Without further ado, the ability to write quickly and qualitatively is useful for any author. When it is necessary to submit an article on time when the teacher gives various assignments when it is necessary to write ten motivation letters in a day and send them to employers, you can, of course, wait for inspiration, or you can sit down at the desk and make yourself write. Also, after 20 minutes, have already more or less tolerable text, which after editing and polishing can be sent to the addressee. Therefore, the goal is a finished text in 30 minutes (20 actually to write and ten more to finish it up).
First, a critical remark – most of all, the writing process is hindered not by external factors, but by ourselves. The internal censor forces us in the first sentence to look for errors, to try to find more suitable synonyms for words that have already spilled out onto the paper. This desire to do everything correctly from the very first attempt has not yet benefited any writer. As a result, in just a few minutes (or even hours) of torment, only one tortured line appears on paper. However, how to continue further – after all, this line is not perfect?! So it turns out that we drive ourselves into a writer`s block.
Do not! First of all, close the door in front of the internal editor – he will have his 10 minutes of fame when the time comes to polish already written text. Now our main task is to write everything that comes to mind without thinking about how useful or beautiful it is. Perhaps you will grin because more than once had to come across such advice and a reasonable question – how can I write something if nothing comes to my mind? However, it does not happen, again, because preparatory work has not been done. Before you sit down at the table and give out a portion of the text, you need to prepare.
Work with an idea. Write down on a sheet of paper everything that you know on this topic. You can do this out of order, by merely listing words and concepts that you can relate to this idea. You can make a list and rank it. I like to use a mind map (see picture). In the center of the sheet, I write down the main idea or question (what will be my article), and then in the form of a tree, I draw and sign the corresponding thoughts and ideas. Some of the plans continue to branch further, for example, if I can describe one concept in three different ways – I write them down. Alternatively, when for one thought, I have several supporting examples – I also write them down. Other ideas remain “naked” – perhaps I need to work on them, look for additional information and examples.
It is also useful to write down what you do not know about a topic. Use the universal formula of a journalist for self-testing: each good article should contain answers to 5 key questions. Who! What? When? Where? Why? Check if you know the answers to these questions? If not, mark those for the answer to which you have yet to delve into the information.
Use formulas and patterns. The idea with templates has been brewing for me for a long time. Be sure to devote to her another note. In the meantime, I want to assure you: journalists and writers do not reinvent the wheel every time they sit down to write. Each of them knows how to write according to at least three standard templates. Each has their favorite models (which is sometimes annoying, as readers are bored with seeing the same author writing in the same structure). However, the templates help to write quickly, very quickly. After all, when you have a clear picture in your head (or on paper) of what follows, where to introduce an example, and were to give an additional explanation, you must admit that the work will go much faster than sitting and suffering, calculating the best layout information for each separate article.
There are many typical article templates, and their discussion is worthy of a separate article. Now I will focus on the most suitable for quick writing.
1. The list. No wonder the lists are so popular online. They are quickly compiled; readers love them because they do not have to read mountains of text to find the underlying cause of. Therefore, the fastest text you can create is a list. The minimum set of structures for your list to turn into an article is a title and a list itself. If you have more time, then add 2-3 introductory sentences after the heading (What will your list be about? Why should readers read it? What prompted you to write it?). Well, if you have a time car at all, then write at the same time the ending (conclusions after the list).
2. The pyramid. The most famous template. Even at school, we are taught that the composition should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. This formula works everywhere. If you write a small note, then it may just be three paragraphs.
Introduction (1st paragraph) answer five key questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? At the end of the paragraph, try to catch the reader with a controversial statement or a provocative question (a question the answer to which is not apparent).
Body (second paragraph). Give the reader more details. How? Use examples, use quotes. For instance, if in the first paragraph, you described how Galileo was burned at stake, then in the body give explanations from the Inquisition and Galileo’s opinion on this matter. This is it, and the body is ready!
The end or conclusions (3rd paragraph). Never leave the reader confused – well, I found out about the fate of Galileo, and so what? Conclude (it will depend on the question that you asked in the introduction). For example, if the question was: “Is religion hindering science?”, Then after the case of Galileo, it would be logical to end that, yes, science and religion often disagree, but in the end, progress still takes its toll. Primitively? However, this structure is already the basis for an original article on the theory of religion or even for a novel of fiction. The main thing would be time.
3. For those who have more time, the structure of the essay is suitable. It is based on several pyramids (see figure). Therefore, the introduction and the ending remain unchanged. However, the body can be expanded. In fact, in such an article, each paragraph itself becomes a pyramid, with its introduction, body (three examples or three arguments) and ending and there should be at least three such parts in the essay.
At the time of this writing, set a timer. This lesson, in itself, stimulates quick writing. Besides, the timer helps to fight procrastination: if you decide that, you will write only 20 minutes, and then all, and then at least write something in these 20 minutes. When your writing lesson does not have specific limits, then time is wasted more easily and slowly. Do not plan to write an hour or two without a break. Start with 10 minutes. Optimal – 20 minutes of quick writing. Then take a break (if you do not forget). Typically, timer writing is fascinating.
By the way, here is another item on the list of preparatory work – get rid of distracting things whether it is Skype, a social network, or mail. A good option is to use these tools as a reward for continuous writing within 20 minutes. Twenty minutes we write – 5 minutes we check the mail. The speed of text production is several times faster than when all browser windows are hanging open, and the message icon in Skype is blinking.
Do not be distructed. The main thing is to write. If you do not know where to start, how to make an introduction (usually the most difficult), start from the middle or even from the end. Write just chunks of text. Also, do not be distracted by what has flown out of your head at the moment or what you do not know. For example, if in the instance with Galileo you do not remember when all this disaster occurred, write, “Galileo was burned at stake in the year XXX, although the author of the book XXX claims that there was no burning at all.” It is clear that at the place of XXX, you later substitute the necessary information. If you immediately rush to search for the year of execution, then you risk getting distracted from the actual writing of the text and getting involved in the continuation of the preparatory work.
Well, that is all. The text is typed. Then goes editing. Re-read and clean the text, number the items on the list, and highlight something in bold. Also, draw a couple of graphs and attach them to the text.
About the author
Melisa Marzett is a freelance writer who is currently writing articles for essay-editor.net/. She is a traveler, who enjoys trying new things, new food, seeing other people, and exchange of experience.
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