writing sprint. Whether it's first thing in the morning, during a work break, or before bed, these short exercises will add up.
- Set reminders on your phone to do a short writing burst 2-3 times a day. Even just 100-200 words will make a difference over time.
- In addition to typing on a computer, try writing longhand with a pen and paper. Engaging in handwriting may help in training your brain to produce words at a faster pace.
With regular, focused practice, you'll be amazed at how your writing speed improves over time.
Get Familiar With Shortcuts and Hotkeys
Typing faster is all about working smarter, not harder. Mastering keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys will help increase your speed and efficiency.
Most software programs have built-in keyboard shortcuts to access menus and features quickly. Take the time to learn the essential hotkeys for your go-to writing apps.
For example, here are some useful Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl / Command + S : Saves your work
- Ctrl / Command + Z: Undoes your last action
- Ctrl / Command + Y: Redoes your last undo
- Ctrl / Command + X: Cuts selected text
- Ctrl / Command + C: Copies selected text
- Ctrl / Command + V: Pastes cut or copied text
- Ctrl / Command + B: Makes selected text bold
- Ctrl / Command + I: Makes selected text italic
- Ctrl / Command + U: Underlines selected text
- Ctrl / Command + delete: Deletes the entire line
- Ctrl / Command + A: Selects all
As an illustration, if you wanted to quickly save your document, instead of clicking "File" then "Save", simply pressing Ctrl / Command + S is much faster. Using these shortcuts can really speed up your writing and editing workflow.
Streamline Your Research
Research can be a huge time-sink when you’re writing, especially when you start going down the rabbit hole on certain topics. Streamline your research by:
- Focusing your research on only the most relevant and useful sources
- Taking organized notes to avoid redundant research
- Setting time limits for how long you spend on each section of research
Remember, perfect research isn't the goal—having enough research to write well is what matters.
Create an Outline
Before you start writing, take some time to think about what you want to say and create an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and identify the key points you want to cover.
Having an outline gives your writing direction and organization from the start. It helps you express ideas clearly while staying focused on your main objective.
As a bonus, give Hypotenuse AI's outline generator a try - it will generate outlines with supporting details based on your topic and can even follow top SERPs and PAAs researched in real time.
Get rid of distractions
When you're trying to increase your writing speed, distractions can seriously slow you down. Here are some tips to help you focus:
- Turn off notifications on your computer and phone. The dings and pops from emails, texts, and social media can derail your concentration. Set your devices on airplane mode and check them only during breaks.
- Close unnecessary programs and browser tabs on your computer. Seeing all those icons and pages will divide your attention. Keep open only what you need for writing.
- Pick a quiet spot to write. Whether it's your office with the door closed, a corner of the library, or out on the patio, find a location with minimal activity and noise around you.
- Use noise-blocking headphones. Pop in earbuds and listen to white noise, nature sounds, or gentle background music to muffle any ambient noise around you.
- Inform others that you are writing and can't be disturbed. Put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door or let your family know you need quiet time to write.
- Declutter your work area before you begin. A clean workspace helps provide a clear mind.
With fewer distractions around you, you can fully immerse yourself in your writing and achieve greater speed.
Write what you already have in mind
Instead of trying to find the perfect words or sentence structure, write what you already have in mind. Get your thoughts down on paper first, then go back and edit later. The key is to not let your internal critic bog you down as you write.
Batch Your Writing Sessions
Jot down notes about what you plan to write whenever it comes to mind. Then, write them all at one go. This removes the friction of getting started over and over. You'll write faster and have more energy when you're not constantly switching between writing and other tasks.
Use Speech-to-Text Software
Rather than typing everything word-for-word, you can simply say it and have your words transcribed automatically.
The best speech-to-text apps like Dragon Anywhere, Otter, and Verbit allow you to dictate text quickly and accurately. Make sure you enunciate clearly and don't mumble. You may have to go back and correct some errors, but you'll still get your ideas down much faster than typing.
Use it to get your initial draft down quickly, then review and polish it up after. This can drastically cut down the time you spend writing, freeing up more time for ideation and revision.
Set Word Count and Time Limits
Set a timer for 20 minutes and aim to write at least 300 words in that time frame. As the timer ticks down, you'll be forced to write more quickly to meet your goals. This approach trains your brain to operate at a faster pace.
Start with reasonable limits and work your way up over time. As you get faster, increase the word count and shorten the time limit. Having a specific goal in mind will keep you focused and on track.
Use placeholders
When you're writing quickly, it can be tempting to stop and agonize over finding the perfect word or phrase. But that stops your momentum. Instead, use placeholders so you can keep powering through your first draft without losing your train of thought.
What are placeholders? They are dummy words you insert temporarily when you don't want to slow down to think of the ideal term. Here are some examples of placeholders you can use:
- Brackets or Braces:
- Example: "The main idea of [insert supporting details here]."
- Ellipsis:
- Example: "The results of the experiment indicate that... more data needed."
- Underscores:
- Example: "The key factors for success are insert factors here."
- Curly Braces:
- Example: "The {specific detail} is crucial for the project."
- Angle Brackets:
- Example: "Discuss the <relevant point> in the next section."
Using placeholders in your initial draft is an easy trick to write faster without losing your momentum.
Find your best time
Writing speed and quality can vary a lot depending on when you write. To boost productivity, pinpoint the time of day when you're at your peak.
- Experiment with writing during different periods to find when you're most focused and creative. Are you a night owl? An early bird? Or do you hit your stride mid-afternoon?
- Track when you experience 'flow states' where you're totally absorbed in writing. Make note of any patterns.
- Also, consider when you have the most energy and least distractions. First thing in the morning or late at night might be best if you need some quiet.
- Be flexible and willing to adjust if needed. Sometimes inspiration strikes at odd hours, so keep a notebook handy to capture ideas whenever they flow.
Paying attention to patterns in your energy, focus, and creativity will help determine the sweet spot for when you do your best writing.
Improve speed with typing games
Ready to get your fingers flying across the keyboard? Typing games are a fun and effective way to improve your speed and accuracy. Not only will you become a faster typist, but you'll gain muscle memory and rhythm. Here are some examples of typing games:
- Typing Attack
- Epistory - Typing Chronicles
- TypeRacer
- The added engagement of games keeps your focus. And without realizing it, you'll get lost in the fun while honing your skills.
Improve posture
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Good posture is essential for increasing your speed and efficiency when writing. Slouching over your keyboard not only strains your back and neck, it slows you down. Follow these tips for maintaining proper posture.
Use Other Tools
When it comes to speeding up your writing process, aside from speech-to-text software, make use of tools and technology that can help optimize your workflow. Here are some options to consider:
- Hemingway Editor - This online tool helps improve sentence clarity and identify difficult words. It offers suggestions to make your content more concise and readable.
- Grammarly - This grammar checker tool scans your writing for spelling and grammatical errors, as well as clarity issues. It can also suggest more precise vocabulary choices.
- Notion - The Notion productivity platform allows you to organize and structure your writing projects. You can make use of templates, checklists, and databases to keep information organized and reduce time spent searching for content.
- Hypotenuse AI's paraphrasing tool - This AI tool can help rephrase sentences and paragraphs to make your writing more unique. This can save you time by automatically generating multiple variations of your content at one go so you don’t get stuck. It also helps you improve the variety and flow of your content.
Using tools like these can automate repetitive tasks, catch grammar mistakes, improve readability, and even allow you to dictate text aloud. Experiment with different options to find the combination that works best for your unique writing style and needs.
Practice Writing With Hypotenuse AI
You've just learned 15 tips to improve your speed writing. The key is putting these techniques into practice through deliberate effort. Speed will come with time as you build writing stamina.
For now, be patient with yourself. Celebrate small wins. With consistency, you'll be cranking out content at warp speed before you know it.
