If 5,000 words seems like a ridiculously large number, you're not alone.
Even when they are trying to be extremely productive in their writing, most people will not write more than 2,000 words on a good day.
But when I put my foot down, I can do 5,000 or even more.
How do I go about doing it?
First, I take some time to unwind. Yes, I sit in my favorite chair, get comfy, and relax my entire body.
Then I set a goal of writing X number of words in the next X number of hours.
Let's pretend I want to write 5,000 words in 5 hours. That's 1,000 words per hour, which is a perfectly respectable figure that, yes, YOU can achieve.
In my mind's eye, I see myself after completing the 5,000 words in 5 hours. I feel a sense of accomplishment for having accomplished my goal, as well as relief for having completed the work. I'll even see the end result, such as people being helped by my articles, sales being made, or whatever my writing goal is.
The key here is to experience what it's like to have the goal already accomplished, rather than simply visualizing myself achieving it. It's the distinction between seeing yourself climb a ladder and closing your eyes and feeling yourself climb that ladder.
Of course, you can apply this technique to any goal – not just being extremely productive in your writing.
Here are a few more quick writing tips:
- Don't edit as you write; instead, simply write. You can revise and edit later if necessary. There are two reasons why you should write now and edit later: First, editing while writing causes stumbling blocks and disrupts your natural writing flow. Second, editing a day or two later results in better writing because your eyes are fresh.
- Make use of outlines to help you write. Making an outline will actually SAVE you time on your writing project.
- Do your homework. Insert any pertinent information, quotes, statistics, and so on directly into your outline for easy reference while writing.
- Remove all, or as many as possible, distractions. You know the drill – close all browser windows, turn off your phone, and so on.
- If you're more at ease speaking than writing, go for it. Use the Word feature that allows you to speak, or have someone transcribe your recordings.
- Write on a daily basis. Writing ability is similar to a muscle in that the more you use it, the stronger (and faster) it becomes.
- Begin by setting a timer. Set a timer for 25 minutes with the goal of writing 250 words if you want to start by writing 500 words per hour. Then go through the process again.
- Do something completely different for a few minutes. In the preceding example, you'll write those 500 words in 50 minutes, giving you 10 minutes to stretch your legs, gaze out the window, and pet the dog before returning to work. Short breaks can actually increase your productivity, especially if you use them to move your body while your brain rests.
- Make use of placeholders. When you set a goal of writing 5000 words in 5 hours, you're effectively running a marathon. And would you stop to check out the café you just passed while running a marathon? You'd probably make a mental note to return later. When you're writing, it's the same thing. If you come to a point where you need a quote, a statistic, or some information that you don't have, write "TK*" in that spot to indicate it's "to come," and then do it later. Otherwise, looking up that one piece of information on the internet can lead you down a rabbit hole, and before you know it, an hour has passed with no writing.
*What is the significance of TK for "To Come?" It's an old journalist strategy from the days when stories were written on typewriters, I'm told. The TK was easier to spot at a glance than the TC because the TK combination almost never occurs naturally in English. Of course, you can also do a Control F to find your TK's these days.
- Understand your own biology. Some people write better in the morning, while others write better in the evening, and so on. Make time to write when you're at your most creative.
- Take a seat. Slouching causes fatigue, sore shoulders, and sluggish thinking. Sit up straight and in a position that is comfortable for you.
- Make use of focus recordings. If you search YouTube for "Focus Music," you'll find recordings that provide tones, frequencies, or music that can help you focus. If you have ADHD, look for recordings designed specifically for people with ADHD.
- Improve your typing speed. There are online typing games that can help you improve your typing speed so that your fingers can keep up with your mind.
- Purchase a high-quality keyboard. When it comes to keyboards, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Find a keyboard that allows you to type as quickly and as accurately as possible while remaining comfortable.
- Are you stumped as to what to write? If your fingers are poised over the keyboard but nothing happens, start writing ANYTHING. Anything goes. Write down what you had for breakfast, how annoying your neighbor was the day before, or why Star Trek is the best show of all time. Once you've primed your writing engine, it'll be simple to transition to writing about your topic.
- Refrain from judging yourself. Magic happens when a child is given a box of crayons and a pad of blank paper. That child is unconcerned about the quality of her work; she simply enjoys herself and creates to her heart's content. But give an adult a box of crayons and paper, and they'll freeze up like a deer caught in the headlights 9 times out of 10. Writing is no exception. If you judge what you're writing as you're writing it, the entire process will be as painful as childbirth. Instead, have some fun with it. Write as if you're a child. Instead of trying to impress anyone with your sophisticated vocabulary, simply write.
- Begin in the center. Or the end. Or the second page. Just jump in and start writing wherever you want.
- Finish with the introduction. How can you write an introduction when you don't know what the piece will be about? Writing an introduction first is difficult because you have to consider everything you might (or might not) include in the article book / email / whatever. However, if you save the introduction for last (TK), you'll find that it's super simple to write and practically flows out of you with little effort.
- Stop writing in mid-sentence. Are you finished with your writing for the day? Then try this trick for a quick start the next day: Stop writing in the middle of a sentence so you can continue where you left off. This will not only give you a head start when you return to your writing, but it will also allow your mind to percolate and generate even more ideas overnight.
- Get some exercise. The more you move your body, the more effective your mind becomes. And, of course, the better your mind works, the easier and faster it is to write.
- Alter your writing location. Prior to Covid, I would occasionally take my laptop to a nearby coffee shop and write like a madman. I'm not sure why being in a different location made writing easier, but it did. It was as if the sounds, sights, and people around me were stimulating my brain. In good weather, I take my laptop outside, and in bad weather, I take it to the kitchen, the den, and even the attic.
- Write while drunk, edit while sober. If you don't drink, disregard this one. In any case, it sounds like strange advice, doesn't it? However, if you have a drink (I recommend brandy or wine, but not too much) before writing, you'll find that you're more free with your thoughts and ideas. Try something like kava, CBD, or gaba, which are all available at your local health food store. These may assist you in relaxing and concentrating on your work. The outcomes will differ.
- Write your butt off in a journal. You will become more creative if you write in a journal on a daily or multiple times per day basis. You'll have more ideas (write them down!) and improve as a writer. The only rule for journaling is that you do it frequently. Aside from that, you can write about anything you want, whether it's chronicling your daily adventures, making plans and goals, or capturing your thoughts and ideas... anything goes as long as you're writing.
- Alter your thoughts. Instead of saying, "Oh no, I have to write 5,000 words today," say, "Yeah! Today I get to write my butt off, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! Whoo-hoo!” If that sounded sarcastic to you (it wasn't meant to), then come up with your own way of thinking that makes writing something you look forward to.
Even when they are trying to be extremely productive in their writing, most people will not write more than 2,000 words on a good day.
But when I put my foot down, I can do 5,000 or even more.
How do I go about doing it?
First, I take some time to unwind. Yes, I sit in my favorite chair, get comfy, and relax my entire body.
Then I set a goal of writing X number of words in the next X number of hours.
Let's pretend I want to write 5,000 words in 5 hours. That's 1,000 words per hour, which is a perfectly respectable figure that, yes, YOU can achieve.
In my mind's eye, I see myself after completing the 5,000 words in 5 hours. I feel a sense of accomplishment for having accomplished my goal, as well as relief for having completed the work. I'll even see the end result, such as people being helped by my articles, sales being made, or whatever my writing goal is.
The key here is to experience what it's like to have the goal already accomplished, rather than simply visualizing myself achieving it. It's the distinction between seeing yourself climb a ladder and closing your eyes and feeling yourself climb that ladder.
Of course, you can apply this technique to any goal – not just being extremely productive in your writing.
Here are a few more quick writing tips:
- Don't edit as you write; instead, simply write. You can revise and edit later if necessary. There are two reasons why you should write now and edit later: First, editing while writing causes stumbling blocks and disrupts your natural writing flow. Second, editing a day or two later results in better writing because your eyes are fresh.
- Make use of outlines to help you write. Making an outline will actually SAVE you time on your writing project.
- Do your homework. Insert any pertinent information, quotes, statistics, and so on directly into your outline for easy reference while writing.
- Remove all, or as many as possible, distractions. You know the drill – close all browser windows, turn off your phone, and so on.
- If you're more at ease speaking than writing, go for it. Use the Word feature that allows you to speak, or have someone transcribe your recordings.
- Write on a daily basis. Writing ability is similar to a muscle in that the more you use it, the stronger (and faster) it becomes.
- Begin by setting a timer. Set a timer for 25 minutes with the goal of writing 250 words if you want to start by writing 500 words per hour. Then go through the process again.
- Do something completely different for a few minutes. In the preceding example, you'll write those 500 words in 50 minutes, giving you 10 minutes to stretch your legs, gaze out the window, and pet the dog before returning to work. Short breaks can actually increase your productivity, especially if you use them to move your body while your brain rests.
- Make use of placeholders. When you set a goal of writing 5000 words in 5 hours, you're effectively running a marathon. And would you stop to check out the café you just passed while running a marathon? You'd probably make a mental note to return later. When you're writing, it's the same thing. If you come to a point where you need a quote, a statistic, or some information that you don't have, write "TK*" in that spot to indicate it's "to come," and then do it later. Otherwise, looking up that one piece of information on the internet can lead you down a rabbit hole, and before you know it, an hour has passed with no writing.
*What is the significance of TK for "To Come?" It's an old journalist strategy from the days when stories were written on typewriters, I'm told. The TK was easier to spot at a glance than the TC because the TK combination almost never occurs naturally in English. Of course, you can also do a Control F to find your TK's these days.
- Understand your own biology. Some people write better in the morning, while others write better in the evening, and so on. Make time to write when you're at your most creative.
- Take a seat. Slouching causes fatigue, sore shoulders, and sluggish thinking. Sit up straight and in a position that is comfortable for you.
- Make use of focus recordings. If you search YouTube for "Focus Music," you'll find recordings that provide tones, frequencies, or music that can help you focus. If you have ADHD, look for recordings designed specifically for people with ADHD.
- Improve your typing speed. There are online typing games that can help you improve your typing speed so that your fingers can keep up with your mind.
- Purchase a high-quality keyboard. When it comes to keyboards, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Find a keyboard that allows you to type as quickly and as accurately as possible while remaining comfortable.
- Are you stumped as to what to write? If your fingers are poised over the keyboard but nothing happens, start writing ANYTHING. Anything goes. Write down what you had for breakfast, how annoying your neighbor was the day before, or why Star Trek is the best show of all time. Once you've primed your writing engine, it'll be simple to transition to writing about your topic.
- Refrain from judging yourself. Magic happens when a child is given a box of crayons and a pad of blank paper. That child is unconcerned about the quality of her work; she simply enjoys herself and creates to her heart's content. But give an adult a box of crayons and paper, and they'll freeze up like a deer caught in the headlights 9 times out of 10. Writing is no exception. If you judge what you're writing as you're writing it, the entire process will be as painful as childbirth. Instead, have some fun with it. Write as if you're a child. Instead of trying to impress anyone with your sophisticated vocabulary, simply write.
- Begin in the center. Or the end. Or the second page. Just jump in and start writing wherever you want.
- Finish with the introduction. How can you write an introduction when you don't know what the piece will be about? Writing an introduction first is difficult because you have to consider everything you might (or might not) include in the article book / email / whatever. However, if you save the introduction for last (TK), you'll find that it's super simple to write and practically flows out of you with little effort.
- Stop writing in mid-sentence. Are you finished with your writing for the day? Then try this trick for a quick start the next day: Stop writing in the middle of a sentence so you can continue where you left off. This will not only give you a head start when you return to your writing, but it will also allow your mind to percolate and generate even more ideas overnight.
- Get some exercise. The more you move your body, the more effective your mind becomes. And, of course, the better your mind works, the easier and faster it is to write.
- Alter your writing location. Prior to Covid, I would occasionally take my laptop to a nearby coffee shop and write like a madman. I'm not sure why being in a different location made writing easier, but it did. It was as if the sounds, sights, and people around me were stimulating my brain. In good weather, I take my laptop outside, and in bad weather, I take it to the kitchen, the den, and even the attic.
- Write while drunk, edit while sober. If you don't drink, disregard this one. In any case, it sounds like strange advice, doesn't it? However, if you have a drink (I recommend brandy or wine, but not too much) before writing, you'll find that you're more free with your thoughts and ideas. Try something like kava, CBD, or gaba, which are all available at your local health food store. These may assist you in relaxing and concentrating on your work. The outcomes will differ.
- Write your butt off in a journal. You will become more creative if you write in a journal on a daily or multiple times per day basis. You'll have more ideas (write them down!) and improve as a writer. The only rule for journaling is that you do it frequently. Aside from that, you can write about anything you want, whether it's chronicling your daily adventures, making plans and goals, or capturing your thoughts and ideas... anything goes as long as you're writing.
- Alter your thoughts. Instead of saying, "Oh no, I have to write 5,000 words today," say, "Yeah! Today I get to write my butt off, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! Whoo-hoo!” If that sounded sarcastic to you (it wasn't meant to), then come up with your own way of thinking that makes writing something you look forward to.
