There is one common problem that all writers are facing: they need to increase the volume of pages they produce within a day if they want to make more money. However, higher productivity may come at the cost of quality. As you try to write more, it seems like you’re starting to get satisfied with lifeless sentences that have nothing unique to them. Do you really need to sacrifice the quality you produce for the sake of typing more words? You don’t!

When I was working for EduGeeksClub, a popular writing service with a massive flow of regular orders, I developed a system that helped me write over 5000 words a day. I never wrote something mediocre just to wrap up the paper as soon as possible and move onto the next order. Thanks to the efforts I made to boost my productivity levels, I was able to write more content without affecting its level of quality.

Do you want to achieve the same goal? Everyone has the same 24 hours per day. The difference between successful writers and procrastinators is in their ability/inability to use those hours in the best possible way. I have some tips that will help you boost your productivity and start writing 5000+ words a day.

1. Inspiration is everywhere. See it!

A random situation you just witnessed on the streets can serve as your inspiration for the piece you’re working on. It took me a long time before I realized I could write the best articles and papers when I based them upon real-life situations. You don’t have time to take a walk and seek for a spark outside? That’s not a problem; the Internet is a source of inspiration that you can never exhaust. You just need to see the connection between different topics and interests.

For example, let’s say you’re working on a critical thinking article that identifies the flaws in the educational system. You can get inspired by the ingenious methods of cheating students use, and you can connect them to the government’s lack of interest to modernize the system. Don’t limit the online adventures to your precise areas of interest; always look for inspiration in the most unexpected sources. Even an article about a Hollywood star can inspire you to write an exceptional critique of modern lifestyle.

Don’t forget to collect your sources of inspiration, since you won’t be able to cover every idea at once. Pinterest is a great tool you can use for that purpose.

2. You’re using facts? You’re relying on experts’ opinions? Prove it!

High-quality writing is based on facts. When you’re trying to convince the readers that you’re telling the truth, you need to conduct an extensive research and provide some references. As every other writer, I realized that was the part of my job that consumed the most of my time. If I cut down on the research process, I won’t be able to achieve the quality I want. However, I found a way to use that research in a way that helps me produce more content in less time: quotes.

Yes, quotes may seem like a trick for adding more words in a text, they make your piece more believable and easier to read. Starting an article with a great quote by a leader, famous writer, or an industry expert will give you the main point of discussion, and it will immediately guide the reader to the point of your text. Of course, you can’t use too long quotes; your arguments have to prevail.

3. Make outlines

An outline for a 1000-word article will take about 10-30 minutes of your time, depending on the complexity of the piece you’re working on. That may seem like too much time for something you’re not getting paid for, but guess what: a precise plan will reduce the amount of effort and time you invest into the actual draft.

I measured the time I needed for writing 5000 words with and without an outline. After a few experiments, I realized I was faster for about one hour when I had the outline to guide me through a logical piece of text. Without an outline, the content is confusing and the ideas are not concise enough.

Online mapping and outlining tools are awesome. I recommend you to check out OmniOutliner, which is a smart investment for a professional writer. It enables you to compose detailed outlines, as well as the entire piece of content with great flexibility. If you want to start with a free tool, you can always use XMind, MindMup, or Coggle to give structure to your ideas.

4. Stay focused!

There is no other way to increase the quantity and quality of content you produce: you need to stay focused. You write when you write, and you rest when you rest. Do not check Reddit in the middle of a writing session. You think it would take just a few seconds to see the new posts on a thread you’re interested in, but the website will lure you into clicking links and checking out other threads. The same goes for social media websites: stay away from them and focus on your work.

I find the Pomodoro technique really useful. I write for 25 minutes, then I take a short break of 5 minutes. I have a real problem with online distractions, so this method keeps me going because 25 minutes is not much, and I always know that I’ll have enough time to check Twitter during the 5-minute break.

Ideas + Facts + Outline + Focus = Productive Writing

You would really love to write only when you feel like it. However, when writing is your job, you have to find ways to increase your productivity on a daily basis. The tips I presented above won’t take the beauty out of writing. They will just help you boost your potential and produce more content without getting exhausted.

Antonio is a hopeless optimist who enjoys basking in the world’s brightest colors. He loves biking to distant places and occasionally he gets lost. When not doing that he’s writing and teaching ESL. He will be happy to meet you on Facebook and Twitter.