You love to write, but how do you write faster? As the weather turns colder and the holidays approach, the season of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, also begins. NaNoWriMo, while no longer in business for many reasons, was a nationwide challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November. This meant you had to write about 1,667 words a day in order to meet this goal. That is a lot of words, especially during the holidays. Even though NaNoWriMo has officially closed down, I still enjoy the challenge of pushing your writing abilities. Try these ten tips to help you write faster.

1. Practice Touch Typing
   • Touch typing is the practice of typing using all of one’s fingers and without looking at the keys. When I was a kid, we used to go to the computer lab and have typing lessons. The teacher would set a box over our hands which were on the keyboard and we would have to type a certain amount of words correctly in a set amount of time. Now, I’m not sure if they still teach typing like this in schools, but touch typing enables you to focus more on what you are writing, rather than trying to find the letter on the keyboard.
2. Create outlines
   • Creating an outline for your story or blog post can significantly increase your writing speed as they provide a framework for what you are writing. Start by brainstorming ideas and then organizing them into groups. Under each group, you should bullet point each topic, making it easier to focus on each individual section. Outlining will also help to make sure you do not miss any key points. You don’t have to write in order when you have an outline. You can jump to any topic that strikes your imagination, while still staying on task.
3. Use Speech to Text
   • One thing I use quite a bit, especially if I am not at home on my computer, is speech to text. There are several dictation programs you can use, or you can make it simple with Google Docs and the speech function. While it is not perfect, I do find that telling my story verbally sometimes helps work through the kinks. I can always go back and edit later.
4. Eliminate Distractions
   • Eliminating distractions is a key way to write faster. Turn your phone off or at least put the notifications on silent. Close unnecessary browser tabs and close the door if you can. Create a quiet place to write to help boost your concentration and write faster.
5. Minimize Multitasking
   • Along with eliminating distractions, minimizing multitasking can also increase your writing speed. Focus on one thing at a time. Human brains cannot actually do multiple things at once. Our brains just jump quickly from one thing to the next, never allowing us to focus solely on one thing at a time. Multitasking leads to tasks taking longer or not being completed to our potential ability.
6. Avoid perfectionism
   • You can’t edit a blank page, so write the page, and then edit it. Don’t worry about the typos or the misspelled words as you are writing. Once you have finished writing a section, then you can go back and fix those mistakes, but get the words on the page first.
7. Batch Tasks
   • Another way to increase your writing speed is to batch your tasks. As I mentioned in the last point, write the words first and then go back and edit. You can spend one day writing, and then go back the next day to edit. I like to leave at least a day or two between writing and editing, so my brain gets a chance to step away from the words and come at it with a fresh perspective. Batching your tasks will also make you feel more accomplished instead of trying to get it all done at once. (Remember what we said about multitasking?) Set one day to write your blog posts or emails, one day to work on your social media, etc.
8. Set Deadlines
   • Set deadlines for yourself and stick to them. This will help you maintain momentum and avoid procrastination. Breaking larger projects into smaller sections, each with their own deadline, will help you stay on top of your project. This will also help make larger projects feel less intimidating and easier to achieve.
9. Prioritize Your To-Do List
   • Along with setting deadlines, prioritizing your to-do list will also help you write faster. What needs to be written first? Can you churn out a blog post or email to your readers in 30 minutes, leaving the rest of your time for the fun writing? I like to batch my content, meaning I will write several blog posts and emails at once because I can write them fairly quickly. I usually do this on Mondays, leaving the rest of the week to write the story that is in my head. This helps make sure that I work IN my business and ON my business, leaving no task to fall through the cracks.
10. Optimize Your Workspace
    • Finally, optimizing your workspace can also help you write faster. Leaving your supplies within easy reach will mean there is less set up involved when you do sit down to write. This could include having your favorite drink close, bookmarking the tabs you use on a regular basis, or leaving your favorite pen and notebook next to the chair you sit in while you write. Having your essential supplies close will reduce interruptions and help you maintain your writing flow. Your chair should be comfortable, but not so comfortable you fall asleep. It should promote good posture, blood circulation, and comfort. Make sure your computer screen is at eye level and consider using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse to reduce neck and wrist pain.