Writing Tip: To Write Faster

I was reading a forum for writers once, and I stumbled upon a particular thread with someone asking for advice about how to write faster. He said he usually takes about three hours writing a single piece of writing, whether it's an essay, a short story or forum post.

He stated his process of writing:

1. Stare at the blank screen in front of him for about 5 minutes.
2. Write a few "awkward" sentences to get him going.
3. Scrutinize his written sentences and rewrite them again and again.
4. Eventually get tired of this process and read webcomics instead.
5. Realize that his deadline is near and write whatever entered his mind about the topic.
6. Skip editing because the deadline has passed.

Do you see what he's doing wrong? Do you see yourself going through the same motions? I did. I saw myself from years before.

Now let's remove item 6 and concentrate on 1-5 instead. Do you see how he could improve his writing?

The solution I gave him is very simple. Rearrange the items. 1-2-5-3-edit-edit-edit-4.

Remember this: you can't keep editing your work while in the process of writing. You have to keep writing. Maybe for an hour. Then take a 30-minute break to rest your mind. Then edit to your heart's content. Granted it will save little time, but it will make your writing a little bit more readable.

Good luck!