Artificial Intelligence How to Write Faster – Top Ways to Boost Your Writing Speed Using AI

Have you ever sat down to write a 500 word article in a couple of hours but ended up spending a day on it? One of the biggest challenges content writers face is the speed of writing. Content creation is a creative process and it requires you to follow a set of best practices to optimize your writing speed. In this blog post, we discuss the best tips on how to write faster and save time.

Average Typing Speed Vs Fast Typing Speed

Did you know that the average writing speed is around 40 words per minute? For those who want to aim for faster writing speed, a word count of 50-75 words per minute is considered as fast writing.  ^[1]

If you are learning how to write faster, here are some tips & best practices to get ahead of your performance:

Start with an Outline and Information Gathering

The first thing you need to do to boost your writing performance is to assign a title, an outline and the structure of your writing piece. Depending upon the nature of your writing, you can decide all these parameters and start the writing process. Once you have figured out the structure of your writing, the next steps become easier to follow.

Set Realistic Goals and Deadlines

One of the biggest factors which discourages writing speed for anyone are unrealistic goals and deadlines. If you have been writing for a few days, you will know just how much time it takes for you to reach a certain word limit. You must decide all your writing goals and deadlines based on your benchmark performance. If you take 2 hours to jot down 300 words, you must stick to that deadline during the initial phase of writing. Later on, you can increase your deadlines and goals to aptly boost and meet your writing speed.

Time Your Writing Speed

A great way to push yourself to meet your writing goals is to set a writing timer. If you are wondering how to write faster than others, it is a great idea to time your writing speed. Set a timer to remind you about the time you are spending on a particular article or blog post. Timer should not become a source of stress for you, instead it should simply help you be mindful of not spending too much time on a task which you can manage to do in a shorter time. Another great tip to improve your writing speed is to take short breaks of 5-10 minutes after every 30 minutes or an hour of writing to avoid burnout. 

Use This Journalist’s Trick: Placeholders

Have you ever wondered why journalists tend to be fast writers? While most of us get stuck on filling gaps where information is lacking, journalists use an old-school trick of using placeholder phrases or words. Usually, journalists use “TK” on spaces which need more information for proper writing. TK is essentially an abbreviation or shorthand figure of text which means “To Come”. Thus, TK helps you keep a blank space for acquiring more information later on. Ultimately, you can focus more on writing your first draft than looking for information to fill the gaps. After using this trick, you will be surprised to know that your head usually has the bulk of information that you want to write. Moreover, there is usually very little need to acquire more information later on.

Turn Off the Grammar Checker 

The squiggly red lines alert and divert our brain more than anything else. Most of the content creators tend to do things right the first time. However, it is important to understand that writing is a process. And just like any other process, there are ways to optimize your writing speed. One of those ways is to turn off any grammar checker you are using while you write the first draft. Pausing and fixing the grammar errors in the middle of writing disturbs the writing flow, ultimately pushing you to create poore drafts than you initially thought to write. 

Revise and Edit Later

We all make mistakes during the initial draft of our writing. However, this does not mean that we should correct the mistakes right there and then. In fact, a better way to write faster is to create a rough draft and edit it later. During the editing and revision process, you can shift your mind to judgment and correction mode. Thus, your mind does not have to constantly juggle between finding new ideas, arranging them into coherent paragraphs and fixing the errors. In fact, editing and revising the content later allows you to better fix the flow of your writing. When creating the first draft, let the typos slide and come back later to fix the errors, polish the content and make it more engaging.

Stick to Your Schedule

When setting a timer, be mindful of the fact that you only need to meet your writing goal. Some writers make the mistake of trying to get ahead of your set timer deadlines. As a result, they burn out faster than they would normally do. Thus, you need to maintain a steady pace while writing to avoid getting tired faster. The goal is to pick a sustainable pace which enables you to write faster for a longer period of time. Sticking to your timer also allows you to take a breather and maintain the flow of your writing, instead of just rushing through the process. 

Automate Your Typing to Skip Keystrokes

Sometimes, our brain tends to work faster than our fingers. It means that you are likely to think faster than you write. In such cases, using abbreviations is a great way to get ahead of your train of thought. However, it is not recommended to use too many abbreviations as you will need to invest more time while editing your draft and chances of error are high. 

Alternatively, you can use an AI writing assistant to automate your writing process. WriteMe is one such writing assistant that allows you to simply input your keyword ideas and writing theme which allows you to generate multiple output. Thus, you can not only save time on hitting the keystrokes but also overcome writer’s block by getting a different output every time you use the writing generator. Thus, a content writing assistant can automate different aspects of writing so you can save time and focus more on making your content more valuable and engaging for your readers.

Figure Out the Best Time for Writing

Since content creation is a creative process, your brain requires a proper supportive environment to get those creative juices flowing. The best time for writing varies depending on your preferences. For most people, morning is the best time to write faster and stick to their deadlines. On the other hand, most people tend to write better and faster during the night once they are done with the daily tasks. Shift your writing schedule between morning and evening to see which time works best for you.

Eliminate Distractions

Your biggest enemy while writing are probably the unnecessary distractions lying around you. Creativity requires an element of calm and organization to show its magic in most cases. Since content writing is a creative segment, you need to make sure that unnecessary clutter is removed from your working space. Minimize the cable clutter around your working desk, eliminate distractions, put your phone away on silent and develop a habit of concentration while you are writing.

Suggested Read: Why Do You Need to Organize Your Content Creation Process?

Maintain Good Posture

Many of us neglect the importance of maintaining a good posture while writing. When your body is well-positioned, it is more likely to support your performance. Thus, a good posture where your elbows are placed at right angles to your keyboard and writing surface, is a great way to write faster. If you have a habit of slouching or typing with a firm hand at a wrong angle, chances are that your writing speed will be reduced. Using standing desks is another recommended method to boost your writing speed. A good posture also helps in reducing the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome among writers. ^[2]

Write Under Pressure (from Your Bladder)

Another unconventional way to write faster is to let nature take its course via your bladder. It has been found that a full bladder helps some people to speed up their normal speed while doing anything, be it writing. Drinking water while writing will not only keep you hydrated but also keep your bladder fuller. Thus, the “need” for taking a bathroom break will lend you the rush you need to write faster. Moreover, the bathroom break can serve as a short period of off time from writing so you can arrange your thoughts and continue writing. However, this trick may be helpful for only a selective number of people. 

Wrapping it Up

Typing content faster is a skill that requires practice, patience and a proper set of writing skills. If you understand the basics of how to write faster and apply them to your performance, you will be able to amp up your writing speed in no time. The above-mentioned tips are a great way for any beginner writer to speed up typing speed. Moreover, using AI automated writing assistant is a great way to reduce manual effort and write content faster. 

How to Write Faster – Frequently Asked Questions

How to become a faster writer?

• Write everyday for the sake of practice
• Play typing games to speed up your typing
• Make notes whenever you can to finalize later
• Ensure that there are no distractions when writing
• Don’t forget about taking short break every 30 minutes

How to write articles faster?

• Brainstorm your ideas and jot them down 
• Assign yourself a topic and decide the layout
• Research and gather information you want to use
• Create a first draft of writing without making any edits
• Eliminate distractions and set realistic deadlines
• Reward yourself every time you save a minute on writing

References:
[1] Average Typing Speed – TypingPal
[2] Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – WebMD