I detest the word “busy.” I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy. Yet despite my abhorrence of the word, I use it all the time.
“Sorry, I’d love to, but I’m busy right now so I’ll have to say ‘no.’”
“Sure I can, but I’m busy until later in the week.”
“I’m never too busy for you!”
According to Merriam-Webster, busy means to be “engaged in action; full of activity.” Sound familiar? How then, with the crazy-busy schedules most of us have, do we learn to write well and communicate clearly? How then can we crank out copy at a pace of, say, 300-500 words every 20-30 minutes?
I’ll tell you how …
5 Steps for Writing Better and Faster:
- Get clear. Think about what you’re trying to communicate and narrow it down to one main takeaway.
- Capture the main idea. Write down a single sentence that explains the main thought.
- Ask and answer questions. Generate a bunch of Q&As, claims or talking points around your main thought.
- Narrow it down. Pick the top three supporting details, nuggets or statements.
- “Write the d**** thing.” That’s what American espionage author Tom Clancy said to this aspiring writer some 25+ years ago and it still holds true. Just write. Write the whole thing. Don’t stop. Only then should you go back to edit and refine.
What’s stopping you from writing better and faster?