Last week I randomly asked on Twitter what the average time was for fellow bloggers to write a post. The answers I got were actually pretty similar - 1 to 2 hours, though quite a few mentioned it takes them forever. I definitely could relate to this as procrastination is a skill of mine and I know how distracting it can be working/blogging from home!
But thankfully over the years I have improved and can now write a blog post in under an hour. So I thought I'd share with you five tips of my own that have helped me to cut down writing time and basically get shit done!
Close tabs
Okay, this is a pretty obvious one but it's a must. It's just way too easy to keep open social media and email tabs that will constantly distract you. If you have no self-control then using a temporary website blocker tool is a must, this will block any websites you know you won't be able to resist visiting for a set amount of time. Closing tabs will definitely keep you more focused on the task in hand!
Write key points/sub-headers first
When I open up a new post the first thing I do is write all the sub-headers I want to include or even when I'm not using them I still write headers as a guideline/structure that I will delete after I've wrote the post. Take this blog post for example, I spent 2-3 minutes thinking of the 5 points I wanted to touch upon then typed them out. Instantly this gives structure to a my post as I have an intro, 5 key points and an end/summary. This without a doubt keeps me from rambling on and makes eager to get on to the next point/header.
Okay, this is a pretty obvious one but it's a must. It's just way too easy to keep open social media and email tabs that will constantly distract you. If you have no self-control then using a temporary website blocker tool is a must, this will block any websites you know you won't be able to resist visiting for a set amount of time. Closing tabs will definitely keep you more focused on the task in hand!
Write key points/sub-headers first
When I open up a new post the first thing I do is write all the sub-headers I want to include or even when I'm not using them I still write headers as a guideline/structure that I will delete after I've wrote the post. Take this blog post for example, I spent 2-3 minutes thinking of the 5 points I wanted to touch upon then typed them out. Instantly this gives structure to a my post as I have an intro, 5 key points and an end/summary. This without a doubt keeps me from rambling on and makes eager to get on to the next point/header.
Listen to music
So this isn't a common one but if you can getting into the habit of doing it it works wonders! I started listening to music (I have a specific Spotify playlist for it of upbeat songs) a few months ago after reading that it's been proven that people work faster, even when writing, when listening to music. Since then when I want to write a few blog posts within a day I pop in my earphones, crank up the volume and get cracking! I've found this to make me type faster, ignore my surroundings and it also stops me from pausing to think about what I'm writing. Currently listening to Changing by Sigma as I write this very post!
So this isn't a common one but if you can getting into the habit of doing it it works wonders! I started listening to music (I have a specific Spotify playlist for it of upbeat songs) a few months ago after reading that it's been proven that people work faster, even when writing, when listening to music. Since then when I want to write a few blog posts within a day I pop in my earphones, crank up the volume and get cracking! I've found this to make me type faster, ignore my surroundings and it also stops me from pausing to think about what I'm writing. Currently listening to Changing by Sigma as I write this very post!
Don't edit as you write
This is a vital one! Getting the words out and onto the screen is the main thing here, then editing and tweaking can come later when you read it back. Too often we get stuck on trying to think of a better word to use or way of writing a sentence and that can really slow you down. So forget about being perfect and write your heart out!
This is a vital one! Getting the words out and onto the screen is the main thing here, then editing and tweaking can come later when you read it back. Too often we get stuck on trying to think of a better word to use or way of writing a sentence and that can really slow you down. So forget about being perfect and write your heart out!
Set a timer
If you're one of those bloggers than can take hours writing a post and often leaves it in 'draft' unfinished then this would totally change the way you work. A little pressure hurt no one so set a realistic time goal on your phone and make sure to check it when you're half way through the post. If time is ticking away you know you need to hurry the F up and even if you go over the timer slightly you will complete it in a good time. I often do this at night when there's something on TV I want to watch.
If you're one of those bloggers than can take hours writing a post and often leaves it in 'draft' unfinished then this would totally change the way you work. A little pressure hurt no one so set a realistic time goal on your phone and make sure to check it when you're half way through the post. If time is ticking away you know you need to hurry the F up and even if you go over the timer slightly you will complete it in a good time. I often do this at night when there's something on TV I want to watch.
Suggestions from other bloggers
Corrie from Dizzy Brunette 3 - "I sometimes use a temporary website blocker (Cold Turkey) to stop me procrastinating on YouTube/Twitter!".
Jaime from Girl Loves Gloss - "I like to collect all my links first then keep them open in TextEdit so I can just copy and paste them in when needed".
Laura from Love & Liquor - "Take photos first, I find it so much quicker when I have clear images of the products in the post before I start typing!".
Jen from A Beauty Junkie in London - "Pause emails so that doesn't distract and take product photos in bulk so you have a backlog of ready to go images!".
Liza from Glam Beautys - "When you want to link back to lots of products find a website that stocks all/most of the products so you don't have to go onto a million different ones to find the products".
Nic from Strawberry Blonde Beauty - "Put your phone away/on silent while writing so that you don't keep getting distracted!".
Chelsea from Through Chelsea's Eyes -"Write bullet points on paper before sitting at my computer".
Annabel from Fragmented Splendour - "TV off, headphones on and a big glass of water (& maybe snacks) so you have no reason to get up & be distracted".
Hopefully this has give you more then enough tips and ideas on how to streamline your own writing!
If you have any tips you'd like to share that I haven't covered, feel free to in the comment section below. If it's a good one I will edit it into this post!
Hopefully this has give you more then enough tips and ideas on how to streamline your own writing!
If you have any tips you'd like to share that I haven't covered, feel free to in the comment section below. If it's a good one I will edit it into this post!
TOTAL WRITING TIME: 46:29
(yes, I timed myself!)
Fee xo.
(yes, I timed myself!)
Fee xo.
