As a professional writer, time is money.
An effective writing (researching, writing, and editing) process can help you to deliver quickly and at a higher quality. Your clients will appreciate the rapid turnover and entrust you with more projects.
Yet many writers struggle with this. Writing, being a creative process takes awhile. Many look for an inspiration before putting pen to paper. Some never even begin to research.
Whether you are struggling with the lack of motivation or inspiration, this article aims to help you become the productive and effective writer you have always envisioned yourself to be. This guide is intended for experts and beginners alike.
Timing is everything is everything when it comes to professional writing. I hold myself to a high standard because every second matter. Time spent writing is time spent away from my family and friends. It is time away from doing other projects that could boost my career. This is how i plan my time:
- 10 mins planning
- 20 mins research
- 15 mins writing
- 25 mins editing
Discipline is the key to completing your article in 60 minutes. It is also important to stick to this sequence in order to be efficient.
You can use my timings as a rough guide. I use Google timer to keep myself on track. The beauty of this method is that you can stop at each segment if you find yourself losing steam, and continue again when you are well rested. This will help you make the best out of your time and write an article in 60 minutes.
10 mins of planning.
Understand the purpose of your essay. Every piece of article has to have a purpose.
In this article, I want my readers to be able to write quickly by taking the most effective approach to writing their articles. I know that writing can be a difficult process that doesn’t come naturally to most people. I am providing this guide because I write a lot of business articles – almost 400 each month! Without this, I can never meet my clients’ expectations. So I know this method can help you to become more effective.
In your planning process, write a “skeleton” of your essay. Quickly write out your essay in point forms.
“But I don’t even know what to write about or where to begin!”
I hear you. Here is how I start:
I imagine myself talking to a young kid. He (or she) has no clue about the subject but is eager to learn everything there is to learn. He is also keen to start putting this new knowledge to use right away!
I will start by addressing the basics key terms and ideas and flow from one point to another in a logical manner. Flow from one point to another to create a skeleton of a whole story.
(For example, if you want to explain the most effective way to transform your backyard into a colourful and luscious garden, it makes sense to start by:
- Identifying key information about the climate, suitable plant types, soil condition, and presence of herbivores or pests in the area.
- Affordable places to get seeds, soil, and gardening equipment.
- Selecting and preparing a plot of land.
- Effective methods for planting seeds.
- Tending to the plants at each stage of their life cycle.
- Rearrange the plants or transplanting them from the nursery to its destination.
- More information and helpful tips.)
20 mins of research
It is important to note that for this article, I assume that you are facing the challenge of writing about something within your field/industry, and about something you know and have an opinion about, rather than a topic that is completely foreign. As such, research ≠ learning from scratch; Research (for writers) is simply the process of looking for evidence to substantiate your points.
Now while writing this story, you will definitely come across a list of unknowns. Change those lists into questions. Chances are that others have asked the exact same questions before. You can check forums like Reddit or Quora for popular answers.
- What are the best seeds for this climate?
- How deep should these seeds be buried?
- How much shade is too much?
This will also help you to research quickly as the questions ensure that you remain on track and not be easily distracted. I also use Feedly to browse all the latest articles within my industry.
15 mins of writing
Write like your life depends on it – mine actually does.
Write and only write. Do not stop to reread, delete or replace any word or sentences. Do not stop to correct your grammar. This was my biggest weakness. I have found that choosing to write only (and edit later) I decrease my time spent by 40%.
(I was inspired by the writing app The Most Dangerous Writing App. Writers using that app have to select a minimum writing time, and if they stop typing during that period, all progress made on that app will be lost.)
Trust that there will be a time for that. Leave this for the next stage.
Also, always write more than necessary and not seek to simplify or shorten your points yet.
25 mins of editing
Finally, you edit your work – scratch that mental itch that has been bugging you because of all the spelling and grammar mistakes, repetition of points, strange vocabulary choices and unnecessary words.
But first, take a break. Clear your mind and do something else for a moment. Allow yourself to begin only when you are well rested.
Then begin again by revisiting the purpose writing that article since you might have detoured from your original intent while writing. Make sure that your article meets those objectives that you’ve set out to accomplish. You can do this by following two important rules:
- Less is more
- The simpler the better
Now go ahead and fill in your points with more “meat”
Back up your points with interesting and relevant statistics, stories, and personal anecdotes that will help persuade your readers about your points.
Most writers would do this while writing, but this means that they have to switch back and forth between reading and writing. You should instead leave spaces for evidence, quotes, and etc. while writing.
Last but not least, write your introduction and conclusion.
Repetition helps to drum in your message
Providing a short summary of all your key points at the end of your article saves your readers the trouble of revisiting and scrolling through your web page. This ensures that they take away as much as they can
Also, most readers treat the internet as one big archive. So it helps to have unique “identifiers in your article to help them find your articles again. Encourage them to use Pocket, share it on their pages or to friends, or bookmark the link.
Finally, use technology to boost your editing process.
I am dependent on Grammarly, grammar- and spell-check in Microsoft Word, dictionary.com, and thesaurus.com – and I’m not ashamed of it. When you are pumping out articles at a breakneck pace, these tools are a lifesaver because mistakes are bound to slip past you.
So in summary,
Here’s how you can write an article in just 60 minutes.
- Plan your time (10 mins planning, 20 mins research, 15 mins writing, and 25 mins editing)
- Know your purpose
- Start with a skeleton of key points
- Research specific questions
- Write only. Do not delete or edit
- Edit with a fresh mind.
- Less is more and the simpler the better.
- Substantiate your points with compelling information
- Summarise your points
- Use identifiers and encourage your readers to save your article
- Use technology to boost your editing process.
Now start writing and make me proud! You got it!
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