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In the writing world, there is a practice that writers use regardless if they are writing a screenplay, a novel, or stand-up comedy. Put these tips into practice now and you will be well on your way to drafting masterpieces in a fraction of the time!
1. Keep Writing
First things first, do not take your pen off the paper for an extended period of time or until you have a predetermined number of sentences or paragraphs completed. Just write whatever comes to mind and keep it going without lifting that pen off the pad.
Today, most people do not write using a pen and pad but you can put that same practice to use by continuing to type without stopping until you have completed a specified number of sentences or words. I personally find that trying to type continuously is a little harder for me than not picking up the pen. However, this is still a great habit to get into because it forces you to keep writing, get thoughts on your page, and not care how it sounds or if what you wrote is organized. All of that can be taken care of after you have finished the writing exercise.
2. Set a Timer
Another trick of the trade for writing quickly that can also help you overcome writer’s block is to set a timer and don’t stop writing until the timer goes off. This is similar to the tip above but with this method, you can allow yourself to edit and use spelling and grammar check to make sure that what you are putting down on paper makes sense.
This can give you a sense of achievement because you’ll be able to appreciate how much you can achieve in a specific amount of time if you put your mind to it. This method may have become my favorite after realizing what I was able to write in that designated time slot. It motivates me to carve out a specific time during the week for writing, combats writer’s block, and helps me to stop procrastinating.
3. Spell Check
Make sure you keep your creative juices flowing and turn off spell check. I know personally when I see the red squiggly line under a word I must go back and make sure I correct it. A lot of times doing so breaks my concentration and makes it hard to finish sentences or start new paragraphs. Turn the spell check off until you are finished writing your paragraph, page, blog etc. and then go back and check for spelling and grammatical errors. You will see a world of difference because you will be able to just continue writing without worrying about misspelled words and proper tenses.
4. Don’t Delete
I am guilty of this one all the time when I am writing even if it’s just a text or email. I read what I have written, decide I don’t like it, and then hit delete. Then I write something else, decide I don’t like it either and end up deleting it as well. I repeat those steps over and over. All the while, I’m thinking if I could only remember what I originally wrote because I said it best in that sentence the first time.
A trick I use to stop my own madness is that I will hit enter a few times and keep my original sentence further down the page along with some other ideas I may have. This way if I end up preferring my first draft of a sentence I still have it. I may also have other ideas that weren’t quite right but together work perfectly. This gave me back a lot of time and sanity.
A trick I use to stop my own madness is that I will hit enter a few times and keep my original sentence further down the page along with some other ideas I may have. This way if I end up preferring my first draft of a sentence I still have it. I may also have other ideas that weren’t quite right but together work perfectly. This gave me back a lot of time and sanity.
Looking for more great writing tips? Check us out here!