My biggest struggle when training or guiding a beginner is increasing writing speed. However, I understand that the process of learning comes with patience and lots of practice, so I never call them out for it or pressure them to do it faster. Ask any of my trainees! I am a very calm teacher! 

Jokes aside, everyone has their own writing speed, and you should never compare two writers. However, there is still an average duration that beginners and experts take to write an article. So, I have compiled this blog post for you to take as a REFERENCE. (Note: here, we are referring to high-quality articles ONLY. No copy-pasted, spun, or plagiarised work.)

My 5 Favourite Tips To Increase Writing Speed

I started content writing in 2017, and these tips have allowed me to shorten my writing time by several folds. I vouch for all of these but not every tip is going to work for everyone. Try them out and see which ones work for you. Incorporate them in your writing more often to see results over time: 

1.    Divide And Conquer!

Divide the article into sections:

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
   

I go the extra mile and divide the body of my article into further subheadings. 

It does two things for me:

1. I already know what I am going to write, making the thinking process easier and faster.
2. The more the subheadings, the more material you have, and the less time you need to give each subheading, your overall writing speed increases. (Read that a bunch of times until it finally makes sense.)

No luck? Let me explain:

Assume that you have to write 500 words on American politicians, and you have one subheading: George Bush.

Now, it might be tough for you to write all 500 words on one topic, right? However, if I give you another subheading: Barack Obama, you can divide the 500 words into two, right? As a result, it is easier for you to write 250 words on each rather than 500 words on one. Similarly, if I increase the number of subheadings, the word count per heading will decrease, making your writing process faster. 

2.    Voice Typing

Voice typing is tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it makes the job so much easier. It is not as fast as you think, though. If you have good typing skills, it takes approximately the same time to voice type as it does to use a keyboard. However, you can still save a good few minutes by using this feature. Plus, your fingers dont fatigue, and you can work for longer.

You can install applications for voice typing, but there are two straightforward ways that dont involve a lot of downloading: 

1. Your phone probably already has a built-in voice typing feature. Most of the latest smartphone models have it already, so you dont have to download it separately.
2. Google Docs also has a voice typing feature. If you already use it for your writing, simply go into the Tools and activate the voice typing feature. 
    

3.    Turn Off The Dictionary

Having the dictionary on is quite helpful, but it can be very distracting. If you stop every few seconds to correct previous errors, it will take you longer to finish the article. So, turn off the dictionary and finish writing in a flow. Then, turn it back on afterward and correct the mistakes all in one go. This will help you complete an article much faster.

4.    Reduce External Distractions

If you are constantly distracted by incoming emails, messages, and social media notifications, it will take you more time to finish an article. If you cannot put your phone away, at least turn it to Silent mode. Some people are not bothered by music, TV, or people talking in the background. In fact, they work better in white noise. However, if you have a short attention span and are easily distracted by these sounds and noises, sit in a quieter environment. 

5.    Posture Helps 

Believe it or not, your writing speed is directly related to your position and posture. For example, I have noticed that if I work while sitting on the bed or a couch, my writing speed is lowered. This is because my mind does not work as fast as it does when I am at a table. On the contrary, when I am at my work desk, I feel more energized, my mind processes things faster, and I can complete an article much quicker. 

Bonus Tip: Find The Right Time 

When are you the most active? Find that time of the day when your energy and productivity levels are high. That is when you want to do your higher-word-count articles. For example, I am most active in the morning, right after having my morning tea. That is why I like to do my writing jobs at that time because the hamster in my brain is running fast on the wheel. Creative juices are flowing, and I feel super pumped to write quality content. So figure out what time of the day is THAT time of the day for you! 

Final Disclaimer: There Is No "Shortcut"

If you think one of these tricks will magically reduce your writing time from two hours to 30 minutes, you are sadly mistaken. Whether you use a keyboard or voice typing, it takes a while to master either of the skills. In addition, research takes time and practice as well.

After a few months of continuously doing what you do, there comes a time when your thinking process becomes faster. Sentences form in your head much quicker than they did in the beginning. Skimming and scanning also become a natural part of your behavior. Your typing skills become much faster, too. The repetitive errors also start to decrease. This way, the same article you took 4 hours to complete now becomes accomplishable in less than half that time.

The point is this: use tricks and techniques to become better. But dont establish unrealistic expectations. Go easy on yourself and take your time. If it takes four hours, plan your time accordingly. Dont push yourself to do it quicker; dont beat yourself up. Doing that will only reduce the quality of your work, which is a big no-no! Instead, focus on providing valuable, accurate, high-quality content, and speed will eventually follow.