5 tips for writing faster
In a perfect world, we would do our best writing while sitting at a sidewalk café or looking out a window to a perfect view.
But in the real world, chances are you’re in the office or at home and you're surrounded by interruptions and endless, often inane requests for God Knows What.
So for the real world here are five tips to write better, faster and ultimately more effectively.
1️⃣ Get more than you need.
Want to be a faster writer? Be a better reporter. When you gather information and interview your experts, don’t just ask for what you need. Get more.
This may take a little more time, but it's time well spent, and you’ll save more time in the future. For example, if you discover a hole in your story, you may already have the answer in your notes.
2️⃣ Round up the usual suspects.
You need a go-to stable of sources inside your organization. Those who can explain the financial side of a story quickly and clearly, especially when you’re in a hurry. Those who can provide a good quote in a pinch. Or someone who can cut through the clutter and tell you what the latest org announcement really means.
You have people like this in your organization. Make them part of your crew.
3️⃣ Use the CRAP method: Craft Really Awful Prose
The beauty of writing CRAP is that you can do it quickly because you free yourself from the bonds of perfection!
When you write a draft ― even a lousy one ― you are so much closer to the finish line.
It’s not magic. It’s just about getting your story started, no matter what else is going on, and with no need for excellence.
Do an interview. Write it up. Gather some facts. Pull it together. Then just keep adding and moving stuff around. You can clean it up later.
4️⃣ Be a good news-jacker.
The easiest stories to write are those that have already been written. I’m not talking about plagiarizing other people’s work. Take stories in the news that are relevant to your organization or industry and make them your own.
You can do this in a couple of ways:
🔹 Localize the news to your business or community.
🔹 Insert one of your experts to add analysis and commentary.
🔹 And always link to the original piece to give your readers more context and credit to the source.
5️⃣ Go back to basics.
Use the Inverted Pyramid i.e. put the important stuff at the top and work your way down. There’s more detail and less-important stuff lower in the story for people who are really interested in the topic. And those who aren’t haven’t missed what they really needed to know.
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📷Alexander Suhorucov at Pexels
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