How to Be More Productive in Writing: 6 Clever Tips to Follow

Set Clear Goals at the Beginning

A good rule of thumb is to always start a writing project with a set of clear goals. These may include the number of pages or word count for the day or even jotting down your overall goals for the project. Goals should fall into two categories: goals for the day and goals for the final project. If your project or assignment is small and can be completed in one day, then your set of goals can just be for the end of the day. 

Always be prepared for unforeseen distractions and disruptions in your schedule, though, and have a plan B if you have to carry your project on to another day. The best way to set these goals and stick to them is to write them down before you do anything else. From there, you can do any research you need to do and then formulate your outline.

Create an Outline

The outline is the backbone of any piece of writing and will guide you as you move from one topic to the next. If you start writing without any structure, then you will likely begin to ramble or run out of things to say because you do not have a framework for which to organize your ideas. 

One of the first things that good writers say is that to have a successful writing session, you have to organize what you are going to say. If you are not confident that you can fully express your thoughts in an essay or you don’t have time, you can hire expert essay writers who can deliver well-written articles for all of your needs. They can also provide research help and services for other projects like PowerPoints. 

If you are working with a writer or going at it alone, start your outline by compiling all of your research and deciding what are the main points that you want to write about. From there you can come up with titles for each section and then write the sections one by one. You do not necessarily need to write them in order if you get inspiration to write about one specific section, then do it while you have the ideas jumping around in your head. You can always come back to the other points, that is why you have the outline to begin with.

Set a Schedule For Long Writing Projects

If you have been assigned an essay for school or an article with a deadline, then you have to make a plan several days ahead of time for how you are going to space out your writing sessions. The best way to do this is to set a schedule for a certain time each day that you are going to sit down and do research or sit down and write. This will help you space out your writing and will help prevent you from burning out. The last thing you want to do is procrastinate and then have to rush the whole writing project in one day. This will result in sloppy work and high stress.

This schedule can be whatever you want it to be as long as you dedicate a little bit of time each day to the assignment. If you know you have classes or work at the same time every day, then map out your breaks or afternoons when you are home to sit down and focus on your writing. Having a schedule will help you chip away at the work even if it is just a little bit every day. 

Take Regular Breaks

When you finally sit down to write and you know that you are going to dedicate a significant chunk of time to it, it is important to plan out when you will take breaks. If you want, you can set a timer for every thirty minutes or so. This way you can stand up, stretch, and regather your thoughts. If you spend too long sitting in one place without taking a break, you may lose focus or may not be able to get as much done as you would like. The importance of taking breaks while writing is that your brain needs little breaks in order to stay active. If you do not block out time to look away from your screen, then you will start to feel fatigued and you will burn out before you have finished your task for the day.

Use Online Tools

Online tools like Grammarly and the Notes app will help you quickly type up ideas when they come to you on the go and filter through your writing to discover and correct any grammatical mistakes. These tools will help you complete tasks faster and prevent you from having to re-read your writing over and over again. 

Change Your Scenery Often

This technique is one that people don’t often think about when they sit down to write because they probably have a dedicated space in their home to do their work and they don’t realize that that may be impacting their motivation. If you feel like you are in a rut and cannot think of anything else to write, try moving to a different part of your house or venturing out to a cafe. This will provide a different environment and might just give you the push you need to boost your productivity again. 

If you are working on a big writing project like a term paper or a thesis, then you will probably be working on it for several days if not weeks. Imagine sitting in the same room at the same desk for all of that time. It would make you feel uninspired quite quickly. Even if you are going to the same library to work every day, there is enough space for you to sit in a different area each time you go. Do not get into the habit of sitting at the same desk every time that you go or you will start to feel restless. 

The job of writing essays or articles or anything else that requires the putting of words to paper can be difficult, but there is nothing better than the reward of finishing a writing project and hitting ‘submit’. If you are struggling with your writing productivity, keep these tips on hand and you will find yourself writing things more quickly and of higher quality.