by Charles Bobbitt

Created on: September 26, 2010

Writing an article in under 20 minutes qualifies as speed-writing.  Speed-writing, like speed-reading, is a skill that can be learned. For most writers, though, it won’t happen overnight. It requires a little process and a lot of practice; but it can be done. For the process, a good rule of thumb is to allow 3 minutes for organizing your article, 10-12 minutes for writing a first draft, and 5-7 minutes for editing. For practice, you will need as much as it takes until your goal of writing an article in 20 minutes or less is regularly achieved.

*Organizing your article, process*

The three minutes you spend planning your article will make or break your speed-writing. Begin by writing a one-sentence summary of the claim you are making in your article. Remember that titles such as, “How to write an article in under 20 minutes,” are seldom sufficient. They give your article no direction.

Instead, be bold. “Writing an article in under 20 minutes is possible if you know the process and if you practice.” With this claim-statement, you now know more clearly what information to include in your article, and in what order. Follow this statement with a list of the points and sub-points necessary support your claim. The claim-statement will later give birth to your introduction, each point will become a paragraph, and each sub-point will grow into one or two sentences.

*Organizing your article, practice*

There are two techniques useful for improving your speed and ability to organize articles. The first is to deconstruct well-written articles into their component claim-statements, points, and sub-points. By doing so, you learn to quickly recognize how well-organized articles are constructed. 

The second technique is to choose some article titles and practice creating the framework you would use for an article. Write your claim-statement, points, and sub-points that address the title. Practice coming up with these article frameworks until you can complete them in three minutes or less.

*Writing a first draft, theory*

If you have organized your article well, then the speed at which you can finish a first draft depends mainly on your typing speed. An average typist (non-professional) can type forty words per minute. That means for a 400-600 word article, you will spend 10 -15 minutes typing. By increasing your typing speed to sixty words per minute, you will need only 7-10 minutes to complete the article; at eighty words per minute, 

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