One of the biggest challenges for successful professionals is not coming across as the smartest kid in the class. When asked to do a presentation, author a guest column or write a forward to a colleague’s book, it’s natural to feel you must do a brain dump of everything you know about a topic. But true thought leaders don’t force their audience to drink through a firehose. They know less is more and they choose their words wisely.
True thought leaders give their audience a
taste of their knowledge and expertise, without giving away the secret sauce. By
doing so, they establish their credibility and share just enough insight to
whet the reader’s appetite for a follow-up Zoom call, meeting or consultation
to get more information.
I know, more easily said than
done.
I hate writing. How do I get faster, more
efficient with the written word? Grammarly and other AI writing tools are a
start. So are the editing tools built into Office for Windows 10.0 and higher. They’ll
definitely help you minimize spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. You
can also experiment with talk-to-text apps. But those tools won’t help you retrain
your brain for clearer, more concise thinking.
8 steps for faster, more efficient writing
1. Create an outline. You wouldn’t build a house without blueprints,
would you? You wouldn’t invest a client’s money without having a plan in place
or knowing their risk tolerance, would you? So, why are you trying to write
without an outline? I’m not your high school English teacher. Forget the Roman
numerals. Here’s all you need in your outline:
a. 3 Takeaways you want readers/listeners
to get after spending time with your words?
b. Introduce the problem/challenge and why it’s so important today.
c. Explain how you’ll solve the problem/challenge and what the results
of that solution will be.
d. Summarize what you’ve just shared with the reader/listener and share
a real-world example if possible, to bring the concept to life. Remind them of
the Takeaways.
Consider drafting your outline and early
drafts in PowerPoint. It forces you to be brief, concise and bullet-point
oriented.
2. Get rid of distractions. Close your browser
windows, email programs, and chat apps. Unplug your computer or even your
router. Turn your phone to silent and place it out of view. Even if only for an
hour or two at a time, do whatever it takes to nurture a healthy writing habit.
3. Use “TK” placeholders. Even if you’ve filled your outline with well-researched points, writing
will take you places you never thought you’d go. If you stop your flow to look
up a fact or idea, you risk wasting time going down research rabbit holes.
Instead, use a placeholder like “TK” (which journalists call “to come”) and
replace it when you’re done writing.
4. Don’t Be a Perfectionist. Ernest
Hemingway once said: “write
drunk, edit sober.” You don’t need to be an alcoholic to produce content to adopt
Hemingway’s writing philosophy. Don’t be so tough on yourself. We continuously
correct what we’re about to say before we put the words on the page. This is what
Hemingway meant by writing drunk. During the drafting phase, just get your main
point down on the page. There’s plenty of time for spit and polishing later.
5. Find your best time to write. Improving your writing
speed and efficiency often comes down to knowing your own biology or
psychology. You may be an early riser who writes better and faster in the
morning. Maybe you’re a high nooner or you may be a night owl whose mind feels
most fluid in the wee hours. Experiment to find out the best time of day for
you to write and make “writing appointments” with yourself to shape your content
then.
6.
Walk away. Once you’ve finished your draft, walk away for
several hours or several days. Don’t even think about your content piece let
alone sneak in any tweaks. Only after walking away can you edit with a fresh set
of eyes and ears. What
seemed so brilliant in the morning is not ready for prime time when you come
back to it. Don’t worry. It’s all part of the process. Your first draft
is supposed to suck.
7. Read your work out loud. Better
yet, dictate it into your smartphone voice recorder and play it back. You may
not like what you sound like, but this technique will prevent from straying.
8. Learn from the best. Spend
a little time this summer re-reading your favorite authors. It doesn’t matter
if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Notice how they set the scene, draw you in, and
the cadence they use to convey their thoughts. Most have great editors to make
them look good, but somewhere along the line, they mastered the craft of
writing.
As
Nietzche liked to say: “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what
others say in a whole book.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Being your own critic is tough, but no one knows you
better than you. As with any exercise routine, consistency is the key to better
writing and you need to get comfortable being a little comfortable. That’s the
only way to get better, faster and more confident.
For more, see my
recent posts Stop Clearing Your Throat When You Write and
Keys to Writing Faster.
Don’t agree? Tell me why.
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