How to Write Faster and Better: 6 Practical Steps
Want to supercharge your writing speed without sacrificing quality? Research shows that “working long hours pushes you to procrastinate more, work less efficiently, and causes you to get less done, usually without you realizing it.”1 Let’s fix that! Here are proven strategies that’ll help you write faster and better. Whether you’re tackling an exam, crafting articles, working on a book, or publishing content on your personal blog, these tips will help you get those thoughts flowing from your brain to the page.
Last Updated: May 9, 2025
Step 1: Create Your Rough Draft
Start by listing all the key points you want to include. Go through this list carefully so nothing important gets left out. At this stage, don’t worry about complete sentences. Just jot down keywords or phrases that’ll remind you of each point later.
Example: For this article, my rough draft might look like:
- List points first
- Organize points in logical order
- Write fast, fix later
- Use headings
- Create title last
- Edit and polish
Step 2: Get Organized
Now take those points and arrange them in a logical order. Decide what needs to come first, what follows naturally, and how the whole piece should flow. This organization becomes your roadmap. Good organization saves you from the “what comes next?” paralysis that slows down many writers.
Step 3: Let Your Thoughts Flow
You’ve done the prep work, which is where effective writers spend most of their time. With your outline ready, the writing part becomes much easier.
Go through each point and explain it briefly but clearly. Keep your explanations concise. Most readers don’t have the patience for lengthy articles. Usually 1-3 short paragraphs per point works well. But never sacrifice clarity just to be brief.
The real trick here? Write fast. Really fast. Don’t stop to overthink things. Rapid writing helps prevent those frustrating mental blocks. Don’t stress about spelling or grammar at this stage (you’ll fix those in Step 6). Just focus on explaining each point and moving forward. Your goal is completion.
Once you’ve mastered writing faster, elevate your creative quality with these creative writing exercises from The Writer’s Playbook.
Before transformation:
Step 3 point: Write fast, fix later
After transformation:
When you’re drafting, speed matters more than perfection. Studies show writers who type continuously for 10-15 minutes produce 58% more usable content than those who stop frequently to edit. Get your thoughts down quickly without censoring yourself. The momentum will carry you through potential blocks and generate surprising insights. You can always fix awkward sentences later.
Step 4: Break It Up With Headers
Make your article more readable by adding clear headings and subheadings. Many people just scan articles rather than reading every word. Good headings make your content scannable. They help readers quickly find the sections that interest them most while skipping the rest. This improves user experience, which helps with both reader satisfaction and search engine rankings.
Step 5: Craft Your Perfect Title
Only create your title after finishing the article. Starting with a title can limit your thinking and creativity. By waiting until the end, you’ll come up with something that truly reflects what you’ve written and appeals to your readers. A good title typically includes your main keyword (like “write faster”) while creating curiosity or promising a benefit.
Step 6: Polish It Up
Now go back and read through everything. Make improvements where needed. Fix any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. You can revise as many times as needed until you’re satisfied with the result.
Helpful Tools to Write Faster
Several digital tools can dramatically increase your writing speed:
- Grammarly or ProWritingAid: Catches errors so you don’t have to worry during the drafting stage
- Forest or Pomodoro apps: Times your writing sessions to maintain focus
- Google Docs Voice Typing: Lets you dictate content when you’re tired of typing
- Notion or Workflowy: Helps organize your ideas before writing
Each tool removes a different friction point from your writing process, letting you maintain creative flow. For writers looking to expand their creative range beyond productivity, explore The Writer’s Playbook: Unlocking Your Creative Potential.
Congratulations! By following these steps, you’ll not only write faster but also produce more coherent, reader-friendly content. Writers who use structured approaches like this report completing projects in about half the time while feeling more satisfied with their work.