Tips for Speeding Up the Writing Process
To make a living, journalists need to create a very large amount of content, sometimes in multiple styles and in multiple voices. When juggling that much work it can feel difficult—or even impossible–to get through the writing process in a healthy way. The slog of sitting down with writer’s block while staring at open pieces of research is a struggle known to every journalist.
When building routines as a freelancer, efficiency is the name of the game. “To be a good writer, you have to learn to write slow,” writes Roy Peter Clark for Poynter. “Some sentences or passages just take a long time. But slow writing need not be the norm. In journalism and all public writing, the goal should be fast writing—or at least faster writing.” Despite the need for depth, clarity, and craft in every passage, there are things journalists can do to speed up this process and couch each different job in good habits, so that when it comes time to get down to business, journalists already have a process in place.
SET CLEAR GOALS
Usually writers get a deadline, a story, and a word count. Some of those physical goals are already set in place for you—your deadline and your word count. This will allow you to properly allot your time. For the sake of marketing, journalists should already know approximately how many words per minute they are able to type; determine how many words you can write in a given period of time and make sure that that aligns with your goal for the story in a realistic and achievable way.
CREATE AN OUTLINE
Integrate the investigation and the writing process—begin outlining exactly the thing you want to cover as you’re investigating them. Include your sources and quotes in your outline so that when you sit down to write, the only thing you need to do is fill in the blanks. Outlining your writing before you start can help you stay focused and avoid getting bogged down in details when you’re staring at your computer screen writing your 9th article of the day.
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Minimizing interruptions and distractions while you're writing is probably one of the most difficult yet important pieces of the task. In order to focus on writing, you must remove work notifications, emails, text messages, and any distractions or stressors from your immediate line of sight. In addition, finding secondary activities to help you focus—like listening to music—can be of use here. White noise can also improve working memory but tread carefully, as studies have also shown white noise while working can increase stress levels.
SET ASIDE TIME TO WRITE WITH BREAKS BUILT IN
Setting aside time each day as a guaranteed writing period means you have habitualized the act of writing itself. Every day is different as a freelancer but setting aside some time each day to write will make the task of writing feel a little easier. In addition, stick to your time frame, but don’t be afraid to take a break: studies show that short breaks can help keep your motivation afloat, especially as you flit back and forth between publications.
WRITE IN BATCHES
Try to confine all writing to the times you’ve set aside and write as much as you can—in short burst—during those time periods. This will help with:
EMBRACING IMPERFECTION
Lower your standards for your first draft and even for your final draft. Let the ideas come out onto the page first, and refine them later after the format is all there for you. Editing as you go is hellish and not recommended by most professionals. Also, the editor needs to be able to do their job: write first, edit later. This is especially recommended for freelancers who are writing for several different publications that differ in style, substance, and tone: the story is the most important piece of the content. The finishing touches can come after the foundation has been built.
Even though journalists love and care about their jobs, sometimes the execution of it is, simply, a slog. Preparing these tools as habits for your writing can really offload stress and is essential to having longevity as a freelancer and as a journalist altogether.
