14 tricks for writing faster (and earning more)

14 tricks for writing faster (and earning more)

by Leo Wiles
06 February 2015

We all know that when you’re a freelancer, the faster and more efficiently you can work, the more money you can make. But it’s not just about being a speedy touch-typist. Other strategies to hone include keeping to the word count (which my loving Rachel’s List partner will know I am hopeless at). And my personal favourite – drinking a three-shot morning latte. However, these are also great tricks to adopt if you want to see more bucks in your bank account.

  1. Quit procrastinating. Instead of putting the kettle on for the umpteenth time, or hanging out the washing. promise yourself once you’ve finished the first draft you can leave your keyboard for said time-stealing task.
  2. Turn it up. If it takes going all Ferris Buller to get your blood flowing on an off day, then grab your tighty-whities and crank up your favourite energising playlist for 10 minutes.
  3. Banish the doubts that stop you starting. Get in the zone while you’re in the shower, for instance – recalling previous successes and accolades to put you back in the game.
  4. Stop researching. One of my most common time wasters is to read around, above and below the subject and end up in an online rabbit hole of gleaning information. Trust that you knew everything you needed to know before the interview and write it up.
  5. Learn your keyboard short cuts You’d be amazed at how much time it’ll save you, whether you’re on a PC or a Mac.
  6. Clear your desktop so that the only thing to focus on is the new Word document screaming out for black type.
  7. Bash it out. Spelling and fact checking can be done at the end. So keep in the flow and put in XXXX (or some other marker) that will show up as a red squiggly line in your spellcheck. That way, this gap won’t slide through to your final edit. It also means that when you reach your XXXX you may have decided to cut out that detail anyhow.
  8. Write when you’re rested. It might seem like a no-brainer, but writing when you’re exhausted takes three times as long.
  9. Quit transcribing every word. Learning analogue journo shorthand was an essential part of being a cadet. And boy, does it save time being able to fast-forward to the relevant time code on the recording rather than wading through every utterance.
  10. Know yourself. Being a night owl I loved writing at night into the wee hours. Following the birth of my three children, this has switched to writing when the little cherubs are in bed and I’ve finished packing school lunches. Or promptly after school drop off before the quagmire of domestic duties take centre-stage.
  11. Zoom in. I regularly write in 14 or 16 point so that I don’t end up squinting at the screen.
  12. Draw a map. Using pen and paper to jot down the salient touch points I want to take my readers on often stops me going off track.
  13. Turn it off. Incoming calls, emails, FB alerts and any other distractions are best left for hourly check-ins OR preferably after you’ve hit send.
  14. Adopt a habitual writing ritual. By this I mean, behavioural cues that allow your brain to know that when you’re at your desk – wherever that may be in your home – you’re at work.

What do you do to write faster? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Leo Wiles
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