5 Tips to S.U.R.G.E Your Writing Productivity
Some people are writing machines. They get a thought, jot it down, post it to their blog, and advance to something else. For the rest of the planet, writing is an uphill battle with a 10 kg bag of self-doubt on the shoulder.
But it need not be. You can write faster by following a 5-step formula to increase your writing speed.
I call this formula S.U.R.G.E. Writing.
Before I describe this formula, let me admit that I write tons of pieces, including fiction and non-fiction. I serve dozens of clients, maintain two of my very own blogs, write for a movie review site and write articles for half a dozen other blogs. It seems I can never write fast enough.
I’m not slow. But I can’t whip out a copy and walk off. One problem I even have is editing while I write. It slows down the process. In fact, I tweaked this paragraph you’re reading 6 times before moving on.
By studying my very own destructive habits and with the recommendation of others, I came up with the S.U.R.G.E. Writing formula to write faster and be more productive. When I started following it, the first thing I noticed that I was writing twice as much as before.
From writing one article a week, I had achieved the objective of one article a day.
If you are wondering what is that secret formula, here are the 5 steps to get a SURGE in your writing.
S: Select a subject
Not having anything to write can cause writer’s block. But having an excessive amount of ideas can be a problem, too.
If you are trying to jam in every thought, you’ll find yourself all over the place. This slows you down because you must find out the way to make all the additional stuff sound relevant. Then, because you recognize it’s not relevant, you’ll just spend more time deleting it.
Narrow your topic to at least one idea. ONE idea only.
By sticking to at least one and just one idea, you’ll force yourself to remain on-point, which can shorten your writing time and provide your readers a coherent and concise piece of information.
U: Use a structure
Many of us think that writing should not be bound by any rules. I somewhat agree with it. There are some advantages of writing on a whim, but every piece of writing requires at least some kind of structure.
It might be a brief narrative, a Q&A, a series of bullet points, a numbered list, etc.
It need not be a proper outline, just like the type you learned in class. Just take all of your facts or ideas and arrange them within the order you would like them to see in your finished piece, using your chosen structure as a guide.
For this text, I used a simple to recollect acronym, SURGE, to offer me five points. Once I finish the draft, I divided the entire content among these five points.
A set structure also helps you in not falling the infinite trap of linear writing. You don’t need to start at the start and write line-by-line to the top. With a structure, you’ll write in pieces, in any order you wish. For this text, I’m writing the five points first, and I’ll write the introduction last.
R: Rewrite your facts
When you end up staring helplessly at your screen, it’s nearly always because you don’t have facts at hand. Gathering information before you begin will usually get your writing done quickly.
But rewriting the facts in your own words will make you even more efficient.
Before you write one word, jot a couple of notes. If you don’t have the facts in your head or if you would like additional information, research. It can be as simple as opening a book, scanning a magazine, or Googling a couple of key terms. Don’t “compose” while taking notes. Just get the facts and rewrite it in your own words.
Starting a thought file may be a huge time-saver. I keep a simple document on my computer to jot ideas.
G: Glide to the finish
This is the biggie. You can’t agonize over every word or sit and stare at your display screen . Put your fingers on the keyboard and GO.
It may not be perfect. Just get the words down.
It might surprise you, the proportion you’ll get done. This means you can’t read and reread what you’re writing while you write.
I’ll admit, this is often tough on behalf of me. Once I get stumped, I often return and skim what I’ve written to make momentum, which will carry me forward.
It works sometimes. But it’s a nasty idea for a primary draft. you’ll read what you’ve written after you’ve written it all the way through.
It also means you shouldn’t edit while you write. Writing and editing should be separate tasks. Drop off the editor hat and just wade through until you’re finished. Later, you’ll edit and revise.
E: Eliminate distractions
This is harder than it sounds. There are numerous distractions around that I often take multitasking to the acute and it slows down writing exponentially.
Like any other task you would like to finish quickly, writing requires undivided attention. Hide the remote, put mobile on ‘Silent’ mode (Airplane mode is even better), close your email program, get off your social networks, and just write.
If you follow this formula, you’ll quickly find yourself with a written post. You’ll want to edit directly, but don’t. Just walk off. Once you feel completely satisfied that you have written everything required, save your document and do something else.
Later, edit it with a fresh eye. Purpose makes us a far better editor. You’ll catch the mistakes. You’ll spot the extraneous details. You’ll cut the fat.
Best of Luck!
