For many writers, time is money. If you aren’t writing, you aren’t earning. Therefore, the faster you write, and the more you can get accomplished, the fatter your paycheck will be!

However, writing fast is about more than just money. It is about a sense of accomplishment. It is about meeting your readers’ needs. It is about expressing your true thoughts and ideas. And the pressure of all that can sometimes be too much to bear.

If you want to write fast, there are several things you need to take into consideration. Writing quickly is about more than just moving your fingers around the keyboard. It is often about reprogramming your mindset and changing the way you do things. Here are 14 steps you must take to write faster.

Write Fast: Follow These Steps

Get Your Chores Done First

Many people suffer from procrastination. This feeling intensifies until it is impossible to ignore the looming deadline.

If your deadline isn’t right up in your face yet and you fear procrastination might rear its ugly head, take control of the situation before it strikes. We all have procrastination triggers ñ random things we do instead of writing.

Know what those triggers are and just get them out of the way. Maybe you need to unload the dishwasher, check the kids’ homework, or walk the dog. Whatever it is you use to postpone your writing time, do it.

Choose Your Location

Most writers have the luxury of working from home. We don’t need to report to an office for eight hours every day. However, the “perks” of this work-from-home gig are often overshadowed by the challenges.

Just because you can write while sitting on the sofa with your child’s favorite cartoon blaring in the background and the dog yipping at your feet doesn’t mean you should. And even if you can, can you write fast from that spot?

Choose a special writing spot. You might set up a home office in the spare bedroom. You might trek to the local library once a week. Maybe you pull out your laptop at your favorite coffee shop. If you are truly under the gun, check yourself into a hotel for a few days. Just find a spot where you can write with minimal distractions.

However, don’t let the lack of ideal conditions prevent you from writing. Sometimes, it isn’t possible to have total quiet. Just do the best you can. E.B. White hit the nail on the head:

A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.

Let Others Inspire You

There are probably millions of writers out there in the world. Every one of them has their own technique and style. Take the time to do a bit of research; find out what productivity tools and tricks they use. Since they’ve all been in your shoes before, other writers are a great source of inspiration.

Make it a Priority

Is your writing a hobby or a career? If it is a hobby, you might never get around to finishing a single composition. If it is a career, it instantly becomes more of a priority. If you don’t write, your family won’t eat.

That being said, can you really do your best work after a night of intense drinking? Will you get anything accomplished if your sick kid is draped over your shoulder? If you truly want to be a successful writer, make the task a priority. If you want to write fast, make it a priority.

Create a Deadline

If you don’t already have a deadline, make one. This is a great way to keep yourself focused and motivated.

Create a Plan of Attack

Do you know what one of the biggest obstacles to productivity is? Ambiguity. You can’t say, “Today, I’m going to write.”

You need to have a plan of attack if you truly want to write fast. Know exactly what you will be working on. Will you be writing one blog post for your site and three guest contributions for others? Will you be answering comments left by readers? Will you be doing research?

Slice and Dice

Once you have your plan of attack, break it down even further. Do some chunking (the art of taking a large, overwhelming task and chunking it into smaller, manageable ones).

Saying, “I’m going to write,” is too intimidating. However, saying, “I’m going to write a blog post,” isn’t much better. If you look at the overall goal and feel totally overwhelmed with no place to begin, you’ll never get anywhere.

Take the overall goal and break it up into smaller goals. Give each one a rough timeline and then write fast to get it done. For example,

• Research for 20 minutes
• Create an outline in 10 minutes
• Write the first draft in 60 minutes or less
• Edit for 20 minutes

If a single task becomes too time consuming, skip it. See if you can circle around to it later. When you come back, you may find you can omit it all together.

Make a To-Do List

Some people boast of their excellent multitasking skills. However, when it comes to writing, this skill is more detrimental than beneficial.

Rarely will you be able to successfully complete all the things you set out to do if your mind is constantly bouncing from one thought to another. Instead, focus on one thing. If something pops into your mind, jot it down on your to-do list. Come back to it later. Finish the task at hand before starting another.

Compete With Yourself

Somewhere, maybe buried deep down, we all have a competitive streak. Take advantage of that feature. Compete with yourself. Write fast, and race against your own willpower.

Use a timer to transform writing into a sport. A great tool is My Tomatoes. Set the 25 minute timer and see if you can finish one task on your writing to-do list before time runs out.

Note: you don’t have to use My Tomatoes. However, you shouldn’t use an app on your phone. You want to minimize distractions, remember? Glancing at your phone, seeing those text messages and Facebook notifications every few minutes will totally defeat the purpose.

Do it Once

The internet is full of time-wasting temptations. When writing, it is best to avoid it at all costs.

Don’t be a glutton for punishment and go stare down your temptation four times an hour. Do your research once. Get all the information you need to make a valid first draft. If, while writing, you come across a point that needs to be expounded upon, make a red X. Later, come back to that X and do the necessary research to finish off the thought.

Just Do It!

Nike has the right idea when it comes to writing ñ just do it! James Thurber offers the following advice:

Don’t get it right, just get it written.

Write. Write fast. Get your train of thought on paper. Don’t worry about spelling errors. Don’t correct grammar. Just write. You can always come back and edit later.

Don’t Expect Perfection

Short of hiring a professional editor, it is nearly impossible to turn out a completely error-free composition. You can get close to perfection, but absolute perfection will always elude you. Therefore, don’t expect the impossible!

Editing once is good. Twice is maybe acceptable. But editing 10 times will just make you crazy. Don’t worry; your readers won’t abandon you if they find a coma out of place.

Don’t Be Intimidated

Many writers start worrying about what their readers will think of their composition ñ before they even pick up their pen. Don’t let your future readers influence your work. Write what you feel. Deal with the repercussions later!

Be Extreme

If all else fails, try a tool that is guaranteed to keep your fingers moving: the Write or Die app.

The creators of Write or Die operate on the premise that tangible consequences are more effective than intangible rewards. As such, the app will punish you for idleness. If, while writing, you pause for even a few seconds, the app will start deleting your words.

Is there anything more intimidating than that for a writer?!

Sitting down and banging out a lightning-fast composition is both admirable and profitable. However, changing your mindset to produce quality work quickly on a regular basis is more note-worthy.

Do you have any writing tips we’ve left off the list? Let us know!

Note from Nick: This is a guest post written by Mike Hanski: Mike is an essay writing expert at Bid4Papers, a company that provides professional paper writing service and helps students get better grades. He likes to write essays on education and college survival topics. Follow him on Google+.