🖊️ Putting pen to posts

When you first launched your new blog, everything felt so light and free. You posted a little here, gained some new members there. But as your business started to boom, you began to lose sight of why you started your publication in the first place: words. This week's newsletter is about mastering new writing speeds, polishing your writing quality, and developing your own unique language for your brand. Let's go!

In this week's issue 📨

• How to improve your writing speed
• Ways to become a better writer
• Creating your own language

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Post haste

Once you've established yourself as an active publisher, writing can sometimes take a backseat to all the other big responsibilities you have on your tiny plate. If you're struggling to find the time to produce quality content before your next deadline, it might be time to teach yourself how to write faster so your business can continue to grow at a pleasant pace.

Christopher Jan Benite, content strategist at Blogging Wizard, shows us how to become a fast writer so that you can go from rough draft to final post in no time.

Your environment

• Get rid of distractions before you start writing. Find a quiet place to work, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and wear noise-cancelling headphones. Eliminating interruptions will increase your ability to focus while decreasing the time it takes to write.
• Physically clear your workspace so that your mind is centered on your writing and not anything on your desk. The more cluttered your workspace is, the more chaotic your writing will be. Clean up your space to ensure your content is just as spotless.
• Use dark mode or lower your monitor's brightness to reduce eye strain, especially if you're a night owl. Most word processors use a white background by default, so it's essential to take care of your eyes to continue working when you're riding a nice writing wave.

Be prepared

• Do all of your research first before you sit down to write. Your work will get done quicker if you fully understand your topic beforehand. This will keep you focused on your writing rather than having to go back and research your topic. You can go a lot faster if you already know your stuff.
• Create a content calendar to help you write and schedule content consistently. Knowing what you have planned for the week, month, or quarter will help you mentally prepare for a productive writing session. Don't forget to schedule breaks!
• Make a checklist for your writing session to keep your head on straight. This will help you concentrate on any specific goals, and you won't have to worry if you missed anything. Anxiety while writing can slow you down, so it's best to get your thoughts in order before you start.

Wise words

• Have your thesaurus handy to quickly look up alternate words with little stop time. This will keep you from trying to think of a word that may or may not come to you. Sometimes, it's not that you've run out of things to say; you've just exhausted ways to say them. Swiftly Google those synonyms!
• Disable spell check (at first) so that typos or grammar errors aren't a distraction when trying to focus on your work. The constant blue and red underlines popping up on your screen can cause significant disruptions and keep you from writing at a faster pace.
• Master touch-typing to increase how many words you can type per minute. Try practicing with fun typing speed games to get those fingers flying. You can also familiarize yourself with any keyboard shortcuts offered by the word editor you're using to further increase your speed.

Best practices

• Work with an outline or build post templates to organize your thoughts and make your writing more coherent. This will prevent you from rehashing the same points and force you to stay on topic, saving time. You can also share them with your team to make editing a breeze.
• Write in waves to give your brain some break time. Start with your rough draft, then take a breather. You don't have to pressure yourself to finish everything all in one go. You can also try writing out-of-order if you feel stuck on your intro or already know how you want your story to end.
• Use a conversational tone to express yourself in a more human way. The more natural you write, the faster you go. Try lumping similar topics together so you don't have to switch mental gears too much, and consider shorter sentences rather than long-winded ones to help speed up the editing process.

Treat yourself

• Invest in a second monitor so that you can have your project on one side and your research on the other. This will stop you from having to switch tabs, minimize windows, or close apps. You'll also be able to write even faster since you can keep your eyes on your research while typing.
• Snacks! Food can help you write faster by acting as a motivator. Knowing you have delicious treats waiting for you after a writing session is over can give you the writing power of 1,000 suns. You can also eat while writing to refuel your brain from all of the deep thinking you're doing. Being smart is hard.
• Take breaks if you feel like your writing battery has depleted. This will keep your content quality up to par and prevent mistakes. Just because you've improved your writing speed doesn't mean your other writing skills can keep up. Always take time to recharge and reset.

Interesting stories & ideas 📚

• How publications get sloppy – One Man & His Blog
• The great flattening – Stratechery
• Student journalists covering campus protests – NiemanLab
• Defining your own work – The Creative Independent
• Why am I still doing this? – Jason Fried

The write stuff

If writing speed isn't a concern, content quality should always be top of mind. You may produce content in record time, but nobody will care if it's not engaging. Whether you're just starting a new blogging business or looking to strengthen your existing brand, what you publish must be well-written and properly formatted, no matter who wrote it or who's reading it.

John Boitnott, a journalist at ClearVoice, shares expert advice on how to make your writing more compelling.

#1 Know what kind of post you're writing to discover the best tone of voice. If you're writing about your niche, strongly showcase your know-how. If you're reporting on news and current events, keep it informative and timely.

#2 Mind your grammar, like heavy use of passive voice, so your persuasive argument isn't weakened. Be sure to follow verb tense rules so that your readers know what you're writing about is reliable and trustworthy.

#3 Strategically format your posts for the publishing world. Your audience will read your newsletter differently than they read their favorite novel. Cut out unnecessary words, vary the length of sentences, and leave whitespace.

#4 Express yourself to show your audience the person behind the publisher. Standing out from other creators isn't easy, so don't be shy about using your personality to highlight how great your content is.

#5 Read everything out loud to catch any problem areas that need to be fine-tuned. Writing something on a page can sound completely different when said audibly, so talk to yourself to pinpoint any weirdness.

#6 Hire an editor to bring fresh eyes to everything you do. A good editor can make your writing easier to read and comprehend, leaving your followers with a positive impression of your hard work.

#7 Take a writing course using services like Skillshare to help improve any writing weakness, even if you're a blogging veteran. You may also consider content writing and marketing classes to further boost your brand.

#8 Follow other publications to note your peers' success. Choose other blogs relevant to your niche, scope out your competitors, or subscribe to content specifically for writing.

It's a weird word

Language is powerful. (Have you ever participated in a lively coke, soda, or pop debate?) The words we choose when we write tell the story of where we’ve been, who we are, and where we’re going next. Crafting a unique language around your brand and online community can help your content stand out and add a cheeky element of playfulness to everything you do.

Let's examine how to create a unique language for you and your members that will help build lasting loyalty.

‣ Start small so you don't do too much too soon. You can turn off potential customers if they think you're trying too hard. Begin with existing followers by creating members-only content that contains special offers and products just for them, like local restaurants do with "secret menus." This will give them an insider experience and spark outsider curiosity.

‣ Use language purposefully to solidify a sense of group identity within your community. This will help new members bond with current ones so that the newbies can feel in the know. Using different words, terms, and phrases for things that already exist will automatically make your space unique, like when society decided we were okay with renaming exercise classes to "CrossFit".

‣ Name your audience or encourage them to name themselves. A collective identifier builds a connection between followers, as shown in popular music fanbases and online communities like Taylor Swift's "Swifties" and BTS' "Army." Do whatever feels natural within your niche, and don't force it. The last thing you want is an awkward and out-of-touch moment with your readers.

‣ Introduce new terms early so new members know it's a normal and fun part of your community. Customers should learn what they need to do and how to act immediately during their onboarding process so everything feels like a natural part of the world you've created. This will help them dive right in and feel just as included as longtime members.

Curator's pick ✍️

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