8 Ways To Write Fast AF
I talk a lot about the shitty first draft (SFD), a term coined by writer Anne Lamott. Every piece of writing you’ve ever read started as an SFD.
Before I get to my favorite tips for SFD writing, let's back up.
It starts with writer's block. One of the most common questions I get is around writer’s block — most people want to know how to get through it.
The single best way to bust through writer’s block is just to write. Write something. Write anything.
Even if it feels slow, clunky, awkward, and not quite right. The only way to bust through writer's block — is through.
Writer’s block and perfectionism are fickle friends.
Our inner critic is often so loud and in our faces that it’s hard to know when we can put that MOFO in her corner. And what helps many stuck writers is having the permission to write a pile of crap.
I tell people:
“Write the shittiest piece of shit that you can write.”
This helps because it takes the unnecessary pressure off. And that pressure is what’s making you dread the writing. Do you want to read a book that the author dreaded writing? No way. Getting out of dread, turning your brain off, and writing really fast is the quickest and easiest way to get the words out.
The draft of my current book came out so fast, there was no time for stopping and editing. This is how most of my writing looks. It’s how I’ve been able to blog consistently for about a decade and finish my book(s).
The biggest block to getting started is that most people try to edit while they're writing.
Editing while you’re writing takes you out of flow, leaves you stuck in your head, and slows you down.
Think of writing and editing as two distinct activities with different qualities and engaging different parts of your brain.
Here are my favorite ways to write the SFD fast AF.
1. But first, Morning Pages.
I hear from many people that they don't have time for writing morning pages .. “but I work!” “I have no time!” “I’m so busy!” What if I told you that you’d work better if you did morning pages first? You’d be more efficient and focused so that the words could flow from you easily. Set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier and write as much as you can when you first wake up. Then, move on with your day. Repeat for daily for 12 weeks. Sound boring and like there’s no sexy pill? Spend less time looking for quick fixes and do the inner work — there are no shortcuts. Read this blog, which I updated in January in 2022 with my spin on Morning Pages.
2. Stop thinking.
Put your overthinking tendencies aside. Treat your SFD writing with just a little more intention than your morning pages. The goal is to choose your topic and write fast. Even if you’re not sure of your point — that’s okay — start writing and come back to it later. You may very well arrive at your point while you’re there.
3. Write fast.
Aim to write as fast as you can. I like to give myself no more than 30 minutes to get out a quick draft of a blog post or sales page, and up to an hour for a book chapter draft. With too much time stretched out in front of me, I’ll sit and think about it. Give me 2 hours to draft a blog and I’m going to goof off for 90 minutes and write for 30. Try the Pomodoro timer technique for fast writing — I use the Marinara Chrome extension.
4. Look away from your screen.
I wrote the first draft of this blog post while mostly watching what the alligator in our pond was curiously swimming up to. I tend to look away from the screen to stop me from wanting to fix all the red underlinings. If the red underlining makes you crazy and you think you just can’t keep going without fixing them — I’d suggest first exploring your relationship to perfection. No one is going to see your SFD. And even if they do, who gives a shit? Sometimes I’ll look upward — as if looking up to the sky will give me an idea of what to write.
5. If you get stuck.
Pause and look away from your screen if you haven’t already. I find that if I write much of it while looking away from the screen I stay in the flow and write much faster.
6. Know your energy.
When you come to the page try to be ready for writing. It's as if you’re starting a race. There’s no messing around at the starting line — you hear the buzzer go off and you just go — no pausing to scroll your social channels first. This means, that before I sit down to write (and work) for the day. I've moved my body and had a green smoothie.
7. Try a soundtrack.
Figure out what kind of sounds you enjoy writing to — dramatic movie soundtracks, healing solfeggio frequencies — classical, you might use different music for different kinds of tasks.
8. When you’re done, you're done.
No editing right away. I always leave at least a day between writing an SFD and jumping into editing. This lets those seeds you planted in your unconscious mind start to germinate and when you come back to your SFD you’ll dive in with more ideas, clarity, and the focus to finish, polish and get it out in the world.
When you’re ready to edit, do this to be your own editor.
And onto the next piece of your writing — building your beautiful body of work (which should look like a charcuterie board).
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