by Charles Bobbitt

Created on: September 23, 2008   Last Updated: September 11, 2010

If you want to write faster, consider adding PEP to your process: Preparation, Environment, and Practice.

Preparation:

Proper preparation gives a boost to your writing speed and quality. Those who know how to prepare well are able to write faster and more fluently. Those who don't prepare well are destined for mediocrity. By incorporating the following five ideas into your preparation process, your writing speed, quality, and enjoyment will all increase.

1) Keep a journal

Often, writing is slow because you don't know what to write about, or can't think of specific examples to clarify the points you are trying to make. Keeping a journal is a great way to overcome these problems. Take a small notebook with you wherever you go to jot down the bits of inspiration that come to mind and the interesting events you witness throughout your day. Regularly review these notes, looking for ideas to write about or for colorful, concrete examples to spice up your writing.

2) Know your subject

To write faster, write about things you know. Or, if you want to write about something you are not yet familiar with, do your research first. Learn all you can about the subject before starting to write. The investment of time at the beginning of your writing project will be rewarded in the speed and quality of your writing.

3) Be derivative

Make the most of your knowledge and research. Think of other articles to write on related topics. If you just finished writing an article on training horses, why not write one about grooming horses, preparing stables, or proper feeding of horses? Only your imagination will limit the list of possible related topics. For these derivative articles, much of the background information is the same, which saves time for both research and writing.

4) Plan

Know what you want to say before you begin. Make a roadmap of where you want to the article to go and the points that you hope to make along the way. Frequently, those who choose not to plan find that what they thought was the right road is either a dead end or takes them to places they don’t want to go.

5) Learn to think clearly

Writing is putting your thoughts down on paper. If your thoughts are clear and come easily, then your writing will be clear and will come easily. If your thinking is muddy, then your writing will be confusing and will require lots of editing. One way to develop clear thinking is to write how-to articles for simple tasks. Choose anything from changing a flat tire to making

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