You need to write something. Maybe it’s an article, or a letter, or a report. There’s a deadline. It’s number five on your to-do list of 43 items. Here are a few tips on writing faster and better.
1. Read first. Your assignment is to write something. If your inclination is to start writing, stop. It will be much easier to write once you “get” the topic at hand. Even if you’re on a tight deadline, understanding what you’re going to write about will ultimately save you lots of time.
2. Embrace “blessed” language. When writing for a company, an agency, or a non-profit, there’s a way to say certain things. These phrases were hammered out long before you came along. Someone else already sweated over every word. Find out what the “blessed language” is, and use it.
3. Stuck on the first sentence? Write it like a news item: who, what, when, why, how. That will get you started, and it sets up a structure that forces you to focus on the topic at hand.
4. Long sentences are not necessarily better sentences. Are you out of high school? Good. In the real world, you’re considered a good writer because your reader understands what you’re saying. No one will count how many words are in your sentences. No one will care how many sentences are in your paragraphs. They will care about it what you’re trying to say. Focus on that.
5. Know your kryptonite. Mine is the word “while.” I know that when I start a sentence with the word “while,” nothing good will follow. By starting with “while,” I’m already messing up a perfectly good sentence. I do this because an idea is not clear enough in my mind to translate into a clear sentence. That’s just me. Know your own verbal weaknesses, and learn how to avoid them.
6. Eyeball it. Does that paragraph look bigger than the others? You should probably break it down.
7. Housekeeping! In the interest of graceful transitions, we lard up our clean prose with too many “indeeds,” “moreovers,” or “in other words.” Clean it up. The leaner the better.
8. Think you’re done? Read it out loud. You’ll find typos and awkward phrases that you didn’t see before.
Still stuck? Drop me a line: joelle@jordandresden.com