Some people have to write large amounts on a daily basis. This could be because they are students trying to write a dissertation, or maybe because they are working as a copywriter and have to write a large number of texts each day in order to earn a living. Whatever the reason, people who write a lot can benefit from a few tips and tricks to help them hit those word counts without too much trouble. Here are some helpful tips to get more writing don each day.
- Leave Your Editing Until The End
One of the biggest things that really slows people down when they have a lot to write is that they are striving for perfection. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in trying to make sure that every paragraph is perfect before you move onto the next, because this is only going to slow you down and to be honest, you might need to come back and change it later based on another paragraph further down the page! Editing is always best left until the end. You will want to just write to begin with. You can then go back and edit it at the end once you have the whole picture to work with.
- Eliminate All Distractions
Another of the big things that stops people writing as much as they could be is allowing themselves to be distracted. Social media is an amazing tool, especially for writers looking to promote themselves, but let’s be honest – it is also a huge time drain. You need to make sure that when you sit down to write you are totally focused on that task. Leave your cell phone in another room or turn it off completely. There are also multiple programs available which will block the internet, or at the very least certain sites like Facebook, Twitter and interest for a designated amount of time so that you will not be distracted from your work.
- Try Using Word Sprints or Other Challenges
Sometimes, it can help to make your task a little bit more fun, so why not try setting yourself some challenges. For example, set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and see how many words you can write in that time. Then, reset your timer and try to beat it! There are also lots of people who do ‘word sprints’ on Twitter so that you can race against other people – but only if you won’t get distracted as per the last tip!
- Create Smaller, More Manageable Goals
If you sit down at your desk with the goal of hitting 5000 words for the day it can seem like an insurmountable task. If you break it down into smaller goals then you will find it much easier. For example, what if you challenge yourself to write your first 500 words before you are done drinking your first cup of coffee? If it is 11.30, see if you can hit your next milestone before noon. Decide that if you manage to make 3000 before lunch you will treat yourself to a dessert. These small goals can make things seem far more manageable and will motivate you to succeed.
These are just a few of the tips that professional writers use in order to make sure that they get a lot written each day. The biggest issues to overcome are procrastination and the feeling of being overwhelmed so definitely work on those first and you will soon start to see a huge difference in your daily word count achievements.