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Did you know the average typing speed is around 52 words per minute? However, this number can differ if you have a solid writing process in place.
The writing process can be a pretty universal experience. Unless you’re in the flow of things, you often need to slog through a sentence while you fight writer’s block. Yet, regardless of your occupation—whether you’re a blogger, artist, copywriter, marketer, or CMO—learning how to speed write is a must if you want to be more productive.
Becoming a fast writer enables you to create content efficiently, save time, and ship projects at a much faster rate. With the help of some practical tips and a few writing tools (and we aren’t talking about fountain pens or good posture), it’s possible to speed through all the writing tasks on your plate.
9 tips for becoming a faster writer
Here are eight tips, along with useful tools, you can use to speed up your writing process:
1. Always start with a clear outline
Research, research, research. That should be your initial focus when working on any piece of writing. Having a clear vision of what you want to write speeds up the outlining process tenfold. Use tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word or even a simple pen and paper to jot down your ideas and structure your content.
Besides helping you organize your main points, outlines are timesavers. They’re a way to establish the “bones” of your writing—the most important pieces—so you can then go back and fill in the gaps.
Outlines also give you a much better idea of how long each section should be. This makes for an easy way to produce your first draft without overdoing any one section of your draft. But the perks don’t end there.
An outline is also a way to set constraints for yourself. That is, it makes it harder to get distracted and go down an unproductive rabbit hole if a new idea pops up (and they almost always do).
Before starting anything else, create a clear outline of the topic at hand. If you’re having trouble starting an outline, you can always use the outline generator template in Jasper to help with the initial process.
2. Learn your writing style
This approach has more to do with you as a writer than the actual writing. Taking the time to learn your writing style, as well as your writing habits, pays off in the long run.
You know what it takes to get yourself in writing mode, you spend less time getting through false starts, and you can optimize your schedule to plan writing sessions mapped to when you work best.
Learning your writing style takes a bit of practice. Spend some time paying attention to how you tend to form sentences, what time of day you’re most prone to focus, and when you tend to produce better first drafts. Are you a morning writer or a night owl? Do you edit a rough draft better the next day?
All these pointers can help you form your writing style which pays off in higher quality writing.
3. Use AI to your advantage
A writing assistant tool like Jasper is one of the best ways to write faster. Not only are its AI features capable of generating original content with the click of a button, but it’s also capable of generating several styles of writing that meet a specific need.
Creators have an easier time creating compelling content that reels in their audience and gets results.
Jasper works for all kinds of writing needs, including:
- Google ads copy
- Blog post outline generator
- Landing page copy
- Summaries
- Product descriptions
- Headlines
- Intro paragraphs
- Personal bios
4. Use placeholders to your advantage
Placeholders are lifesavers for those moments when you can’t quite find the word you’re looking for or you don’t have the exact citation on hand you’re looking for. As you write, it’s important to not let those blank moments hold you back from developing the rest of your piece.
That’s where placeholders come in:
- XXXX
- TK
- BLANK
- FILLER
They help speed up your writing process. Once a first draft is done, use “command + F” for Mac or “Control + F” for Windows to bring up the search feature on your screen, and type in what you used as a placeholder so you can go back and fill them in.
5. Write shorter sentences
Writing shorter sentences not only makes your writing clearer but it helps you get your thoughts down faster. If you try to get too complex with the formatting, you’ll spend too much time trying to simplify for clarity.
Rather than mulling over every long-winded sentence, stick to writing shorter sentences. They’re easier to understand and—because of their short nature—force you to make a point faster. Plus, they make it easier to start freewriting.
You can always go back in later and combine sentences or add context where it makes sense rather than stopping to fix them mid-sentence. And yes, you can add flair with exclamation points, em dashes, and the rest as you make revisions.
If you’re having trouble portraying a concept in a simple sentence structure, we recommend trying out editing software like Hemingway App to improve your writing. Remember, the stronger your writing skills, the faster you’re able to pump out words on a page!
6. Use templates
Templates are a powerful antidote to writer’s block. They help get you out of false starts, give you a predetermined framework to work with, and take the pressure off the need to come up with something completely new from scratch.
Templates can be used for just about any type of writing. It doesn’t only have to be for essays or long-form blog content. They can even be used to write cold emails in the tone of your choice. Here’s an example:
The first step to getting in the habit of using templates when you write is to either create them yourself or find a resource. Jasper has a full library of templates that can help you unlock quicker writing.
You can find templates for lots of writing needs, including:
- Introductory paragraphs
- Marketing copy
- Ad copy
- Creative stories
- Product descriptions
7. Topic block your writing
Overwhelm slows down your writing speed. And your inner critic always finds a way to keep you from reaching your writing goals.
Though counterintuitive, it’s the reason why it’s best to approach your writing in chunks. Much like time blocking, dedicating all your time and attention to predetermined “blocks” or “chunks” of writing can help increase your focus, which in turn increases writing speed so you don’t end up with a blank page.
Learn to break down your writing so you concentrate and give all your attention to one piece at a time. The Pomodoro technique can help here. It’s especially helpful if you’re writing longer pieces. That way, you're able to engage in fast writing without slowing down from overwhelm.
You can choose to break down your writing by:
- Sections (beginning, middle, and end)
- Headings and subheadings
- Topics
- Main arguments
By breaking down your writing into manageable chunks, you can focus on one specific aspect at a time. This allows you to fully immerse yourself in the topic without feeling overwhelmed or distracted by other ideas. It also helps to keep your writing organized and structured, making it easier for your readers to follow along.
Writing in chunks can also help you overcome writer's block. If you're struggling to write a certain section or topic, you can move on to another chunk and come back to it later with fresh ideas and perspective. As contradictory as it sounds, sometimes just walking away from a piece of writing is the best thing you can do to complete it quicker.
8. Practice intentionally
One of the biggest mistakes writers make when it comes to learning how to speed write is overlooking the need for intentional practice. Just like any other skill, writing proficiently takes time and practice to master. To improve your writing speed, it’s necessary to set aside time each day to focus on hitting your speed goals.
However, there is no one way to practice speed writing. Some people prefer to practice by typing out passages from books or articles. Others prefer to practice by writing out full paragraphs or essays. The key is to find a method that works best for you and stick with it on a long enough timeline that you start seeing improvements in your writing speed.
Remember, intentional practice makes perfect. If you want to write faster and better, make sure to schedule time each day to put in the reps. With enough practice, you’ll be able to beat the 52 words per minute average.
9. Create the perfect writing environment
The influence of your surroundings on your writing efficiency cannot be overstated. A well-curated environment can significantly enhance focus, creativity, and productivity.
At the very basic level, you should have a clean workspace. Having a clean and tidy work environment has been proven to increase productivity and help develop a more positive headspace for work.
Factors such as lighting, noise levels, temperature, and even the organization of your workspace play crucial roles in shaping your mental readiness for the writing process.
Natural light, for instance, boosts mood and energy, making it easier to concentrate. Similarly, a quiet or suitably sound-controlled room allows for deeper immersion in your work, reducing distractions and fostering a state of flow. Having plants in your workspace improves productivity and employee well-being.
Personalizing your space with items that inspire you can also stimulate creativity and make the writing experience more enjoyable. In contrast, a cluttered or uncomfortable environment can lead to frustration, fatigue, and a noticeable drop in writing efficiency.
3 tools to boost your writing speed
1. Jasper
Regardless of speed, it still takes time to write quality content. Yet there’s a way to write faster without sacrificing quality. With Jasper, you can create content for a long list of different needs a lot faster.
With the help of smart AI copy generation, templates, and automatic rephrasing options, it’s easy to create crisp copy that resonates with your target audience and gets results.
Once you open your Jasper account to start writing better and faster, you can also save past projects within its dashboard, start from absolute scratch and enrich your writing with its templates, or use the Brand Voice feature to dictate your copy so Jasper writes it in your preferred tone and style. Simply upload any document, copy and paste text or scan an entire website and Jasper will be able to match your brand’s voice. You can even save this for future use to build consistency across all your documents.
Plus, Jasper offers one of the best Chrome extensions for bloggers and content marketers, helping them write great content and copy on the go.
2. Typing Quest
Fun software like Typing Quest can help you increase your typing speeds. It includes exercises, typing tests, and courses you can use to write faster (though not necessarily better).
Improving your word count per minute is one piece of the puzzle. You can start for free on a generous 60 day trial but once you want to upgrade you’ll have to opt for a paid subscription.
3. Keybr
Accessible typing practice tools like Keybr are yet another way to quicken your typing speed. If writing faster is the goal, it’s always a good idea to set some time apart each week where you can focus on improving your typing speed.
While Keybr isn’t like Jasper in that it actually writes the content you want for you, it does help you optimize for speed by showing you tips like proper keyboard hand placement. In terms of pricing, Keybr does not need you to open an account or pay for anything.
Write faster with Jasper
No matter how many writing tips you collect, learning how to write faster takes time. The act of writing is an art. Professional writers know that. But using the right techniques and tools can help you set yourself up for success.
With AI technology, Jasper helps you come up with writing hooks, outlines, summaries, or even polished introductory paragraphs with the click of a button. If you want to be a faster writer, start by using Jasper. With practice, you’ll speed up your writing process and produce high-quality content.
Try out Jasper today to learn how to write faster. Better yet, join our Facebook community for more tips on how to improve your writing skills.
