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Improving Your Writing

How to Write Faster

Last Updated: May 3, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Bryce Warwick, JD . Bryce Warwick is currently the President of Warwick Strategies, an organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area offering premium, personalized private tutoring for the GMAT, LSAT and GRE. Bryce has a JD from the George Washington University Law School. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,074,735 times.

If you want to improve your writing speed, there are several steps that you can take to improve your efficiency and get assignments done faster. First, you'll want to do all of your research and organize your thoughts in an outline form. From there, you can set realistic goals for yourself and continue to practice until you improve. If you're struggling with the act of writing with a pen and paper, you should make sure that you're comfortable and have the right writing tools. With the right amount of practice and repetition, you can improve your writing speed.

Improving Your Handwriting Speed

Step 1 Use a pen or pencil that doesn’t require you to press down hard.

A mechanical pencil requires less force to write with than a traditional pencil.
You can purchase a pencil or pen grip to make your writing tool thicker.

Tip: A gel pen may be easier to write with than a ballpoint pen.

Step 2 Hold the pen or pencil in a way that’s comfortable for you.

The traditional way to hold a pen or pencil is to support the pen in between your index finger and thumb while the pen rests on your middle finger.
Angling the paper in a different way may also feel more comfortable for you.

Whenever you feel yourself slouching, adjust your posture so you’re sitting correctly.
If your chair is too low or your desk is too high, you may need to purchase new furniture.

Note: Maintaining good posture is also beneficial for your back and hips.

Step 4 Use shorthand if you aren’t writing for an assignment.

Keep in mind that these shorthand methods aren’t known by everyone and can’t be used for assignments or on tests.
It may take several weeks or even months to master these shorthand methods.

If you still aren't improving after trying everything, just talk to a teacher and see if they have any techniques that may help you.

Note: If your hand cramps up or you feel fatigued, take a break and come back to writing later.

Finishing Writing Assignments Quicker

Step 1 Determine the time of day that you’re most productive.

Even if you’re a night owl, you may still be more productive in the morning. Write during different parts of the day to see what works best for you.

Tip: You can write during your productive times and go back and edit your work during your less productive times.

Step 2 Write an outline for your assignment.

For example, the main points of your article could be something like, "Describing circuits" and "Powering Electronics." "Describing circuits" could include points like "Explaining a simple circuit" and "Completing a circuit."
Researching things in the middle of writing wastes valuable time.
Include your sources in your outline to save time, especially if you have to make citations later. If you’re using electronic sources, bookmark them on your computer. Include notes in your outline about how you’re going to use your sources and what information you hope to take from them.

Bryce Warwick, JD

Our Expert Agrees: You will write faster and easier when you know what to put down before you get started instead of making it up as you go along. If you have 30 minutes to write an essay, try giving yourself seven to eight minutes of planning time.

Step 3 Write your first draft quickly and revisit it for edits.

Wasting time on smaller details can drain time and make the entire writing process much longer.
If you find yourself stuck in a section, move past it and revisit it later with a fresh mind.

Step 4 Minimize the distractions around you.

Clearing the clutter off your writing desk may also minimize distractions and improve your efficiency.
If you can, put away your phone, tablet, or other devices you might be tempted to use to check social media or browse the web. You can also use productivity apps or extensions (like StayFocused) that temporarily cut off your access to time-wasting websites.

Step 5 Set realistic goals and deadlines for yourself.

Set incrementally higher goals for yourself rather than taking on too much too fast.
If you haven’t written a lot in the past, you won’t be able to write quickly without practice. However, once you practice writing a lot, you will be able to write at a quicker pace.
For instance, you can set a goal that you’ll have a certain number of pages or words completed within a day. If you’re still working on building speed, daily goals can feel more manageable than more short-term ones (such as hourly goals).

Step 6 Use a timer to help meet your goals.

Don’t let the timer stress you out. It’s merely there to remind you of how much time you’re spending on an assignment.

Tip: Take 3-5 minute breaks every 30 minutes to an hour so that you don’t burn yourself out.

Practice Exercises to Increase Writing Speed

Community Q&A

Listening to music while you write can help you focus and write faster. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

Write on smooth paper instead of rough paper. This can help you write faster and more smoothly.
Doing finger exercises to strengthen your muscles can help you write faster.

↑ https://effectiviology.com/how-to-easily-improve-handwriting-speed/
↑ https://omniglot.com/writing/shorthand.htm
↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-faster
↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/outlining
↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/8-4-revising-and-editing/
↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/faster-writer/

About This Article

To write faster by hand, use keywords instead of writing things word for word and use symbols like the plus sign, "@" symbol, and ampersand. Try learning a shorthand system and practice the techniques that work for you as much as possible. To write articles or essays more quickly, get all your research done first and create a rough outline. Focus on writing your ideas clearly and don't worry about making it sound perfect. Work somewhere you can concentrate and turn your phone off to minimize distractions. For tips on staying on track and more shorthand techniques, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Last updated on Apr 21, 2022

How to Write Faster: 8 Strategies for Productivity

Slow writing is a challenge that every author faces — one that can be particularly frustrating to tackle. So, if you want to save time, publish more books, or simply finish your project, here are eight tricks and strategies for writing faster:

1. Minimize distractions

2. do word sprints, 3. try the pomodoro technique, 4. set small goals and rewards, 5. use placeholders, 6. write without looking at the screen, 7. use speech-to-text dictation, 8. visualize the scene before writing it.

Writing requires focus, so find a distraction-free environment that works for you . For some people that means leaving the house and writing from coffee shops or libraries, while for others it comes down to curating their perfect writing environment .

The internet, of course, is one of the biggest challenges in terms of distraction. To protect yourself from being pulled away from your novel, leave your phone in another room and set specific hours to surf online (i.e. from 7 to 8 in the morning/evening). If you need the Internet for research, you can always use apps like Self-Control or Cold Turkey to block specific websites during your golden hours ( adiós , Twitter rabbit holes!)

Put on some noise-canceling headphones or your favorite writing playlist, open up your writing software and get in the zone.

Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a writing playlist

It'll only take a minute!

Ever heard of word sprints? Just like a sprint race, the idea behind it is to write as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Try a 10-minute session at first, then push yourself to “sprint” for longer if you find that it successfully opens your creative floodgates. Who knows, maybe you’ll even write a novel in 30 days at the next NaNoWriMo !

This strategy is ideal for those who struggle to find long stretches of time to write during the day. A 15-minute word sprint in the morning and another in the evening will see you making substantial progress with your book.

You can pair up with a friend or someone from an online writing community to provide accountability and boost each others’ productivity. For example, you could do simultaneous word sprints and before reporting back on your respective word counts. Try to set a friendly-yet-determined tone — while you don’t want to feel combative, you do want to have a sense of urgency around writing.

How to write faster | A woman is writing a book in a library

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method that can be used to write more productively. The rules are simple: write uninterrupted for 25 minutes, then take a break of 5 - 10 minutes. One session equals one pomodoro (Italian for tomato , a reference to old tomato-shaped kitchen timers). After four 25-minutes writing sessions, you can take a longer break of 20 to 30 minutes. Then rinse and repeat.

It’s a simple technique to make yourself accountable and find a workflow. And don’t worry, you don’t need a kitchen timer to track your time: there are plenty of apps and websites that will do it for you.

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How to Build a Solid Writing Routine

In 10 days, learn to change your habits to support your writing.

How to write faster | The Reedsy Book Editor automatically calculates your daily word-count goals

Many writers make the mistake of only rewarding themselves when they finish their manuscript. However, creating a book is a long and exacting process, and if the reward seems to be too far away, you may not be as motivated to write.

Research shows that, in order to pursue long-term goals, we need to set smaller, achievable writing goals for ourselves. Every time we succeed in achieving a goal, no matter how small, the brain rewards us with dopamine and motivation to keep going (even with an ADHD brain ).

As an author, that means creating a system of smaller goals and rewards for your daily writing sessions. For example, if you write 300 words in a day, you get to watch an episode of whatever show you're in the middle of. If you do it for six days in a row, you buy yourself a new book. When you finish a whole chapter, treat yourself to a nice dinner out!

Having a short-term finish line and trophy within reaching distance will help you to write more and, eventually, finish your book .

To better visualize your progress, you can use our Reedsy Book Editor , a free writing app that will automatically calculate and display your daily word count. You can also set friendly email reminders that nudge you to write in case you fall back on your set goals.

FREE WRITING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Set goals, track progress, and establish your writing routine in our free app.

Sometimes authors write slowly because they encounter a scene or paragraph that they don't know how to write, or that requires further research. It’s easy to struggle and tinker with these parts forever, never making real progress.

Have you ever spent 20 minutes digging through a thesaurus, trying to find the perfect word before it escapes from the tip of your tongue? You feel that a breakthrough is right around the corner but, if you’re honest with yourself, it will elude you.

When you are stuck with a word or a scene, you can temporarily bypass it by putting a placeholder to remind you to revisit it later. A common trick is to use the capital letters TK (an intentional misspelling of “to come”). Since this letter combination doesn't appear very often in the English language, it's easy to search it in the document when you want to edit it, and it won’t be confused for part of the final copy.

Sometimes the biggest source of distraction is your own words on the screen! There’s no greater productivity killer when writing than stopping to edit. That’s why the process of editing your book should always come at a later phase.

To calm the impulse to continuously edit, try writing without looking at the screen. A couple of tricks you can use are typing with a wireless keyboard from the other side of the room, or turning the brightness on your laptop all the way down.

It can be weird to not see the words you’re typing, but it can truly make a difference in speed, especially when combined with techniques like the word sprint!

How to Write a Novel

Author and ghostwriter Tom Bromley will guide you from page 1 to the finish line.

Most of us think faster than we type, and many writers aren’t the most proficient typists, to begin with. If this is a problem for you, consider using the speech-to-text function to dictate your manuscript. This option is offered by word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, as well as services like Descript, Otter.ai, and Dragon Professional.

How to write faster | To use speech-to-text dictation on Google Doc go on Tools then Voice typing

Dictating your novel will require a big edit to polish your first draft, but it might help you capture a scene more naturally than if you were to type it. Give it a try and you may end up a speech-to-text convert, too… especially when you see how much faster it helps you write.

One of the reasons writers experience writer's block is because they try to think through a scene while also writing it, which can break their creative flow. If this sounds like you, try visualizing a passage in your head for a few minutes before you jot it down.

Think through the scene like it's a movie playing in your head: imagine the characters' sensory experiences, thought processes, and dialogue . Once the narration is clear in your head, put it into words. Not only will you write faster, but also with greater excitement about the story itself!

These individual techniques will all help you write faster, but combining them together will give you true superpowers. Next time you're stuck, try a couple of them out and you may just find yourself finishing your book faster than you think!

2 responses

batmansbestfriend says:

10/12/2019 – 14:03

I always find that if I have enough caffeine over the course of the day I can usually hit my daily quota in about half or a third of the time...and the quality is usually slightly better (in terms of having to do less rewriting). However, this only works if I've gone over the scene in my head enough that I feel like I've personally lived it. So, the take away is: know what you're going to write before you write it and you'll have that much of an easier time.

Anne Hagan says:

14/02/2020 – 16:11

I like numbers ten and eleven a lot. I've never given a thought to doing something like #10, writing like a child, but I use #11 all of the time. I start with a detailed outline. If I'm not 'feeling' the next scene, I move on to something that does move me - usually a dialog heavy scene. Often I can go back to the troublesome scene later and work it out or I eliminate as unnecessary to begin with.

Comments are currently closed.

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How to write fast — or at least faster

12 fast-writing strategies that will give you energy, focus and momentum..

Not long ago, I received a memo from a college journalism professor asking how to help his students become faster writers. I believe that the best public writers are the versatile ones, the scribes who can write fast when they need to and slow when they have a chance to. I have not included much about fast writing in my books on the craft. But I found some advice I once offered to Poynter readers . Here it is, with a few updates.

To be a good writer, you have to learn to write slow. Some sentences or passages just take a long time. But slow writing need not be the norm. In journalism and all public writing, the goal should be fast writing — or at least faster writing.

I’m a pretty fast writer, but not the fastest. I would give that title to Bill Blundell, formerly of The Wall Street Journal and author of “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing.” I once attended a workshop with Blundell in which the class was assigned a news feature story. We all had access to the same information. In the allotted time, I managed to squeeze out a couple of clumsy paragraphs. Blundell, who nervously chewed paper (literally), knocked off three pages in no time, good enough to be published the next morning.

Ray Holliman, a sports writer from Alabama, may have been the fastest writer in journalism history. The St. Petersburg Times used to send him to cover the late-night West Coast football games, knowing that Holliman could deliver on deadline. More than one sports writer told me, “Ray was always the first one out of the press box.”

When it comes to spot news, I would declare that CBS News Radio correspondent Peter King is Johnny-on-the-spot. I’ve watched him take a fat document from NASA, digest it in no time, and turn it into a 30-second report before the competition can stir its coffee.

I’ve studied writers like Blundell, Holliman and King and have come up with a list of fast-writing strategies that may not turn you into a fast writer, but will make you faster. (Jane Caplan, the late wife of the great medical ethicist Arthur Caplan, once told me, “When Arthur cleans the house, it is never really clean, but it is cleaner.”)

Don’t separate the reporting and writing process. Integrate them. Begin writing it in your head from the moment you get the assignment and all during the research.
Find your focus in the field. If you wait until you get back to your desk to realize what your story is really about, you may not be able to go back and get what you need to make it work. If you have to go back, it will take time.
Annotate your notes while taking them: “This is lead.” “Goes up high.” “Transition.”
Before drafting, scratch out a five-point plan on a yellow pad. The little time you take to do this will save you valuable minutes in the end. Denote the big parts:
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Famous insults from literature
Insults in popular culture, from rap to pro wrestling
Why people like insults
Draft earlier than you think you can. On returning from an interview, write a “zero draft” to teach you what you know and what’s left to learn.
Lower your standards for the first draft. Let your hands do the thinking. You can raise your standards during revision.
If pressed for time, shoot for a draft and a half: a blast of writing followed by a quick read that corrects mistakes and cuts needless words.
Keep it short: To borrow from Strunk and White, erect a pup tent, not a cathedral.
Use social media early in the process to learn and announce your main points.
On a breaking topic (such as a baseball game), you can conceive a story (“The Yankees will win”) and then be willing to reconceive it (“The Rays are staging a comeback”) as circumstances change. In essence, you are writing the story before you know the completed arc.
Get on a wavelength with your editor through short debriefing sessions, right before the reporting, and right after. Two minutes at the front end can save precious time near deadline.
Have at your fingertips a number of reliable forms in which to write and deliver the news: pyramid, trapezoid, hourglass, anecdote/nut graf, five blocks. These prefabricated containers will streamline your process.

I like the feeling of writing fast. It places me “in the moment,” giving me energy from adrenaline, focus and momentum.

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How to Write High-Quality Papers and Essays More Quickly

C.I.G. is supported in part by its readers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

I’m not gonna lie: writing papers can suck. Even as someone who basically writes papers for a living these days (like this article), I still viewed every college paper with a tinge of dread.

After all, writing a paper isn’t like working math problems or reading a chapter of a book. As frustrating as those activities can be, they always seemed more finite than the monumental task of “writing a paper.” You can’t just open the book and start working : you have to brainstorm, research, outline, draft, edit, and add those pesky citations.

As I moved through college, however, I developed a system for cranking out papers in record time. This let me spend more time on things that I enjoyed, such as writing for this blog and taking long walks through the woods. Today, I’m going to share this process so that you too can write papers more quickly (without a decrease in the quality of your writing).

Sound impossible? Read on to see how it works.

1. Understand the Assignment

The ultimate waste of time when writing a paper is to write something that doesn’t even answer the question the professor is asking. Don’t be afraid to ask the professor to explain any part of the assignment that’s unclear.

If the assignment seems vague, it’s not because the professor is trying to trip you up. Often, it’s that they know their field so well that it’s easy for them to think some things are “obvious”…even when they aren’t to us non-experts.

Remember: asking for clarification because you don’t understand the assignment doesn’t make you stupid; what’s stupid is to complete the assignment without understanding it.

Yet, when I was an English TA in college, I saw this problem all the time. Students would spend hours researching and writing a paper on a completely different topic than what the professor assigned. It doesn’t matter how good a paper is–if it doesn’t answer the question, it’s going to receive a bad grade.

Best case scenario, the professor is nice and lets you rewrite it, but why do all that extra work? Furthermore, asking the professor for clarification shows initiative –that you care about the assignment. Demonstrating this level of engagement with your assignments can only boost your grade.

2. Research with Ruthless Efficiency

Once you understand the assignment, you need to start researching. But beware! If you’re not careful, research can be one of the best ways to procrastinate. “One more source” can easily turn into hours that you could have been writing.

To overcome the temptation to procrastinate on research, I employ my favorite approach for beating all forms of procrastination: setting a time limit. As I explained in my guide to research , you shouldn’t spend more than 30 minutes per page of the final paper researching. That is, if the paper is supposed to be 5 pages, don’t spend more than 2.5 hours on research (maximum).

Spending any more time than this puts you at a point of diminishing returns. Don’t worry about not having enough information. If you find that you need more info after you start writing, you can always do more research . The goal of your initial research session is to give you just enough material to start writing. Get into the library or database, find your sources, take your notes , and then get to writing.

3. Create a Flat Outline

“It’s impossible to figure out every detail of your argument before you sit down, look at your sources, and actually try to write. Most students abandon their hierarchical outline soon after their fingers hit the keyboard.” – Cal Newport, “How to Use a Flat Outline to Write Outstanding Papers, Fast”

Ever since I learned the traditional method of outlining papers in 8th grade, I felt the system was broken. I never created an outline with bullets and numbers and letters before writing the paper. I always just made one up afterwards because I was required to turn one in with the final paper.

Starting in college, I developed my own outlining technique that was much more effective. As it turns out, my technique wasn’t so original after all. As Cal Newport explains, it’s called a flat outline . In Cal’s words, the flat outline works as follows:

Don’t build a hierarchical outline. Instead, list the topics you want to tackle in the order you want to tackle. Revisit the library to find sources for the topics that still need support. Dump all relevant quotes from your sources under the topics. Transform your topic-level outline into your paper. Don’t start from a blank screen.

Isn’t this so much better? The flat outline works because it mirrors the writing process . No one sits down to write with a perfect idea of what they’re going to say. You discover what you’re going to say through the process of writing . The flat outline gives you just enough structure to overcome the dreaded “blank canvas” while still leaving room for discovery.

Struggling to write your draft? Here’s how to overcome writer’s block .

4. Create the Perfect Writing Environment

Okay, so you have a rock solid understanding of the topic, you’ve done your research, and your flat outline is ready. Now, you need to sit down and write the sucker. But not so fast: where you write makes a difference.

Because after procrastination, the greatest obstacle to writing a paper quickly is distraction. If you don’t have an environment where you can focus, you’ll waste hours jumping back and forth between the paper and whatever distractions come your way.

To make sure you have the focus of a zen master, you must create a writing environment that enables zen-like focus . For a full guide to creating a distraction-free study space, check out our article on the topic . In the meantime, here’s a summary of the best practices:

Go to a studious place. This could be a quiet part of the library, an off-campus coffee shop, or even your dorm room. Wherever you know that people won’t distract or interrupt you, that’s the place you must go.
Make it comfortable. You won’t be able to focus on writing if your chair feels like a bed of nails or the table wobbles. Take care of your base physical comfort before writing anything else. Caveat: don’t write while in bed . Your bed is only for sleeping and…you know, that other s-word.
Block digital distractions. Depending on how bad your internet/phone addiction is, this could be as simple as closing unrelated programs and putting your phone in airplane mode or as drastic as installing an app such as Cold Turkey Writer that blocks everything on your computer until you write a certain number of words. If you need the internet to write (maybe you’re writing in Google Docs, for example), then you can install an app such as Freedom or SelfControl to block distracting sites.
Assemble your supplies. Sitting down to write and realizing you left one of your sources back in your dorm is a definite productivity killer. Be sure you have your computer charged, sources assembled, and coffee/tea at the ready before your write a word.
Put on your pump up playlist. If you don’t find it distracting, then I recommend using music that will get you in the zone to write. I have a few albums on rotation that get me into a mode of writing flow. For example, when writing this article I put on Muse’s The 2nd Law . You better believe I felt ready to conquer the world with that in the background. If you’re looking for a killer pre-made collection of study music, have a look at Thomas’s Ultimate Study Music Playlist .

5. Follow a Standard Structure

Each paper you write should not feel like reinventing the wheel. Your goal when writing a paper for a college class is to fulfill the assignment requirements in a way that goes just above and beyond enough to impress the professor. You’re not trying to break new ground in your discipline or redefine the way we use the English language (if you are, then you don’t need to read this article).

The way to make sure that you don’t get caught up in the structure is just to pick a standard structure for your discipline and follow it. Save the originality for your arguments. So how do you find these elusive standards? Ask your professor. They can point you to some relevant guides or examples.

Also, pay attention to the readings your professor assigns for the class. This should give you some idea of the academic conventions you should follow in your papers. It’s easy to go through an article and focus so much on the information that you ignore the structure (which is a good thing–the structure shouldn’t distract you). But if you spend a couple reading sessions paying attention to structure, you’ll get a feel for how it should go.

If that seems too advanced or too much work, then another option is to Google “SUBJECT NAME paper template”. Just be careful about the source–a template from a university is fine; one on some random student’s Blogger page, not so much.

6. Focus On Quality Over Quantity

If the paper is supposed to have a final page count of 5-7, you may be tempted to write a paper that’s 7 or even 8 pages. After all, more is better, right?

Wrong. Every professor I had in college told me that they would always prefer a good 5-page paper over an okay 7-page paper. Frankly, some topics don’t need 7 pages–5 is plenty. If you try to stretch it out, you may end up diluting your argument.

If you’re not convinced, consider this: I rarely wrote more than the minimum page count, and I consistently received A’s on papers in English, History, Religious Studies, and Education classes.

Knowing this, why would you ever write more than you need to? It’s not just a waste of time or effort; it may even be counterproductive .

Of course, your paper has to be good for this to work. For advice on improving the quality of your papers, check out my post on 6 Writing Tips to Make Your Papers 300% Better .

7. Draft and Edit Separately

Editing and drafting at the same time is, like all forms of multitasking , inefficient and ultimately impossible. Don’t do it. Write with your full attention and effort, and then edit.

Similarly, never stop to look stuff up when you are writing. If you don’t know something, just make a note of it and come back to it later. At best, looking something up takes you away from writing, but even more likely it will pull you into an internet rabbit hole that will really derail the entire writing process.

The goal of writing this way is to keep you in the flow state as long as possible. Because if you can just get to a place of flow, your momentum will be unstoppable.

8. Write the Conclusion and Introduction Last

One of the greatest barriers to starting a paper is coming up with an introduction. If you think about it, this difficulty makes sense: how are you supposed to introduce something you haven’t even created?

This is why you shouldn’t write the introduction until you’ve finished the main body of the paper. I know it seems like a counterintuitive approach, but I challenge you to try it. This method avoids what has happened to me more times than I can count: writing the paper and then realizing that my intro doesn’t even fit with the final paper.

The same goes for the conclusion. Write it last. After all, how can you conclude when you haven’t even finished writing? If you want more advice on the specifics of writing solid conclusions, check out my post on how to write a paper .

9. Don’t Edit Alone

When you’re writing the draft, you need privacy and focus. But when you’re editing, having someone else to look over your work can speed things up. Why? Because you’re inherently blind to the mistakes in your writing . You’ve been looking at the draft so long that mistakes won’t jump out at you the way they will to a fresh set of eyes.

When it comes to finding someone to help you edit, you have a few options:

Get a trusted friend to read the paper. Just make sure they don’t end up distracting you.
Take the paper to your college’s writing center. Don’t expect them to be your copy editor, however. More than likely, the writing center staff will have you read the paper aloud to them. This lets you catch the errors yourself while still having the accountability of another person in the room.
Ask your professor for feedback. This won’t always be possible, but sometimes your professor will be willing to give you feedback before you turn the paper in, especially if it’s a term paper or capstone project. Professors often build this feedback into the assignment by setting separate due dates for a proposal, a draft, and a final version. But even if they don’t, it never hurts to ask for feedback . The worst they can say is no.

10. Use a Citation Generator

Adding citations is the worst, especially when you just spent hours writing a paper and are so over it. If you don’t want to spend further hours paging through some arcane style manual, do yourself a favor and use a citation management/generation tool.

My favorite is Zotero , which allows you to keep track of research sources and even has a browser extension that will pull the citation info from a library catalog web page. But I also have friends who prefer EasyBib . It doesn’t matter which one you use–just pick one and watch your citation worries evaporate.

That being said, it doesn’t hurt to glance at your citations before submitting, as these tools aren’t perfect (especially when it comes to digital sources).

Bonus Tip: Take a Writing Intensive Class

This tip isn’t strictly part of the paper writing process, but it can make a big difference in your writing speed and quality. At my college, the definition of “writing intensive” varied from professor to professor, but it always meant a class with lots of writing, often one (short) essay per week in addition to a 20+ page final paper.

Each of these classes was intense, but at the end I always found myself a better writer. This went beyond just getting faster, although that was a major benefit. I also found that the quality of my arguments and analyses increased, along with massive improvements in my research skills.

If your college offers classes specifically geared to improve your writing, do yourself a favor and take a least one. Strong writing skills are always a benefit, both in college and beyond.

At the end of the day, writing a paper is still a lot of work. But if you follow the process in this article, you’ll be able to do it more quickly without a loss of quality.

What tactics do you use to speed up the paper writing process? Share them in the comments below, or discuss them in the College Info Geek Community .

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EXPLORE Random Article

How to Write an Essay Efficiently

Last Updated: December 14, 2020 References

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. This article has been viewed 16,877 times.

You have an essay due tomorrow that you’re just now starting, or maybe there’s an essay question on your upcoming test that you won't have a lot of time to work on. Don’t worry! This article will show you how to write an essay as quickly and efficiently as possible without sacrificing quality. We’ll walk you through the whole process step-by-step, from outlining your essay and writing a solid first draft to polishing it before turning it in.

Outlining the Essay

If you are writing the essay at home, let others around you know that you are working and not to be disturbed. If it is noisy around you, put on headphones to block the noise out so you can focus on the essay.
Try writing at a time when you're less likely to be disturbed, like in the early morning or at night.

For example, if the prompt is, “Explain the consequences of Mao’s Great Leap Forward campaign,” you may then focus on identifying the consequences of Mao’s Great Leap Forward campaign and analyze how it affected China in your essay.

Step 3 Determine the type of essay you are writing.

An analytical essay breaks down a topic or concept to better examine and understand it. For example, an analytical essay prompt might be, “What is the source of the violence and unrest in Shakespeare’s King Lear ?”
An expository essay teaches or illuminates a point. For example, an expository essay prompt might be, “Explain the consequences of Mao’s Great Leap Forward campaign.”
An argumentative essay will make a claim or back up an opinion to change other people’s point of view. For example, an argumentative essay prompt might be, “Do you think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy, a tragedy, or a combination of both? Why?”

Step 4 Brainstorm ideas around the topic.

You can also draw lines from the topic to your ideas. Try to list three to five ideas that you can use in your essay. Think about examples that work with the topic or that correspond with the topic.
You may need to review your sources to help you get ideas for the topic. Have the sources, such as online scholarly articles or textbooks, close by so you can review them during your brainstorm. Remember to bookmark your sources so you can cite them later on.

However, many teachers will accept essays that are longer than five paragraphs and will allow you to have many body paragraphs in your essay. Speak to your instructor about their expectations on the structure of the essay so you can follow their guidelines.

Step 6 Fill in what each section is going to contain.

Note what you will include in your introduction, such as a strong opening line, a thesis statement, and a discussion of the main points of your essay.
Briefly note the claim or focus of each body paragraph. Include a note on sources or quotes you will use in each body paragraph to support your claim.
Have a brief summary of what will be in your conclusion section, such as a rephrasing of your thesis statement and a strong final line.

Creating a Strong Draft of the Essay

If you do handwrite the essay, make sure you double space it so you can add in edits or adjustments when you revise it.

Your thesis statement should tell the reader the point of your essay. It will consist of two parts. The first part will state the topic and the second part will state the point of your essay.
For example, if your topic is “Do you think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy, a tragedy, or a combination of both? Why?”, your thesis statement might be, “Though there are elements of tragedy in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream , the structure, themes, and staging of the play fall into the genre of comedy.”

Step 3 Treat each body paragraph like a mini-essay.

In each body paragraph, start with an introductory sentence that explains what the paragraph is going to be about, or your claim. Then, use quotes from your sources as evidence to support the main idea of the paragraph. Respond to the quote and explain what it means. Finally, show how the quote supports your main idea.
Make sure you end each body paragraph by answering the question, “What does this paragraph have to do with my thesis?” This will help to ensure you stay on track as you transition from paragraph to paragraph. It also keeps each body paragraph relevant to the overall idea of the essay.

Step 4 Create a conclusion that summarizes your thesis and evidence.

For example, you may reword your thesis statement as, “While there are tragic moments in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream , the structure, themes, and staging of the play fit within the genre of comedy.”

Step 5 Do the introduction last if you're still exploring your thesis.

Your introduction should include your thesis statement. You may find yourself editing your thesis statement when you complete your introduction. This is to be expected, as some of your wording in the thesis statement may need to be sharpened or adjusted.

Polishing the Essay

Step 1 Compare the essay to your outline.

Confirm that each of your body paragraphs includes quotes from the source text to support your claims. You should also cite your sources properly in your essay, based on whether your instructor wants APA or MLA style.

Step 2 Read the essay over for flow and organization.

You should also revise any sentences that sound awkward or long-winded. Break sentences up into several sentences if they are too long.
If you are revising a handwritten essay, only cross out a word or phrase once and write neatly above it. Do not write large marks or dark scribbles on the essay, as this will make it harder to read.

Step 3 Proofread the essay for grammatical errors.

Reading the essay out loud can also help you catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes.
If you are writing the essay in class, leave at least five to ten minutes to proofread the essay carefully and thoughtfully before you turn it in.

Expert Q&A

↑ Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.. Educational Consultant. Expert Interview. 18 June 2020.
↑ http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/writing-essays
↑ https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/writing-essay-hurry.html
↑ http://slc.berkeley.edu/some-tips-writing-efficient-effective-body-paragraphs
↑ http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/timed-essays-top-5-tips-for-writing-academic-essays-under-pressure/
↑ http://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/essay-tips-7-tips-on-writing-an-effective-essay

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How to Write Faster: Writing Tips to Finish a First Draft in 6 Weeks

by J. D. Edwin | 0 comments

Do you have an abandoned or partial manuscript sitting in a drawer or on your hard drive, one you just couldn't finish, even after maybe years of chipping away at it? Me too. Until I learned how to write faster. The Write Fast System not only boosted my writing productivity, but it has helped me finish numerous projects in record time.

Writing the first draft for any book is hard work, but it is also manageable. The amount of time it takes does not have to be daunting at all.

In fact, it's even possible to learn how to write faster and complete your book in less time – six weeks, even!

That's my goal for my upcoming blog series, to teach you what I've learned about writing faster, and not only that, but show you why improving your writing speed will make you a better writer as well.

How I Learned to Write Faster First Drafts

When you sit down in front of that endless blank page and think about your writing project, does it look utterly, incredibly vast, like a white desert waiting to be filled? Do you feel yourself wanting to stop before you even start, putting your book off for yet another day, because the idea of putting that many words on paper just feels too daunting? Do you find yourself going down that rabbit hole of “I'll never be able to do this”?

Maybe you are telling yourself, “One day I will start, that day will definitely come.” Doing this give yourself a little vote of confidence, even though you have no idea when that day will actually happen.

Maybe you get distracted by something shiny on social media, and promise yourself the writing will come the next day, when you “feel it”.

Maybe the “time of day” just feels wrong for writing. After all, it's morning and you work better as a night owl.

But sooner or later, you realize that these are just excuses.

My first book took me three years, and that’s just the time it took to write one draft. Altogether, if you count the time from the inception of the idea and the bits and pieces of poorly conducted planning, it took at least six .

I dreamed of the idea for at least two years, wrote bits and pieces, put it aside, changed my mind on and off, forgot where the story was going in between months of inaction, made notes, lost notes, renamed the characters, redesigned the plot, made the story too short, then too long, and everything in between. I even paid for several fancy book-writing tools. Mostly, I was wasting time.

By the end, I ended up with a 150K word behemoth and was so tired of looking at it that I couldn’t bring myself to write another draft.

What I learned in this experience, above all else, is how not to write a book.

Fast forward a few years, and I wrote my second book.

The first draft of this book, 90K words long, took a little less than six weeks. I used Google docs for the whole thing, editing and formatting and all.

Not only that, it was a far more cohesive, well-plotted book with a tighter story and more well-developed characters. This book, titled Headspace , has become the first in a series and will be published this summer by Story Cartel Press.

So what changed in those years?

How did I go from a multi-year slog to turning out books that are not only fast and efficient, but also of far improved quality compared to that first disaster?

In a very special series of articles, I’m going to take you through the lessons, tips, and tricks in efficiency that I’ve learned over the past ten years so you can learn how to write faster.

These lessons have helped me improve my writing productivity greatly, even in a year like 2020. I hope that by sharing them with you, you will be able to write your best stories—specifically your first drafts, quickly and efficiently, without having to take a decade to figure it out.

Because, surprise of all surprises, productivity can be learned !

How to Write Fast: The 3 Fast Writing Essentials

Learning anything takes time and that should come as no shock to anyone. However, the good news about productivty is that you can learn it while simultaenous accomplishing your goals and projects.

In this blog series, we will go into detail about how this process works, but there are three core things you need in order to write fast:

The correct mindset
A set of writing techniques
A good system.

Master these three and you will write faster, and finish your stories, too.

Develop a (Fast) Writing Mindset

Believe it or not, productivity begins with a mindset. This applies not only to your writing schedules and habits, but also how you view the first draft of your story.

The first draft is different from all the subsequent drafts. It is the starting point of everything. It serves as the skeleton of your story that holds up the flesh of the story.

In a drawing, it would be that first messy sketch under the final drawing that no one sees.

It is important to remember that the first draft does not have to be perfect. In fact, it doesn’t have to look anything like the final product. Remember that a first draft is a rough draft. It can be ugly, flawed, and full of typos, but all it needs is to be written. The first draft is not the time to be a perfectionist. Accepting this will often help you conquer that first writer's block.

Rather than trying to write a perfect first draft, it’s far more productive to focus on producing a first draft that does its best to support future drafts.

This lesson was one of the most important ones I’ve learned on my journey.

Apply Writing Techniques

Writing can be taught.

More than that, writing can be learned.

The more you learn about the craft, technique, and act of writing, the more productively you will be able to write. This is the same principle as anything—you can build a house, paint a painting, or perform a dance choreography better when you are more familiar with the skills and craft involved.

But with endless resources, programs, seminars, and classes, how do you know where to start?

What’s going to be the most useful to you and what might turn out to be a waste of time? It’s easy to get overwhelmed or fall into the trap of feeling like you need an endless amount of education or even a university degree before you can write a decent book.

Good news—it’s a lot simpler than it looks.

With a targeting approach and a clear goal in mind, leveling up your writing skills – as well as your writing speed – doesn’t take nearly as much time as you might fear.

Use a System

What’s a system?

The word “system” can sometimes scare people off. It conjures images of computers and codes and complicated thingamajigs.

Many writers may not think systems have anything to do with their craft and shirk away from it. But it need not be that way—systems are your friends.

A system can be defined as “a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized framework or method.” To put it in simpler, clearer terms, it means a way to do things that is organized and repeatable .

When you have a system for how you approach a book, you will never be left lost and stranded, wondering what to do next.

You will always know the steps to take, from the first to the last. In this series, I will show you the system that’s worked for me as well as guide you on how to build better writing habits and continuously improve your own writing system.

Want the full Write Fast System? My new book just launched and with it, you can stop agonizing over a draft for years. With The Write Fast System, you can get that first draft down in as little as 6 weeks and develop a repeatable process for revision that will get your books in the hands of readers sooner than you've ever imagined.

The Write Fast System: The Steps to Writing Your Best Book Faster

A Preview of My How to Write Faster Series

I’m beyond excited to take this journey with you all! Below is a list of all the topics that will be covered in this series. I hope to offer practical tips that can be implemented right away, for amateurs, professional writers, or otherwise.

What Should Be Included in Your First Draft?

In this first post we will get a better understanding of what you should accomplish in writing your first draft, including identifying important elements and goals, as well as what isn't quite a important in this process.

Read this post in full here !

4 Key Reasons Planning a Novel Speeds Up Your Writing Process

This post helps you understand the importance of planning and the role it plays in writing a book quickly. The better your planning, the more you can save time on your writing. Writing fast isn't just about your typing speed, but how you approach the project as a whole.

This post is ready for you to study here .

How to Become a Successful Writer: 5 Productivity Tools

You will want to keep this post close by. It's going to serve as a helpful reference of what you need to achieve productive writing, and we'll use a variety of tools for your writer's toolkit to improve your writing flow.

Add these productivity tools to your writing toolkit today !

How to Write Good Fiction: 4 Foundational Skills and How to Build Them

Overwhelmed and don't know where to start building your skills? This is the post for you. This is where we will talk about how to identify your strengths and improve your weaknesses by learning some foundational skills that will enhance your productivity and keep you motivated and focused.

Read more about how to strengthen four foundational writing skills and become a better fiction writer.

4 Practical Exercises to Improve Writing Skills (and Keep Practicing)

Practice is important. But blind, untargetted writing sessions can slow your progress. As Ernest Hemingway says— never mistake motion for action . We will talk in this post about the importance of the practicing mindset and how to make the most of it when trying to build your writing speed. We will also discuss free writing and how it may or may not work for you.

You can read more about the importance of practice (and how to practice writing) in this post .

Writing a Book Outline: 5 Essential Sections That Build a Solid Story

The very first steps of planning your book can determine if you finish your story and find the enthusiasm to start your next draft. In this post I will reference James Scott Bell's “build a bridge” method, plus a few tips of my own.

Start writing a book outline today; use this post as a guide.

Ending of Stories: How Planning an Ending Will Help You Write Faster

It may seem a little odd to talk about story endings when you haven’t even started writing. Deciding on the type of ending you want, however, is an important part of planning a book.

When a writer knows how their story ends, they can figure out important plot points in between, all the plot twists that eventually lead to that climatic moment.

In this article, writers can learn the essentials of a satisfying ending. You can read it here .

Scene Outline: How to Write Faster by Developing a List of Scenes

A scene outline, or scene list, can give your story plan focus and prevent burnout or confusion when actually writing your story.

Some people dislike the idea of planning scenes, but you would not believe how useful this exercise can be in helping build your story. Even better, you don't have to stick to it.

In this article, you'll learn how to create a scene list that gives your big story idea focus, which will help you not only write faster, but give you a higher chance of actually finishing your book. Read more about outlining a scene list here .

How to Revise a Novel: A Revision List to Edit With Confidence

My revision list is my best friend in writing draft one.

Not only does it serve as a central collection point for my notes, it also keeps me from having to revise as I write.

In this article , I share my revision list template with you as well as show you how to make it work for you. Used correctly, this tool will save you a lot of time during the editing phase.

Plotter vs. Pantser: When to Plot, When to Pants, and When to Combine Them

This series focuses heavily on planning. However, we are not all plotters.

Some of us are pantsers, but that doesn't mean some of these tips won't help you.

This article explores ways pantsers can make use of this series , and how planning in different ways can set writers up for success.

Writing Success: 3 Easy Steps to Develop Your Writing System

This article teaches writers what to do when it's time to actually write. After all the planning, all the ideas and thoughts and goals, this is where we put it all together into a system/writing process that you can use your first book and every book after it.

If you're ready to write but not sure how to start, learn about writing systems in this article .

Setting Writing Goals: How to Set Goals and Finish Your Book

The ultimate goal of this series is for you to not only start a book, but to finish it. But finishing the story is actually more than just a checkbox and in this post I will tell you why.

If you want to finish your story, you need to set writing goals that will push you to the end. This article can help you get organized.

Why Are Characters Important in a Story? 4 Ways Essential Characters Make Contributions

Part of efficient writing is knowing what's essentail and what's not. This applies not only to plot but characters as well.

In order for a secondary character —or any character—to matter in a story, they have to work as an essential character that impacts the protagonist, plot, setting, or another important aspect that shapes or moves a story forward.

This article teaches four ways that determine if (1) the character is essential, and (2) how they contribute to a story.

It also reviews the major types of characters and ways to determine if—for the characters who don't qualify as essential—you're better off revising their role, or cutting them from the plot.

Deadlines for Writers: 3 Easy Steps to Try as Your Deadline Looms

You're down to the wires. The deadline is coming up but you're not sure if you're going to be able to finish on time. This post teaches writers three tips and tricks that will help you wrap up your first draft fast.

It also shares how to set manageable deadlines that will ensure you finish instead of give up your manuscript.

Read more about deadlines for writers here .

The second draft will take work, and that is a lot more manageable if you get your first draft done sooner than later. Tweet this

J. D. Edwin

J. D. Edwin is a daydreamer and writer of fiction both long and short, usually in soft sci-fi or urban fantasy. Sign up for her newsletter for free articles on the writer life and updates on her novel, find her on Facebook and Twitter ( @JDEdwinAuthor ), or read one of her many short stories on Short Fiction Break literary magazine .

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How to Write Faster: 19 Effective Strategies to Increase Your Writing Speed

It’s strategy, not talent, that will help you write thousands of words a day.

By Natasha Khullar Relph

Two years into my writing career, I made a simple but career-changing realization: If I could double my writing speed, I could do twice the work in the same amount of time, allowing me to increase my income significantly .

More than just the money, though, one of my biggest frustrations as a writer until then—with a folder full of unfinished manuscripts to prove it—had been that the longer I took to finish a project, the more likely it was that I would get bored and abandon it midway. I knew that if I could teach myself to write faster, my freelance writing career would benefit from increased income and opportunities, and my books would actually get finished .

I made it my mission to learn how I could write thousands of words each day and, as a result, over the last fifteen years I have written 1,000+ articles for national and international publications, 3,000+ blog and newsletter posts , and almost a dozen books .

How fast you write impacts your work in a number of ways. It allows you to create more free time in your life if that’s what you choose; increase your income, if you need it; or simply create a larger body of work, giving you the room to experiment with new projects frequently instead of remaining stuck on a single one for years.

If you, too, want to learn how to write faster, here are some practical tips to boost your writing speed:

1. Don’t start with a blank page

Listen, the trope of the writer battling the blank page? It’s largely false when it comes to professional writers. Anyone who has a deadline and needs to meet it in order to pay their bills knows that starting with nothing is the domain of the uninformed. Most professional writers know what they want to say before they sit down to write, even if they’re not quite sure how they’re going to do it yet.

You don’t need an entire outline before you begin, though some people prefer to use one as a creative map. If you’re just beginning to get clarity on your writing project, begin with what you have.

2. Minimize distractions

Hear me when I say this: If you leave Instagram or other social media open on a browser tab as you’re writing, you will be tempted to check in. It’s important to minimize and, when possible, eliminate distractions that can derail your focus, slow your progress, and sap your creative energy. Here are a few ways to maintain undivided focus:

3. Use triggers to get into writing flow

The best way to build a writing habit that results in faster writing? Trick your brain. Just as Pavlov’s dogs associated the bell ring with food, your brain associates the trigger with writing. This creates a conditioned response, making it easier to quickly shift your mental state from distraction to concentration, leading to improved writing speed and efficiency.

To use triggers effectively:

4. Honor your own creative process

Some writers like to wake up in the morning and get their work done before anyone else is out of bed. Others are night owls. Some of us write full time, while others do it part time or as a hobby. Some writers prefer scene-by-scene outlines before they’ll commit a single word to the page while others fly by the seat of their pants.

If you’re a night owl who’s being forced to write in the morning, you’re not going to be your most creative self. That will show up in both your writing speed and the joy you experience in the actual writing process.

That’s why it’s important to be true to yourself and honor your unique creative process. When you work with your creative energy rather than against it, speed will naturally follow.

5. Create a workflow

One of the best things I did to increase my writing speed is to create templates and workflows for every piece of writing.

There are always going to be the same steps involved in writing a blog post—outline, research, first draft, editing, proofreading, finding or creating images, and publishing—and if I could systematize the process, then I’d spend less time worrying about the next step and more time actually doing it.

For example, I know from experience that I’m more productive when I’m batching my tasks. So I make a list of all the stories I have due to my editors over the next two weeks and do certain tasks, such as researching and setting up interviews, for all the stories in one go. Similarly, when I know I have a bunch of book chapters to write , I’ll outline as many as I can before I start the actual writing. The editing process? Far easier to get through ten posts at once when I’m in the self-editing zone than trying to do them one at a time.

6. Use writing sprints

This is the single most important writing tip I can give you to increase speed. Because when I started implementing writing sprints into my process, my word count practically exploded . I went from writing 500-1,000 words a day to 3,000-5,000 words, often effortlessly.

So what are writing sprints? They’re focused, time-limited writing sessions typically lasting from 10 minutes to 25 minutes, during which you commit to uninterrupted, intensive writing, with the goal of writing as much as possible. Sprints, especially when they’re short and focused, can be an excellent way to channel your focus and boost your productivity —and word count.

Sprints are an excellent writing tool for a few reasons:

7. Learn to type faster

It’s not frequently talked about, but think about it: If you’re a slow typist, you’re limiting how many words you can get out on to the page, right?

The pecking and hunting of keys I was doing in my first year of freelancing wasn’t getting me to my goals fast enough, and so, the impatient writer that I am, I taught myself to touch type. This involves learning how to type without looking at the keyboard. By mastering touch typing, you can type faster and more accurately, and this automatically increases your writing speed.

To become proficient at touch typing:

8. Try freewriting

To eliminate perfectionist tendencies, try freewriting.

Freewriting involves setting aside your inner critic and letting your thoughts flow freely on to the page or screen. It’s a process of writing without rules or structure. During a freewriting session, your goal is to generate stream of consciousness writing. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. Let the grammar checker handle that later. For now, just focus on capturing your thoughts, feelings, and ideas as they arise.

Freewriting isn’t something you’ll be doing when you’re working on deadlines or work that’s meant for publication. Instead, use freewriting for practice. By learning to loosen up your mind and your fingers during freewriting sessions, you’ll find it easier to do when writing for publication as well.

9. Use placeholders

If all else fails, try using the old journalist’s trick of using TK as a placeholder when you need to check a fact or research something. TK stands for “to come” and easily stands out in a document because there’s no word in the English language where those two letters appear together.

Using TK as a placeholder allows you to do a global search of your document once you’ve finished the first draft and find areas you need to address without breaking the flow of your writing in the moment. This is an especially great tip for writers who waste time going down a rabbit hole of research and end up losing hours or days of writing time to aspects of the work that are better handled later.

10. Know that editing is not writing

The simplest answer to the question “How do I write faster?” is “By not stopping when you’re in the middle of it.”

That’s exactly what most writers do, of course. You’ll be in the flow with a scene and you’ll stop to fix a typo. Or you’re racing through your rough draft when you notice that the formatting is wonky and must be fixed before you can type another sentence.

Hear me when I say this: Researching is not writing. Revising is not writing. Proofreading? Not writing.

There will be time for all of that later. When you’re in the editing phase, you will come back to this manuscript and go through it with an editor’s eye. But when you’re writing, the creator in you needs to have the freedom to race ahead without being bound by the constraints of spell check.

If you want to become a faster writer, leave the editor at the door when you sit down to write.

11. Embrace the art of productive procrastination

Productive procrastination is my superpower and one of the main reasons I’m able to remain prolific even when I get creatively blocked on certain projects.

The concept itself refers to a situation where you delay or avoid working on a primary or essential task by engaging in other productive activities or tasks. These alternative activities, while unrelated to the primary task, are still productive in nature and can provide a sense of accomplishment.

For example, this morning I was meant to be working on a novel synopsis that an editor has requested. I found myself procrastinating on this job, but instead of watching Netflix or playing a video game, which is what I would have done a few years ago, I started writing this article. While I am still procrastinating on the synopsis, rather than engaging in unproductive or time-wasting behaviors, such as mindlessly browsing social media or watching TV, I’m bringing another project closer to the finish line instead.

12. Be comfortable when you write

While many writers like to get dressed and put on make-up before they sit down to write so they can feel more professional while “on the job,” I lean more towards comfort.

Being comfortable while I write, whether that’s in bed or in a coffee shop, is essential to nurturing my creativity and sustaining productivity. When I’m physically comfortable, I can focus on my plot and how my character’s situation is going to work out, rather than the cramp in my leg or the way the chair is digging into my back.

Create an environment that promotes focus and minimizes distractions. This can make a significant difference in the quality and quantity of your output. Consider investing in an ergonomic chair, a well-designed workspace, and proper lighting to enhance your comfort, especially during extended writing sessions. Maintaining good posture and taking short breaks to stretch can prevent discomfort and fatigue, allowing you to stay immersed in your writing without interruptions.

13. Utilize the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique is a time management and productivity method that’s designed to help individuals enhance their focus, manage distractions, and improve productivity by breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

With this method, you’d select a task you want to work on, set a timer for 25 minutes (a Pomodoro) and don’t stop writing until the timer goes off. When the Pomodoro timer rings, take a five-minute break, and then start another Pomodoro to continue working on the tasks. Typically, after completing four Pomodoros (about two hours of work), you’d take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.

Here are some ways in which the Pomodoro technique can be useful for writers and why I recommend you try it:

14. Write by hand

When it comes to the decision of whether to type or write by hand, the choice may not be solely about handwriting speed. It’s also about which method opens up a different creative part of your brain. Many writers find that picking up a fountain pen and putting it to paper can to be a conduit to a more profound connection with your thoughts and ideas.

So, how do you write faster when using this analog method? My recommendation would be to use this process for idea generation and deeper connections through journaling, especially if you’re stuck with a project and need to generate a path forward quickly.

15. Try dictation

Dictation can be a game-changing tool for many writers, especially if you’re a slow typist and find it difficult to keep pace with your thoughts. Dictation, which involves speaking your words aloud for transcription, uses voice recognition software to significantly boost your writing output. Here’s why.

Faster than typing: For most people, speaking is faster than typing. You can articulate your thoughts quickly and naturally, and this speed advantage allows you to capture ideas as they flow.
Hands-free multitasking: Dictation frees up your hands, allowing you to “write” while you’re doing household chores, taking a walk, or relaxing on the sofa.
Conversational tone: Dictation often results in a more conversational tone in your writing. This can be particularly useful for dialogue in fiction, blog posts, or speeches.

To get started with dictation, you’ll need a compatible device or software, such as a smartphone with voice recognition capabilities or dedicated dictation software. It’s also important to remember that while dictation can be a powerful tool to increase your writing speed, it may take some practice to become proficient and start creating high-quality content.

16. Improve by 1% each day

The principle of improving by 1% each day is a powerful concept that can have a profound impact on your writing speed and overall productivity. It’s based on the idea that consistent, incremental progress can lead to significant improvements over time. While aiming for massive leaps in writing speed may seem daunting, committing to a 1% improvement over the next day is manageable and sustainable.

The beauty of this approach is that it allows you to focus on small, achievable goals. By dedicating a small portion of your time to deliberate practice and skill development, you gradually build proficiency. Over weeks and months, these incremental gains compound, resulting in noticeable enhancements in your writing speed.

Moreover, the 1% improvement mentality encourages consistency and perseverance, key traits for any writer.

17. Take part in writing challenges

If you want to level up quickly, on the other hand, a writing challenge can push you out of your comfort zone and be a powerful motivator. Knowing that you have a limited window of time to complete a writing task encourages you to focus and hit those word count goals efficiently. This time pressure can help you overcome procrastination and writer’s block, forcing you to dive into writing and maintain a steady pace. Over time, this practice improves your ability to work swiftly without compromising quality.

Here are the challenges I recommend for speeding up your writing:

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) : Write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days during the month of November. (If you’re doing this, don’t forget to check out our 30-day book writing plan .)
Story a Day : A month-long short story challenge in which writers write a short story every day in May.
12 x 12 : Write a children’s picture book every month of the year
The 365 Writing Challenge : Write 1,000 words a day for a year.
30 Days, 30 Queries : Our very own freelance pitching challenge, in which writers write and send 30 pitches to national and international publications over 30 days.

18. Be accountable

There’s only so much you can do on your own. When your motivation starts lagging, it’s time to bring in some accountability. Accountability can look different from writer to writer, depending on how much help you need to say on track, your relationship with external validation, and your personal preferences.

Some ways to build accountability into your writing process include:

Join a writing group: Participate in a group or workshop where members share their goals and progress.
Find a writing partner: You can set goals together, as well as check in at a certain time of day or week, in order to track progress.
Use apps: There are multiple apps and online tools designed to help writers set and track their goals. These can send reminders, track word count goals, and provide visual progress updates.
Create a reward system: Reward yourself for meeting writing milestones. It could be a small treat, a special activity, or anything else that keeps you motivated.
Publicly declare your goals: Share your writing goals on social media or with your friends and family. Knowing that others are aware of your objectives can boost your commitment.

19. Give it time

Fast writing doesn’t develop overnight. It’s a skill that evolves alongside your overall writing proficiency. As you progress along your journey, your writing skills and speed will naturally improve. However, it’s crucial to understand that achieving excellence in writing, whether in terms of speed or quality, primarily comes from practice and dedication.

Want to write better? Write more.

Want to be a writer faster? Write more.

Want to produce a larger body of work? Write more.

Good writing comes from practice. Make sure, daily, to practice more.

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Natasha Khullar Relph

Founder and Editor, The Wordling

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How To Write Faster: 20 Hacks For Boosting Writing Speed

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase something, I will receive a commission with no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer .

Is slow writing cramping your style and affecting your productivity? Learning how to write faster can dramatically improve your workflow and help your hands keep up with your thoughts.

In my 15 years of freelance and content writing experience, I’ve learned quite a few hacks that will certainly help you optimize writing speed if you actually implement them.

In this article, I’ll share 20 useful tips for accelerating your writing speed without compromising quality . Let’s jump right in!

20 things you can do to write faster

1. block the time for writing.

Ever find yourself not satisfied with how much you managed to write in a week? This is likely due to the lack of proper planning and time management.

Failing to prioritize writing often leads to lower productivity because there are so many other things seeking (and often winning) your attention.

It’s easy to get caught in the trap of “I’ll write when I find the time,” but let’s be honest: that time often never comes. There is always something else to do.

Tools like Sunsama allow you to plan and prioritize your workload every day to make sure you have the time to sit and write. The idea is to block time in your calendar specifically for writing, treat it as non-negotiable, and then plan everything else around it .

Since I started daily planning with Sunsama (read my full review here ), I noticed how much more focused I am and how much faster I write when it’s on my schedule and I get into the flow.

You can also use AI schedulers like Motion to automatically schedule your tasks into your calendar around your meetings and other time-bound arrangements.

In this example schedule, I dedicated 4 hours per day to focused writing, which means saying no to everything else during that time. (You can read more about Motion in my detailed review. )

8 Best AI Day Planner Tools & Apps In 2024

2. Get yourself in a productive mood

How many times have you sat down to write only to find your mind wandering or stuck in a mental fog?

You might feel like you should be able to just “power through,” but writing in that lazy mood usually leads to wasted time and subpar work. The key here is to prepare for a successful writing session before you even start!

Take a few minutes to engage in an activity that boosts your mood and sharpens your mind. Find your own effective ways of pumping yourself up for writing and getting your creative juices flowing. You’ll find that this preparatory step can significantly accelerate your writing process and produce better-quality results!

How To Get Into A Productive Mood Right Now: 13 Quirky Ideas

3. Use AI writing tools

Depending on what you are writing (it might be a book, an article, an essay, a social media post, or even an email), you can leverage different tools to generate the first rough draft.

I often find that editing something is mentally easier than writing from scratch. Even if the generated text is not exactly what you had in mind, it helps you get going and think about how you want to see it. As you polish or rewrite bits and pieces, you gradually fill your blank page with your own thoughts.

In many cases, you end up finishing faster than you would without AI writers.

Additionally, AI tools can generate ideas and additional angles in an instant, giving you food for thought and something to work with.

While these tools won’t entirely replace your creative input, they do offer a rapid way to get the ball rolling.

7 Epic AI Fiction Book Writing Software Tools In 2024

4. Write in focused sessions

Ever get into a writing groove only to be pulled out by a notification, or worse, find yourself involuntarily scrolling through social media? Before you know it, an hour has passed, and you still only have the 100 words you had an hour ago.

If this tends to happen to you, working in focused sessions can be a real lifesaver. Using focus apps that set the timer, block distractions, or create a good environment for concentration can help you make the most of those time blocks you created in tip 1.

As you sit down to write, commit to doing nothing but writing for a dedicated period.

Some apps use techniques like the Pomodoro method to structure your writing time into intervals. The most common schedule is 25 minutes of writing followed by a 5-minute break.

Personally, I prefer 50 minutes of writing with a 10-minute break as this allows me to really get into that deep flow where my brain stops wandering and the thoughts start to pour. ( I use the Freedom app .)

5. Do exercises to improve your writing speed

When you hear “writing exercises,” you might think back to those tedious high school assignments. But this is different. Think of it more like warming up before a workout – it primes you for better performance.

Regularly doing speed writing exercises can significantly improve your writing stamina and speed. Whether it’s freewriting for 10 minutes (no editing allowed!) or practicing with typing software, the goal is to get you comfortable with putting thoughts to paper rapidly.

By consistently incorporating these exercises into your routine, you train your brain to churn out words more quickly, making it easier to meet your writing objectives in less time.

6. Leverage smart suggestions

You know that moment when you’re typing a sentence, and you pause to think of the best word to use next? It feels like every second is a drop in the bucket of lost productivity.

Text expanders and various tools that offer smart suggestions come to the rescue, helping you waste less time seeking the right word. These tools suggest word or phrase recommendations as you type, helping you complete sentences without losing momentum.

For instance, if you frequently write “best regards” at the end of emails, you can set up a shortcut that auto-fills this phrase whenever you type “brg.” Or use a text expander tool that will finish the sentence and even add the name after you type “best.” It’s a small trick that adds up to big time savings.

7. Listen to concentration music

Just as you sit down to write, your neighbor suddenly decides it’s the perfect time for a DIY project. Or maybe the chatter of people around you keeps interrupting your train of thought. Or maybe it’s just too quiet. Either way, you’re finding it hard to focus.

I used to struggle like this, too! Personally, I love writing in silence, and ALL external noises are distracting for me. Thankfully, none of these are the issue for me anymore since I started listening to science-backed focus music at Brain.fm !

They build soundtracks specifically designed to boost concentration, and they have actual studies that showcase the impressive difference in brain waves.

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to the track called “spectral transmission.” It’s an acoustic soundscape with a gentle neural effect that is meant for deep work.

I used to listen to Spotify and “work music” playlists on YouTube, but they didn’t do much other than block the noise. Brain.fm makes a real difference in my ability to focus.

8. Don’t strive for perfection

If you’re waiting for each sentence to be a masterpiece before you move on to the next, you’re setting yourself up for a long, long, loooooooong writing journey. It’s the quickest route to staring at your screen, paralyzed by indecision, and spending several extra hours on unnecessary polishing.

Instead, focus on getting your ideas down as quickly as possible. First drafts are supposed to be messy; that’s what revisions are for. So give yourself permission to write badly, and don’t let yourself perfect anything before you finish.

Once the words are out, you can always go back and make them beautiful!

If you are brave, there is this app called Squibler that pushes you to write non-stop. If you pause for too long, it will remove everything you wrote. This is an extreme way to prevent yourself from editing as you write. Try it if you dare!

9. Turn off the spell check

You’re in the zone, typing away, when suddenly that red squiggly line appears, signaling a typo. It’s tempting to go back and fix it right away, but that’s a trap! Doing so interrupts your flow and costs you valuable time.

Turn off your spell check while writing your first draft. It will allow you to focus solely on getting your ideas down without the distraction of correcting typos or grammatical errors. The time for polishing comes later.

I use Grammarly as my spelling and grammar-checking tool, but I make sure to turn the extension off when I’m writing the first draft. Those smart corrections mean well, but they disrupt my flow state more than they help, so I only turn them on for the editing phase.

20 Best Chrome Extensions For Productivity I Use In 2024

10. leverage the power of accountability.

No matter how self-disciplined you are, everyone can benefit from a little external accountability. You know how it’s easier to stick to a workout routine when you have a gym buddy? Writing can work the same way.

You can either find an accountability buddy in your inner circle, utilize accountability partner apps that match you with random partners online for a work session, or use a daily coaching service like GoalsWon to keep yourself on track.

Involving other people to hold you accountable is an incredibly powerful method to write faster and get your daily word count out as soon as possible. You’d be surprised how much faster you write when you know someone counts on you!

It’s after 9 pm right now, and I’m sitting here writing this article because I have a daily goal to check off in GoalsWon, and I don’t want to disappoint my coach Joel. Trust me, it works!

11. Outline first

Diving into a writing project without an outline is like going on a road trip without a map. Sure, you might reach your destination, but you’ll likely take a lot of unnecessary detours.

The lack of direction means that you might get too generous with words when it’s unnecessary and will need to cut a lot or do additional editing later.

It’s also easier for your reader when there is a defined structure, such as headings in an article or short chapters in a book.

So, before you start writing, create an outline. It doesn’t have to be super detailed – a few bullet points to guide each section can do the trick. Knowing the roadmap makes it easier to navigate from one point to the next without getting lost, saving you time in the long run.

12. Limit distracting websites

We all know the internet is a double-edged sword when it comes to writing. One minute you’re researching for your article and the next you’re down a YouTube rabbit hole.

By using productivity-oriented website blockers , you can limit access to distracting websites during your writing sessions. This helps maintain your focus so you get deeper in the flow, write faster, and use your time more efficiently.

For example, here is how a website looks when you try to access it during a focused session with Freedom :

And here is how it looks if you use RescueTime :

8 Best Social Feed Blockers To Stop Mindless Scrolling

13. Fight writer’s block

It happens to the best of us: one minute you are on a roll and the next, suddenly, you hit a wall. Writer’s block is not just frustrating; it’s a well-known productivity killer, and nobody is immune.

Thankfully, we live in a wonderful world of smart technology now! An AI personal assistant can offer a quick escape by helping you do research, finishing your sentences when you get stuck, or writing the first draft so you don’t have to stare at a blank page.

Just feed it a prompt with details on something you intend to write or your last couple of sentences, and let it generate some ideas for you. This will give your creative muscles a push in the right direction and get you back into the groove.

14. Train your brain to think faster

Sometimes, the bottleneck in writing isn’t your typing speed or your focus but how quickly you can generate ideas and solve problems.

Cognitive training exercises can help in this area. These are tasks designed to improve your memory, reasoning, and speed of information processing.

For example, Elevate and Luminosity are among the most popular online platforms that offer fun games to stimulate your brain for better performance.

Repetitively challenging your brain like that helps you build new neural connections and strengthen the areas of your brain (such as the prefrontal cortex) that are important for your creative work.

You can also learn more about brain training and how it can change your life in John Assaraf’s science-based book called Innercise .

Over time, brain training can help you become a faster and more efficient writer.

15. Leverage your most productive time

Everyone has that golden hour when they’re exceptionally productive. For some, it’s early morning; for others, it’s late at night.

Your energy is not distributed evenly during the day. It fluctuates based on a multitude of factors, but it usually has some kind of a pattern.

The goal is to identify your optimal hours and schedule your writing sessions during these times. Your brain will be at its peak performance, allowing you to write faster without feeling tired or experiencing brain fog.

16. Don’t waste time procrastinating

We’ve all been there – telling ourselves that we’ll write “when inspiration strikes” or after just “one more episode” of that addictive show. This delay tactic is nothing more than procrastination in disguise, and it eats away at the time you could spend writing.

The most effective way to avoid procrastination is to set specific times for your writing and stick to them. You can also take a critical look at your behavior and try to figure out what causes your procrastination so you can deal with it.

One of my favorite quotes that I have on my inspiration wall is this:

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.

Don’t wait for inspiration; make writing a non-negotiable part of your routine. Before you know it, you’ll find that the simple act of sitting down to write the first sentence at the same time every day builds momentum, making the process a lot smoother and faster.

17. Set up a comfortable and productive workspace

Have you ever sat down to write and found yourself constantly adjusting your chair or getting distracted by random things on your cluttered desk?

Your environment has a significant impact on your productivity, and an uncomfortable or disorganized space can seriously derail your writing flow.

Invest time and maybe a bit of money in setting up a workspace that pushes you to focus. Whether it’s a cozy corner with a plush chair or a minimalist desk with just your computer, make it a place where you feel motivated to write.

The less distracted you are by your environment, the faster you’ll be able to get that target word count down!

18. Invest in good quality tools

You’re halfway through a sentence, and your keyboard misses a keystroke. Or you’re jotting down ideas, and your pen runs out of ink.

Sounds familiar? Faulty or subpar tools not only disrupt your writing but can also cause unnecessary stress and waste time.

Surprisingly, it’s proven that a better-quality keyboard or pen can literally help you write faster!

For example, watch this video by one of my favorite Youtubers Ali Abdaal where he compares the typing speed of different keyboards:

If you want a summary, the fastest keyword is Apple Magic Keyboard . In my opinion, it’s also the most aesthetically pleasing and compact (I’m not a fan of colorful and chunky tech), but to each their own.

19. Do all your research beforehand

There’s nothing like having to stop to look up a piece of information when you just picked up a good writing pace. Each interruption, no matter how minor, fractures your focus and extends your writing time.

Make it a habit to compile all the research you’ll need before you start writing. Whether you use traditional methods like note-taking or employ AI tools to gather information, having everything at your fingertips means you can write without unnecessary breaks.

If you are open to using software to streamline your writing, here are some resources I recommend:

Sudowrite is an awesome app for fiction writers that can help you build a solid plot, write faster with autocomplete, suggest unique character names, etc.
Content writers can leverage AI keyword research tools to create a content strategy based on topic clusters, competition analysis, and good keywords.
Perplexity.ai is great for fact-checking and finding related studies or statistics to support your writing.

20. Track where your time goes

If you often find yourself wondering where the time went and why you managed to do so little in a whole workday, it might be wise to take a step back and review your work habits.

One way to do it is by using time-tracking tools like RescueTime that monitor your computer activity over time and offer insights into where your time is commonly lost.

Knowing where your time is going allows you to make conscious decisions about your writing habits. If you notice you’re spending too much time on non-essential activities, you can cut them out or at least timebox them and channel your energy into writing, which will inevitably make you faster.

RescueTime Review 2024: Can It Really Improve Productivity?

What is a good writing speed?

A good writing speed varies depending on the task at hand and your skill level. For typing, a speed of around 40-60 words per minute (WPM) is considered average, while 100+ WPM is seen as fast.

In a professional setting, particularly for writers and content creators, aiming for at least 60-80 WPM is beneficial for keeping up with deadlines and workload.

When it comes to handwriting, a speed of about 20-30 words per minute is typical for many people. However, if you’re taking exams or need to jot down notes quickly, striving for a handwriting speed of 30-40 words per minute can be an asset.

Handwriting speed is often a bit slower than typing due to the physical nature of the task.

Which factors affect your writing speed?

Various factors can influence how quickly you write, impacting both the quality and quantity of your output. These factors can range from your mental state to your physical environment.

Here are several things that affect your writing speed the most:

Skill level: Proficiency in typing or handwriting will always be the most important factor. The more you practice anything, the better you get at it.
Mental state: Focus, alertness, and stress levels all influence how many words you manage to get out of your head in a given time.
Writing tools: The quality of your keyboard, pens, device, and software you use can all affect how fast you write.
Helper tools: Using text expanders or AI writing assistants can save you hours per week when you get the hang of it.
Environment: Physical workspace and external distractions contribute a lot to your ability to get into the flow.
Time management: The ability to allocate focused time for writing and identify your most efficient hours in a day are both game-changers for writer’s productivity.
Task complexity: The complexity of the topic or assignment is also a factor that affects your writing speed. How well you know the subject is another thing that can either slow you down or write the whole thing in turbo mode.

How to physically write faster

Improving your handwriting speed is particularly useful for students who take handwritten exams or professionals who need to jot down information quickly.

Start by identifying a comfortable yet efficient grip on your writing tool, as an improper grip can slow you down or make your hand fatigued quickly.

From my experience, ball pens are a little faster than gel or fountain pens.

One of the best ways to physically write faster is through consistent practice. Consider doing speed writing exercises where you copy paragraphs from books or articles within a set time frame. Gradually increase the complexity and length of the text to challenge yourself.

Wrapping up

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and improving your writing speed will require some practice or getting used to the new tools.

I shared with you the hacks I myself use to be an efficient writer. Pick a handful of these tips that make the most sense to you and start implementing them today!

Juliet is an AI strategist for digital businesses and a content creator herself. With MS in Computer Science and a decade of hands-on experience in tech and marketing, she shares her best tips for leveraging AI tools to grow and scale your brand.

How to Write Faster: 23 Tips to Speed Up Your Writing Output

As a writer, you already know the essence of learning how to write faster and putting out more writing work.

You hear other writers talk about “I average 7k words per day” or “my weekly output is roughly 20k.”

But your fiction has been lingering around chapter one for months… What are you doing wrong?

I cannot diagnose your problem, but I will give you some tips that you can use to perform a self-diagnosis and increase your writing speed.

Writing Is a Game of Numbers

For 21st-century freelance writers, novelists, or any other professional writer, quality matters. But without quantity, you are just going to lumber in the abyss of the world wide web libraries.

Writing is a game of numbers – the more you put out, the more you get noticed. Likewise, the more gigs you complete, the more money you get.

It’s as simple as ABC.

The faster you write, the faster the ‘cha-ching’ comes in. So once you learn how to write fast, you can get more work done in a shorter time and probably earn more.

So, writing-faster hacks are essential life hacks for any serious writer.

23 Tips To Writing Faster (And Better)

Out of the 23 tips, 1 and 2 are the most essential. That is why I have given them more meat than all the rest.

1. Learn How to Increase Your Handwriting Speed

Almost everyone learns the art of handwriting at a very young age, but we tend to forget this important skill as we grow older. This trend has been exacerbated by the more convenient computers and mobile phones.

With the dawn of the Age of Ultron digital age, handwriting has become an even more obscure skill.

However, handwriting speed is still essential for people who take notes using pen and paper (students, for example).

There are a couple of benefits of increased handwriting,

Better performance. You take better handwritten notes and save time in an exam.
Increased Automaticity. This means that your brain will have to burden itself with other important intellectual stuff rather than the physical movements of your hand.
Less writing gaffes. We often commit errors because we think faster than we write. But if the writing pace catches up, there will be fewer errors.

Handwriting Speed Tips

Use Better Writing Tools: The type of pens you use affects your writing speed. Your ballpoint pens don’t rank in the speed ratings. You’d be better off having a fountain pen, a roller pen, or a gel pen.

Learn or Develop a Shorthand System: Instead of using bulky words, why not try symbols or abbreviations. There are no limits, so you can develop your own shorthand writing system or learn pre-existing ones like (Pitman, Gregg, Teeline).

Be Comfortable: Somebody might have shown you the ‘best way’ to hold a pen, you tried it, and it didn’t feel comfortable at all. Don’t force it, it’ll just slow you down.

Always hold the pen in a way that feels comfortable. The way you hold a pen doesn’t really affect writing speed, but if you are comfortable, your pace might improve.

Maintain a Good Posture: Writing is laborious; not only does it stress your fingers, but your spine also gets a beating too.

There are ergonomic kneeling and upright sitting office chairs which help you to improve your sitting posture. The chairs should be complemented by your own efforts.

Your feet should lie flat on the floor.
Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle.
The lower back should be supported by the chair.

2. Learn to Type Fast

The idea is that every finger should have its place on the keyboard. To help the fingers get used to ‘their’ position on the keyboard, you have to type without looking at the keyboard.

Home Row Finger Placement: place four fingers (from your index finger to the pinkie) on the ASDF and JKL. The keys are in the center row of the letter keys, also called the HOME ROW.

When you are typing, you should always start and return to the “ASDF – JKL” letters (that’s why they are called the middle row and are called the home row). The letters ‘F’ and ‘J’ have little ridges for your fingers to sense the initial position by groping the keys.

Your thumbs should always hover around the space bar, and the SHIFT key should be assigned to the pinkie opposite to the hand that is pressing the other key.

Good Sitting Posture for Typing

I also covered this when I wrote about ergonomic office chairs . But let me just hash over a couple of important tips:

The top of your screen must be level with your head.
Relieve the pressure in your shoulders, arms, and wrists. You can invest in a keyboard with a wrist rest so that your body weight isn’t shifted to your wrists.
Sit straight.
Keep a good distance between your eyes and the computer screen (at least 40cm).
Keep the elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
DON’T SLOUCH.

3. Write Rhubarb, Edit Later

Hi writer, no one is going to see your very first draft: nobody but you.

When you start writing, all you need to do is pour raw thoughts. Forget the typos and coherence; none of that matters, for now.

Editing is actually the most arduous step of writing. That is because we tend to rewrite a lot of the initial stuff and pay a lot more attention to detail. Have you ever written a whole page only to come back and erase it because it is pure garbage?

So just focus on putting words to paper and leave the corrections to the other you, the editing you.

4. Follow the Cliché

“Practice makes perfect.”

This is the most overused cliché and… the most accurate. You have to write every day. Do not force the writing speed. As long as you are applying the proper techniques and writing consistently, you will get better.

5. Write the Intro at the End

Writing the introduction earlier than the main body will slow you down nine out of ten times. The introductory paragraphs (in some cases, an abstract) give a taste of the juice contained in the main body of your work. Writing this part first usually means setting unnecessary standards for yourself.

The introduction will always mess up your head, trying to align your content with the introduction.

But if you start with the main body, you will probably write faster and use the content to create an abstract afterward.

Introductions and abstracts write themselves.

6. Gather Information Before You Start Writing

Doing research is a vital part of writing. Literal work (especially academic) with unverifiable content exposes the writer’s knowledge gaps and stinks of unprofessionalism.

However, researching while writing is counterproductive. You spend huge chunks of time on the web or bookshelves instead of writing. And sometimes, you are ready to write again, only to find out that all the creative juices have dried up.

Google your stuff beforehand, scour the bookshelves and take notes and pictures before the actual writing begins. When you sit down to write, you should WRITE.

Another cliché, “failing to plan is planning to?”

Freestyling is good because you just hop around and before you know it, you have 25k words. But, setting an outline helps you save time thinking about what to do next.

Write an outline, then freestyle inside the outlined topics. You can jump from the first topic to the last, then back to a middle section.

8. Set challenges

Challenging oneself is one of the greatest traits of successful people in any field. Most professionals, likely you too, work well with deadlines.

Give yourself word counts and deadlines. It may seem like a simple overused old hack, but when you start employing this technique you will realize that whatever the circumstance, failing feels bad.

You will zealously want to beat your deadlines.

9. Fragment Your Work

Writing a book may seem like a tough thing to do (that’s because it is). But if you break the book into chapters or scenes and work on them one by one, the workload seems a whole lot lighter.

As a matter of fact, Mark Twain did say something just like this, he said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one”.

10. Play Typing Games

Thanks to apps and websites, learning to type faster has become fun. Nowadays, there are a squillion web-based or offline games, tests, and YouTube tutorials.

Websites like WordGames.Com and Typing.com provide typing games and challenges which can help you improve your typing speed.

11. Go blind and Invent

You can do your research beforehand or completely write from your head. This is usually effective for fiction writers. Create worlds, words, names, cities, et cetera.

There’s a writing technique that I call “Blitzkrieg Freestyle Writing.” It’s something similar to the “write rhubarb, edit later” style, just that with blitzkrieg freestyle writing, you can include some nonexistent stuff and create your own stuff that can even make it past the final draft.

After setting up a few things beforehand, jump onto the chair and wing it! Just blitz through the pages without pressing backspace, googling, or verifying.

12. Ignore the Schedule (Sometimes)

Creativity is spontaneous, and sparks of genius usually occur sporadically. If you are writing a scheduled article but the words aren’t coming, it’s better to disregard your schedule and look at something different.

It might be another article or your poems from five years ago. You need to be concerned with the magic, not the time frame.

Word of caution; do not mistake the “spontaneous creativity” that I’m talking about with that mischievous demon of procrastination.

13. Find Your Optimal Writing Times

The ‘night owls versus early risers’ thing isn’t genetic, you are not born to be a night owl or somebody that wakes early every morning.

Our bodies have a reprogrammable biological clock. If you keep late nights a lot, your body readjusts and you start to notice that instead of feeling sleepy in the after-hours, your eyelids usually give up in the wee hours of the morning.

The issue here is not trying to program the clock but understanding it (although it’s okay if you want to). You must observe what time(s) of the day you’re most active. It’s during those hours that you’ll write faster, and the content will be of better quality.

14. Always Stop Writing Mid-Sentence

This might seem counterintuitive at first; why would I stop writing mid-sentence? When my flow is so on point? So undue.

However, when you stop writing in the middle of an exciting, fully developed (in your head) plot, you exactly know what to write when you resume writing.

When you go back to write, you know where to pick from. It’s vroom vroom from the first keystroke, your phalanges going Luis Hamilton fast.

15. Set a timer

Just like the previous method, this seems counterintuitive too. Imagine blitzing through a paragraph, then the alarm rings.

I know, I know, it seems inconvenient but, there are a lot of hidden benefits.

Taking breaks after the clock runs down also helps you refresh the brain and stretch your body. A fresher brain means more productivity, and since you are probably going to stop writing mid-sentence, you will have a lot of content already thought out (hence faster writing), and you save yourself a world of pain and stress.

Sometimes the timer helps you pace up so that you can write a lot of stuff in the short given time.

16. Use The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management scheme that helps people to effectively use time to their advantage when working.

This is similar to the previous hack (you obviously use a timer), but unlike the former, it has preset time margins.

It’s a simple system, you have 25-minute focused work sessions followed by five-minute breaks. The breaks are what are called Pomodoros. After four Pomodoros, the break should be longer (about 20 minutes).

Just like the normal timer setting, you get the benefits of stopping mid-sentence, plus you save energy.

17. Schedule Undisturbed Writing Time or Just Hang a Sign.

For me, it is hard to hang a sign and expect that the other ‘creatures’ in the house will observe the new rules.

No no no no. Nope!

I live with toughies, and it’s almost impossible to tell them what not to do. My solution? Doing my writing when they’ve exhausted all their energy.

At night, the guys turn to sloths. That’s when I attack my keyboard with zero distractions. However, putting up a “don’t disturb sign” usually works, especially in a professional environment.

18. Start from Anywhere

When you are writing a book, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to think that you MUST write it chapter by chapter, chronologically.

You might start off quite brilliantly, but you will — 9 out 10 times—get stuck somewhere before you even the first chapter.

Start from wherever content seems to flow seamlessly. After a while, some other parts will start revealing themselves.

19. Write drunk, edit sober

I first saw this advice on a certain blog, and I said to myself, “this is rubbish, these people just write things just to fill up articles.”

But I found out, from my writer circles, that this actually works for a lot of writers. Apparently, a hard drink (a gentleman’s quantity) can spur creativity since it snaps some wires in the head. However, you should expect some content to be utter rubbish, so you’ll have to follow the “write Rhubarb, edit later” hack.

20. Get a Journal

Not only will a journal help you increase your handwriting speed (because you will be writing frequently), it will also help you save your ideas. You can use the ideas later, reducing the time you spend on brainstorming during a writing session.

You can also use the journal to create characters or write some rhubarb to be edited later.

21. Switch Your Perspective

Looking at a writing project just in terms of the word count and workload is demotivating. Somehow, the word count always seems like a mountain to climb.

And hiking isn’t for everyone. Ha-ha.

But seriously, you have to switch the perspective and start looking at a blinking cursor as a metronome, your chance to write creative stuff that will wow millions – Your chance to shine.

22. Go Incommunicado

The digital space is full of distractions; Facebook, Insta, Twitter, Pinterest, a movie perhaps.

Your computer or mobile phone can be both your ally and foe when you have some content to write.

One minute, you want to see your Facebook inbox and an hour letter you’re pinning stuff on Pinterest. A few days later and you still haven’t started typing that chapter.

Shut it off!

But if you use the computer for writing, then shutting it off is equally counterproductive. You have to have software that turns your computer into a digital offline typewriter.

There is a lot of software that will block all the background distractions, i.e., FocusWriter , Typora , Mark text , and Ommwriter .

23. Use Squiggly Line Reminders

Sometimes, your typing speed isn’t the problem. Sometimes, it is those missing words in your head.

You can blitz your way through a chapter only to get stuck explaining what kind of dress ‘Daisy’ wore. Then you go on the web and start scouring for dresses and fashion trends, and before you know it, you’ve spent a whole hour looking for a “dress.”

Many word processors use red squiggly lines to tell you that you’ve made a mistake. Using misspelled words or symbols when you get stuck helps you put markers to which you can come back to make corrections or fill with text.

Final Words

Experiment, the tips are not a “one shoe fits all” type of solution. Trial and error won’t hurt.

And… one more cliché.

“If you want to be successful, you should do what you love.”

Make writing a top priority, a full-time thing. You’ll discover a lot of writing hacks on your own. Some things just come naturally.

Note: You cannot do all of them simultaneously. While some will work for you, others won’t make any sense at all. You just have to mix and match and see what works best for you.

The Bookshelf

Exploring edtech and cognitive psychology.

NSF Funds Work on Flagging Bad Online Behavior
Testing AI Fairness in Predicting College Dropout Rate
Pandemic Lockdowns Boost, Democratize Online Education
Study Reveals Key Course Features that Draw Diverse Students
Study: No Single Solution Helps All Students Complete MOOCs

4 Ways to Write Essays Faster

Life happens, and sometimes you forget to plan for an essay. All of a sudden it’s a couple of days before the deadline and you’re trying to figure out a way to get this essay done. If you’re in this situation, here are a few ways you can write that essay by the due date.

1. Write What You Know

If you’re stuck staring at a blank page with the time ticking down, the easiest way to put something to the page is to write what you already know about. Not only will it be the ideas and concepts you’re most familiar with so the essay will be accurate, but you’ll likely have a lot to say without having to do a lot of research versus something you’re not as knowledgeable about. And you’ll end up writing a lot of content quickly as well, so the more you know off the top of your head about the topic, the easier it’ll be.

But even if you don’t know about the topic or not enough to write most of an essay, some quick research can set you on the right track. If you’re writing on something that’s been well-researched or written about beforehand, a short 15 or 30-minute research session can give you a great resource for any topics you might want to go into and help you write down a few notes to include in your paper. Another way you can get an essay written by knowledgeable people is to work with an essay writing service Reddit users recommend, as they’ve likely been in your shoes and can help you decide the best service to write your paper.

2. Don’t Start From the Intro

Many students and even professional writers struggle with figuring out where and how to start their essays, no matter how long they’ve been writing. But if you’ve been assigned a certain topic or know you have a specific point or idea that you want to prove or get across, a great way to get started is to start not from the beginning, but at the end. It might seem counterproductive, but you’ll have a much better time working backward and putting all your focus on proving your point or explaining your perspective.

Or if you’re not sure what the ending of your essay or paper should be, writing the first sentences of the ideas you’re going over may give you the inspiration to get started and work from there. That way you’ll have covered what you want and can properly introduce or conclude the paper.

3. Make an Outline

If you’ve got a lot to cover or there are a lot of specifics you need to get into, writing an outline will be a big help. Not only will you have a better idea of where you’ll need to spend your time if you know the essay will cover a lot of ground and you have to insert information from your notes or research, but you can go ahead and knock out the paragraphs that’ll be easier to write.

An outline can also help you start each paragraph off on the right foot. When you’re outlining you shouldn’t just think about the basic idea, but plan out what the rest of the paragraph will cover. Drum up a couple of sentences to go along with it that summarizes the main point, how it connects to the rest of the essay, and any evidence that you’ll need to have.

4. Lose the Distractions

One of the easiest ways to lose time when you’re writing is to get distracted. You’ll end up spending more time looking at your phone or listening to music than actually writing the essay. But if you’re a big fan of technology, you can use a distraction blocker that locks you out of other websites and apps like social media and video players that aren’t relevant to your paper.

These can take a lot of forms but they’re all designed around the concept of either completely blocking or making it obvious if you do visit one of these sites or apps that you should be working instead.

The second is to do it the old-fashioned way and put your other electronics or potential time-wasters far away enough that you won’t be tempted to reach for them. While this requires a bit more willpower on your part, it can be a useful method if you need to go to a variety of websites for your research.

Get That Essay Done

Writing an essay is a large undertaking on its own, and adding a close deadline can make it extra difficult. But if you follow these tips, you’ll have a better time sitting down and getting to work on your paper without dreading that close due date. And even if you’re not writing close to the deadline you’ll be able to write your essays faster and get back to the other things in your life.

About The Bookshelf

The Bookshelf was founded by a group of Cornell students with the goal of bringing together thought leaders in the field of Educational Technology (EdTech) and cognitive psychology.

If you have any questions about our blog, please get in touch !

How to Write a 3000 word Essay in Less Than 60 Minutes

Writing a 3000 word essay in under an hour might seem impossible, especially when facing a tight deadline. However, with the right approach, it's not as daunting as it sounds. A good example of this is our guide on how to write a 1000 word essay .

This article shares 5 practical tips and strategies to help you write efficiently and effectively within a limited timeframe.

How to Write a 3000 word Essay in Less Than 60 Minutes

EssayPro Guide on How to Write Your Essay Faster

Our team of experts has created a how-to guide for you on how to write your essay fast. Here you go:

Voice-to-Text Software

Voice-to-text software can significantly expedite essay writing by allowing users to dictate their thoughts and ideas, bypassing manual typing verbally. This technology enables a continuous writing flow, as individuals can speak their ideas naturally and conversationally without interruptions.

For example, instead of pausing to search for the right words or phrases, users can express their thoughts fluidly, resulting in a faster and more efficient writing process. Additionally, voice-to-text software eliminates the physical strain associated with typing for extended periods, allowing users to maintain productivity and focus for longer durations.

Furthermore, voice-to-text software offers flexibility in writing environments, as users can dictate their essays from virtually anywhere using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. For instance, individuals can dictate their essays while commuting, exercising, or completing other tasks, maximizing their time and productivity.

You can use the following voice-to-text tools:

Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Google Docs Voice Typing
Microsoft Dictate
Apple Dictation

Need Urgent Help with Your Essay?

Don’t strain yourself – use professional writing services .

The Stream-of-Consciousness Writing

Stream-of-consciousness writing is a technique that involves recording thoughts as they come to mind, without filtering or censoring them. This approach can be particularly useful for writing essays in less than 60 minutes as it allows for a rapid flow of ideas and content generation.

By bypassing the need for careful planning and organization, stream-of-consciousness writing enables writers to quickly capture their thoughts on paper and generate raw material for their essays. For example, writers can focus solely on expressing their ideas and arguments instead of worrying about sentence structure or grammar, resulting in a faster and more spontaneous writing process.

Moreover, stream-of-consciousness writing can help writers overcome writer's block and tap into their creativity more effectively. This can lead to more original and compelling essay content. For instance, writers may discover new angles or perspectives on their topic that they hadn't considered before, enriching their essays with fresh insights and perspectives.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the stream-of-consciousness technique to write an essay:

Set a timer.
Clear distractions.
Choose a topic.
Begin writing.
Write continuously.
Don't edit or censor.
Keep the pen moving.
Embrace tangents.
Stay in the moment.
Review and edit later.

AI Writing Tools

AI writing tools can significantly expedite the essay writing process by automating various aspects of content creation, such as generating ideas, structuring arguments, and even drafting entire paragraphs. These tools leverage advanced natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to analyze input data and produce coherent, contextually relevant text output.

For example, platforms like OpenAI's GPT-3 and Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant offer features such as auto-completion, grammar and style suggestions, and even content generation based on user prompts.

Furthermore, AI writing tools can assist writers in overcoming writer's block and generating ideas more efficiently. For instance, tools like Articoolo and QuillBot can generate article outlines or paraphrase existing text to provide inspiration and generate new content.

Here are reliable AI essay writing tools:

EssayPro Writing App

WARNING: While these tools can aid in content creation and idea generation, relying too heavily on them may lead to plagiarism or submitting low-quality, unoriginal work. Writers should use AI writing tools to supplement their research and writing process rather than replace critical thinking and academic rigor.

Collage Essay Method

The collage essay method is a creative approach to essay writing that involves assembling visual and textual materials into a collage to represent different aspects of the essay topic. This technique can be particularly effective in generating ideas quickly and organizing thoughts in a visually engaging manner.

For example, imagine you're tasked with writing an essay on climate change. You could gather images, quotes, statistics, and diagrams related to climate change and arrange them on a poster board or digital canvas. The collage is a brainstorming tool to spark ideas and inspire the writing process by visually representing key concepts and arguments.

Moreover, the collage essay method encourages a nonlinear approach to essay writing, allowing writers to explore ideas from multiple perspectives and make connections between different topic elements.

For instance, while arranging materials for the climate change collage, you might notice patterns or themes emerging that you hadn't considered before. This can lead to new insights and angles for your essay, enriching the content with diverse perspectives and supporting evidence.

Here are some useful tips for using the collage essay method for writing an essay fast:

Gather diverse materials.
Start with a central theme.
Arrange materials strategically.
Focus on visual impact.
Incorporate text and images.
Make connections between elements.
Be open to unexpected insights.
Iterate and refine as needed.

Role-Playing Scenario

The role-playing scenario method offers a fresh and engaging approach to essay writing, injecting creativity and empathy into the process. By immersing oneself in a specific role, writers can tap into their imagination and explore complex topics from various angles.

For instance, if you're tasked with writing about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, you could adopt the perspective of a futuristic AI developer or a concerned citizen living in a world dominated by AI technology. This imaginative exercise sparks inspiration and encourages deeper reflection on the subject matter, leading to more insightful and thought-provoking essays.

Furthermore, the role-playing scenario cultivates empathy and understanding by encouraging writers to embody diverse viewpoints and experiences. Whether you're writing about climate change, social justice, or economic policy, stepping into the shoes of different characters allows you to see the world through their eyes and develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues.

For example, by pretending to be a climate scientist researching the effects of deforestation, you might gain a deeper appreciation for the urgency of environmental conservation efforts. This empathetic approach to essay writing fosters a greater connection with both the subject matter and the audience, resulting in essays that are not only informative but also engaging and impactful.

How to adopt the role-playing scenario technique for writing an essay:

Choose a relevant persona.
Research and understand their background.
Embody the persona's mindset.
Write from their perspective.
Maintain consistency with the persona.
Review and adjust as needed.
Use insights to enrich your essay.

There’s nothing impossible if you put an effort into it. Although 60 minutes sounds like a very limited period, a smart student can use it to produce a pretty decent essay and even have a few minutes left! So, how to write essays faster ?

The tips we gave you above do work, which thousands of students with hectic schedules have already proved. A word of warning, though – don’t rush to use tools like ChatGPT to generate an essay in 5 minutes because it’s hazardous for academic integrity. Remember – AI tools are assistants, and generated texts are to be rewritten from A to Z, which can also be done in an hour or less. If you’re awfully tired and physically can’t think or type, you better ask a professional human writer to help you.

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Can You Write an Essay in 30 Minutes?

Can i write a 3000 word essay in 1 hour, how long does it take to write a 3000 words essay.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Howard, D. (2022, December 15). How to Write an Essay Fast . Nexus Education. https://nexus-education.com/blog-posts/how-to-write-an-essay-fast/
20 Top Tips for Writing an Essay in a Hurry . (2024, February 20). Oxford Royale. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/writing-essay-hurry/ ‍
4 Ways to Write Essays Faster – The Bookshelf . (n.d.). https://blogs.cornell.edu/learning/4-ways-to-write-essays-faster/

Typing Lessons

Take a typing speed test, learn to type faster and with fewer errors with this free online typing tutor.

Your Best College Essay

Maybe you love to write, or maybe you don’t. Either way, there’s a chance that the thought of writing your college essay is making you sweat. No need for nerves! We’re here to give you the important details on how to make the process as anxiety-free as possible.

student's hands typing on a laptop in class

What's the College Essay?

When we say “The College Essay” (capitalization for emphasis – say it out loud with the capitals and you’ll know what we mean) we’re talking about the 550-650 word essay required by most colleges and universities. Prompts for this essay can be found on the college’s website, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. We’re not talking about the many smaller supplemental essays you might need to write in order to apply to college. Not all institutions require the essay, but most colleges and universities that are at least semi-selective do.

How do I get started?

Look for the prompts on whatever application you’re using to apply to schools (almost all of the time – with a few notable exceptions – this is the Common Application). If one of them calls out to you, awesome! You can jump right in and start to brainstorm. If none of them are giving you the right vibes, don’t worry. They’re so broad that almost anything you write can fit into one of the prompts after you’re done. Working backwards like this is totally fine and can be really useful!

What if I have writer's block?

You aren’t alone. Staring at a blank Google Doc and thinking about how this is the one chance to tell an admissions officer your story can make you freeze. Thinking about some of these questions might help you find the right topic:

What is something about you that people have pointed out as distinctive?
If you had to pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be? What are things you’ve done that demonstrate these qualities?
What’s something about you that has changed over your years in high school? How or why did it change?
What’s something you like most about yourself?
What’s something you love so much that you lose track of the rest of the world while you do it?

If you’re still stuck on a topic, ask your family members, friends, or other trusted adults: what’s something they always think about when they think about you? What’s something they think you should be proud of? They might help you find something about yourself that you wouldn’t have surfaced on your own.

How do I grab my reader's attention?

It’s no secret that admissions officers are reading dozens – and sometimes hundreds – of essays every day. That can feel like a lot of pressure to stand out. But if you try to write the most unique essay in the world, it might end up seeming forced if it’s not genuinely you. So, what’s there to do? Our advice: start your essay with a story. Tell the reader about something you’ve done, complete with sensory details, and maybe even dialogue. Then, in the second paragraph, back up and tell us why this story is important and what it tells them about you and the theme of the essay.

THE WORD LIMIT IS SO LIMITING. HOW DO I TELL A COLLEGE MY WHOLE LIFE STORY IN 650 WORDS?

Don’t! Don’t try to tell an admissions officer about everything you’ve loved and done since you were a child. Instead, pick one or two things about yourself that you’re hoping to get across and stick to those. They’ll see the rest on the activities section of your application.

I'M STUCK ON THE CONCLUSION. HELP?

If you can’t think of another way to end the essay, talk about how the qualities you’ve discussed in your essays have prepared you for college. Try to wrap up with a sentence that refers back to the story you told in your first paragraph, if you took that route.

SHOULD I PROOFREAD MY ESSAY?

YES, proofread the essay, and have a trusted adult proofread it as well. Know that any suggestions they give you are coming from a good place, but make sure they aren’t writing your essay for you or putting it into their own voice. Admissions officers want to hear the voice of you, the applicant. Before you submit your essay anywhere, our number one advice is to read it out loud to yourself. When you read out loud you’ll catch small errors you may not have noticed before, and hear sentences that aren’t quite right.

ANY OTHER ADVICE?

Be yourself. If you’re not a naturally serious person, don’t force formality. If you’re the comedian in your friend group, go ahead and be funny. But ultimately, write as your authentic (and grammatically correct) self and trust the process.

And remember, thousands of other students your age are faced with this same essay writing task, right now. You can do it!

ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how we work and play in recent months, giving almost anyone the ability to write code , create art , and even make investments . For professional and hobbyist users alike, generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT , offer advanced capabilities to create decent-quality content from a simple user prompt.

Keeping up with all the latest AI tools can get confusing, especially as Microsoft added GPT-4 to Bing and renamed it to Copilot, OpenAI added new capabilities to ChatGPT and released GPT-4o , and Bard got plugged into the Google ecosystem and rebranded to Gemini.

Also: How to use ChatGPT (and how to access GPT-4o)

Knowing which of the three most popular AI chatbots is best to write code , generate text , or help build resumes is challenging. We'll break down the biggest differences so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.

Testing ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini

To help determine which AI chatbot gives more accurate answers, I'm going to use a simple prompt to compare the three:

"I have 5 oranges today, I ate 3 oranges last week. How many oranges do I have left?"

The answer should be five, as the number of oranges I ate last week doesn't affect the number of oranges I have today, which is what we're asking the three bots. First up, ChatGPT.

You should use ChatGPT if...

1. you want the most advanced ai chatbot - for free.

OpenAI lets users access ChatGPT , available with the GPT-3.5 and the GPT-4o models, for free with a registered account. But if you're willing to pay for the Plus version, you can access GPT-4, use a higher prompt limit for GPT-4o, and get early access to new features for $20 monthly.

ChatGPT with GPT-4o, available for free users, answered the question correctly.

GPT-4o is a new omnimodel available for both free and paying ChatGPT users. Rather than relying on three separate models to power its features with GPT-4 for text, DALL-E 3 for images, and Whisper for voice, GPT-4o is a single model capable of processing and generating text, images, and sounds. This makes it faster than GPT-4 for paying subscribers, and its free availability makes it even better.

Aside from giving free ChatGPT users access to the latest GPT-4o model, the company also announced that free users will have most of the features that until now were exclusive to Plus users. These include web browsing, access to custom GPTs, ChatGPT Memory, and advanced data analysis.

2. You want to try the most popular AI chatbot

ChatGPT was created by OpenAI and released for a widespread preview in November 2022. Since then, the AI chatbot quickly gained more than 100 million users, with its website alone seeing 1.8 billion monthly visitors. It's been at the center of controversies , especially as people uncover its potential to do schoolwork and replace some workers.

Also: ChatGPT will put your data into interactive tables and charts with GPT-4o

Since its release, I've been testing ChatGPT almost daily. Although its user interface has remained simple, minor changes have improved it greatly, such as a simplified user interface and adding GPT-4o for free users, Custom Instructions , and easy access to your account.

The free version of ChatGPT using the default GPT-3.5 model gave the wrong answer to our question.

Though ChatGPT has proven itself as a valuable AI tool, it can be prone to misinformation . Like other large language models (LLMs), GPT-3.5 is imperfect, as it is trained on human-created data up to January 2022. It also often fails to comprehend nuances, like it did with our math question example, which it answered incorrectly by saying we have two oranges left when the answer should be five.

Also: I put GPT-4o through my coding tests and it aced them - except for one weird result

For example, the GPT-4o model answered the math question correctly, having understood the full context of the problem from beginning to end.

Next, let's consider Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing chat) , which is a great way to access GPT-4 for free, as it's integrated into Bing's new format.

You should use Microsoft Copilot if...

1. you want to use gpt-4.

Though the free version of ChatGPT lets you use GPT-4o, access to free users is limited to about 15 messages every three hours or capped depending on peak hours to keep it accessible to the widest number of people. After you reach your GPT-4o limit, your chat session reverts to GPT-3.5, which is limited to generating text in a conversational style with information up to early 2022.

Also: How to use Copilot (formerly called Bing Chat)

On the other hand, Copilot can access the internet to deliver more current information than GPT-3.5, complete with links to sources.

Copilot's Creative conversation style was the only Copilot mode to answer the question accurately.

There are other benefits, too. Copilot is powered by GPT-4, OpenAI's LLM, and is completely free. Unfortunately, you are limited to five responses on a single conversation and can enter up to 4,000 characters in each prompt.

Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?

Copilot's user interface isn't as straightforward as ChatGPT's, but it's still easy to navigate. Though Bing Chat can access the internet to give you more up-to-date results compared to ChatGPT, I've found it is more prone to stall before replying and will miss more prompts than its competitor does.

2. You prefer more visual features

Microsoft has upgraded its platform several times to add visual features to Copilot, formerly Bing Chat. At this point, you can ask Copilot questions like, 'What is a Tasmanian devil?' and get a response complete with photos, lifespan, diet, and more, for a more scannable result that is easier to digest than a wall of text.

When you use Copilot, you also can ask it to create an image for you. Give Copilot a description of what you want the image to look like, and the chatbot will generate four images for you to choose from.

Also: How to use Image Creator from Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator)

Microsoft Copilot features different conversational styles when you interact with the chatbot, including Creative, Balanced, and Precise, which alter how light or straightforward the interactions are.

The Balanced and Precise conversation styles in Microsoft Copilot answered my question inaccurately.

Finally, let's turn to Google's Gemini, formerly known as Bard. It uses a proprietary LLM and has received considerable upgrades in the past few months.

You should use Gemini if...

1. you want a fast, almost unlimited experience.

In my time testing different AI chatbots, I saw Google Bard catch a lot of flack for different shortcomings . While I'm not going to say they're unjustified, I will say that Google's AI chatbot, now named Gemini and powered by a completely different AI model than the one it debuted with, has improved greatly.

Also: How to use Gemini (formerly Google Bard): Everything you should know

Gemini is speedy with its answers, which have become more accurate over time. It's not faster than ChatGPT Plus, but it can be faster at giving responses than Copilot and faster than the free GPT-3.5 version of ChatGPT, though your mileage may vary.

Gemini answered accurately, like GPT-4o and Copilot's Creative conversation style.

The previous Bard used to make the same mistake as other bots on my example math problem by incorrectly using the 5 - 3 = 2 formula, but Gemini, powered by Google's new Gemini Pro -- the company's largest LLM -- now answers the question accurately.

Also: Copilot Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus: Which is AI chatbot is worth your $20 a month?

Gemini also is not limited to a set number of responses. You can have long conversations with Google's Gemini, while Copilot is limited to five replies in one conversation. Even ChatGPT Plus limits users to 40 messages every three hours.

2. You want the full Google experience

Google also incorporated more visual elements into its Gemini platform than those currently available on Copilot. Users can generate images using Gemini, upload photos through an integration with Google Lens , and enjoy Kayak, OpenTable, Instacart, and Wolfram Alpha plugins.

Also: 6 AI tools to supercharge your work and everyday life

Gemini is slowly becoming a full Google experience thanks to extensions that fold the wide range of Google applications into Gemini. Gemini users can add extensions for Google Workspace, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, giving them a more personalized and extensive experience.

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Lesley Hazleton, Writer Who Tackled Religion and Fast Cars, Dies at 78

Born in England and raised Jewish, she became agnostic, writing books about her own lack of faith, the prophet Muhammad and her time as a car columnist.

An older woman with round wire rim glasses and blonde-white hair stands gesturing with her arms raised in the air. She wears a purple patterned jacket and small microphone headset.

By Penelope Green

Lesley Hazleton, a British-born, secular Jewish psychologist turned journalist and author, whose curiosity about faith and religion led her to write biographies of Muhammad, Mary and Jezebel and examine her own passions in books about agnosticism and automobiles, died on April 29 at her home, a houseboat in Seattle. She was 78.

Ms. Hazleton announced her death herself, in an email that she scheduled to be sent to friends after she died. She had been diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer and chose to take her own life, as Washington State’s Death with Dignity Act allowed her to do legally, with the assistance of hospice volunteers.

“Yes, this is a goodbye letter,” she wrote, “which is difficult for me, because as many of you know, I’m lousy at saying goodbye.”

“I’ve been a pro-choice feminist for over six decades, so it should come as no surprise that I’ll be exercising choice in this, too,” she said, adding, “I’m experiencing an unexpected but wonderfully bearable lightness of being. Not a sad feeling of saying goodbye to life, but one of joy and amazement at how great it’s been. And of immense gratitude. I truly have had the time of my life. In fact, it sometimes feels like I’ve managed to live several lives in this one.”

Ms. Hazleton was a formidable figure, with a deep, husky voice — care of Philip Morris, her friend Olivier D’hose said, noting her devotion to its tobacco products — and an appetite for physical and intellectual risk. She moved to Jerusalem in 1966, at age 20, and lived there through two wars and one peace treaty, working as a journalist for The Jerusalem Post and as a stringer for Time magazine.

She covered the complex state of feminism in Israel in her first book, “Israeli Women: The Reality Behind the Myths,” published in 1977, at which point she announced that she had no plans to marry and did not want children.

She left Israel for New York in 1979, six months after the Camp David Accords, “exhausted by the constant high level of tension and drama there,” she wrote in The New York Times in 1986 , in the long-running column Hers, to which she was a regular contributor. “After too many wars — and the ecstatic high of one peace — I hungered for normality.”

But instead she began driving racecars and embarked on a career as a car columnist, first for Lear’s magazine and then for The Detroit Free Press.

She had fallen in love with speed while driving a Porsche 911 on a spring day in Vermont, though her favorite car was her doughty Citroën Deux Chevaux, sometimes known as the Duck, which she had driven in the Middle East, dodging tanks on her way to Mount Hermon and surviving a mined desert track because the car was too light to set them off.

During her years on the car beat, Ms. Hazleton attended racing school (the only woman in a class of 12), apprenticed to a mechanic, worked the assembly line at a Saturn plant in Tennessee and nearly died when she lost control on a track. She also visited the spot near Cholame, Calif., where James Dean met his own end, in a Porsche 550 Spyder.

“Perhaps as a writer, I place too much faith in catharsis, in the idea that by describing and exploring the obsession with speed that began that fine spring day in Vermont, I can drive it out of me,” she wrote in “Confessions of a Fast Woman,” a 1992 book about her automobile adventures. “The trouble is, I’m still not sure if I really want to do that.”

Her book, the automobile columnist Marshall Schuon wrote in his review for The Times, “delivers what the title promises, double entendre included, in glorious prose.”

Later, Ms. Hazleton got a pilot’s license and moved to Seattle.

“Fearless and irreverent” is how the author Pico Iyer described Ms. Hazleton, whom he met about a decade ago at a TEDGlobal conference, where both were popular speakers. “I felt to a striking degree she held to no orthodoxies,” he said in an interview. “She was full-throated in a liberating way.”

Fourteen years ago, Ms. Hazleton began writing a blog, Accidental Theologist , about faith and religion. “I never meant for this to happen,” she wrote. “Perhaps the 13 years I lived and worked in Jerusalem have a lot to do with it — a city where politics and religion are at their most incendiary.”

Ms. Hazleton was deeply affected, and unsettled, by her time in the Middle East and wrote often about its complicated ancient history. “Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography of the Virgin Mother,” appeared in 2004, followed by “Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen,” in 2007. She explored the roots of the Shia-Sunni branches of Islam, and how they split, in her 2009 book, “After the Prophet.” Then she tackled Muhammad.

Ms. Hazleton wanted to get a sense of the prophet as “a complex, multidimensional human being,” she said, “instead of the two-dimensional figure created by reverence on the one hand and prejudice on the other.” (She had already given a TEDx talk debunking the many myths about the Quran, including the one about 72 virgins awaiting martyrs in heaven.)

“The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad” (2013) was well-received, and to her delight Ms. Hazleton became a sought-after speaker at cultural events and conferences about Islam.

“In today’s febrile cultural and religious climate, what project could be more fraught than writing a popular biography of Muhammad?” Hari Kunzru wrote in The New York Times Book Review, noting that Ms. Hazleton had handled her subject with “scrupulous respect.”

Ms. Hazleton examined her own beliefs in her last book, “Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto” (2016).

“I stand tall in my agnosticism,” Ms. Hazleton wrote in “Agnostic,” “because the essence of it is not merely not-knowing, but something far more challenging and infinitely more intriguing: the magnificent oxymoron inherent in the concept of unknowability.”

Lesley Adele Hazleton was born on Sept. 20, 1945, in Reading, England. Her parents, Sybil (Silverman) Hazleton and Jessel Hazleton, a general practitioner, raised Lesley and her brother, Ian, her only survivor, in an Orthodox, but not strict, Jewish household. Lesley attended the Roman Catholic St. Joseph’s Convent School (now St. Joseph’s College) in Reading. As the only Jew there, she once wrote, she developed “a deep sense of mystery but no affinity for organized religion.”

She earned her B.A. in psychology at the University of Manchester, where she worked on the student newspaper, and her master’s degree in psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was a counselor and a teacher in an experimental high school there before turning to journalism.

“What’s wrong with dying?” Ms. Hazleton asked in a 2016 TEDx talk in Seattle. She had met a Silicon Valley type who was working on his immortality. (Many, many supplements were involved.) What could be more awful, more boring, she thought, than immortality? The exchange led her to develop the talk, which was her last.

“We need endings,” she said in that talk, “because the most basic ending of all is built into us.”

“Our ability to die, our mortality, is a defining part of what it is to be human,” she added. “We are finite beings within infinity. And if we are alive to this, it sharpens our appreciation of the fact that we exist. Gives new depth to the idea of life as a journey. So my mortality does not negate meaning; it creates meaning.”

“Because it’s not how long I live that matters — it’s how I live,” she concluded. “And I intend to do it well, to the end.”

Penelope Green is a Times reporter on the Obituaries desk. More about Penelope Green

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