Staring at a blank page is a pillow on the face of your productivity.
If you’re not producing, you’re not earning.
As a writer you must fly through your work rapidly so you can get paid and get on with your next gig.
But what do you do when you draw a blank?
This is unnerving, but it happens to most writers from time to time. It’s easy to overcome, assuming you have a general idea of what you’re going to say.
Wanna know a secret?
Maybe you already know it. If you donʼt, it could help you for the rest of your writing life.
Itʼs always easier to answer a question than answer the blank page. If I told you to write about your computer, you might struggle with something to say, even though you probably use your computer every day.
But what if I asked you, “What are three ways your computer has improved your life?”
Youʼd be able to write for five minutes without stopping, right?
Look at your trigger words, then use them to help you think of a question, or three. Write those questions down and set the timer for another 5 minutes.
Start writing!
Write fast and furious. Donʼt let anything stand in the way of you and getting as many words on the page as you possibly can before the timer goes off.
This 5 minutes of speed writing should be all about quantity, not quality.
But hereʼs another secret…
The faster you write, the better your copy will be.
I know this probably rubs your instincts raw, but thatʼs because most writers have learned a lot of the wrong lessons.
There is a misperception in our society that the longer something takes the more value it has, especially when it comes to writing.
This couldnʼt be further from the truth.
Think about it…
When someone is exceptionally good at something, arenʼt they able to do it fast?
Slowing down to think as you write allows your brain to self-edit, questioning your instincts and giving a stutter to your natural voice.
Write as fast as you can and you will come closer to your natural speaking voice.
The faster you write, the more the words on the page will sound like you.
The more your copy sounds like you, the friendlier it will be.
The friendlier it is, the more likely it is to get read and spread.
So just write – for 5 straight minutes without stopping.
By the time your timer goes off, you will probably have written between 250 and 300 words.
That may be difficult for you to believe since your normal writing rhythm probably yields around 500 – 1,000 an hour.
But thatʼs why you’re reading this post – because youʼre looking for a better way.
If you managed to write 250-300 words, itʼs because you wrote without stopping to think. It was just you, the blank page, and a fresh conversation.
Clearly you’ll need to finesse your final draft, but the difficult part has been done.
Editing your copy is always easier when your rough draft is singing in the key of your natural voice.
(Don’t forget to re-tweet!)
Sign up for the FREE updates that help good writers make a great living online!
About Sean Platt
Keep cranking out the good tips! xo mom
Hey Ma, is this your first comment here? Welcome. :)
What tricks do you have for making yourself write faster? I have trouble concentrating enough to do that.
I use a timer, Awaken for Mac, then set it for five minutes and write in bursts. This has been working brilliantly for me.
How do you come up with your trigger words?
I think about what I want to say, then write down the first three words that come to mind. Each word is usually enough to get me writing for about a minute and a half – non stop – which means 100 words or so.
This is great advice. I always have trouble running into writing blocks. This will hopefully help me get over that.
Use a timer and a trio of trigger words and you’ll be good to go!