Tips for Writing Faster

I have exactly the same problem. Great question to bring up and I too will be watching for answers. Thanks for asking.

Bob Bly has some good info on this.

I wrote a software program to tackle this very problem. Other problems I solved with it include writing multiple articles about things that I couldn't care less about (dog anus products, vertical blinds, etc. etc.) and remembering all those damn AP Style rules!

Have a template system that works and you like and use it every time....Gets a bit boring but hey hoe, who said making money was a barrel of laughs all the time?

Practice, practice, practice. That's the only real way you'll ever get faster.
I have been a writer for over 5 years (not a copywriter) and I am now generally faster than I used to be but I have written a LOT of material in that time.

A useful tip I use on first draft is to turn the font colour white. That way you can type without reading leaving all the formatting and redrafting until later.

You can follow these tricks for writing faster
Write in blocks.

Writing is all about achieving flow. It can be difficult to shift back and forth between writing and other tasks.
Embrace the bullet.

You can be inspired to write at just about any time. Often it happens when you are not focused on writing -- like in bed, in the shower, in the car, etc. As topics occur to you for blogs, chapters and messages for a book or takeaways for a client report, keep them logged on paper

Write with your mouth.

There are some people who are great speakers and verbal story tellers, but have difficulty translating their points into written form. If you prefer to talk, then do just that. Get a dictation software (there is a free one that comes with most Windows-based computers or you can look into something like Dragon Naturally Speaking or other Dragon dictation software). Or, have someone interview you and record it, and have the results transcribed.

Focus on function instead of form.

When you start to write, just write. Put down on the paper anything and everything that you can think of to support your message. Then, go back and move sentences around, restate them and do additional editing. If you focus too much on the form of the piece, such as what should come first, how you should order the information, etc., you may never get to the content. Focus on the content first

Here are some pieces of advice that we give to our writers:

- Don't waste too much time on the research. There is this tendency to waste too much time researching the subject. You can find 10 - 20 websites, but only 3 or 4 of them are actually good and of any help. Moreover, most of the information you'll find on those websites will not even be reflected in your article. There is a saying that goes like this: "Do as much research as it's necessary for you to finish your project". I know it sounds simple, but this is the truth. For example, if you must write an article about Freddie Mercury's career, don't waste too much time researching about his childhood. It's not helpful for the article and it's a waste of time.

- Make sure the 3- 4 sites you're studying are credible, valuable and successful in their area of interest. Also, don't rely on Wikipedia. It is a good source, but it's never good alone.

- Only use those pieces of information that can be of any help for your article / e-book. Disregard the rest and don't bother reading them.

- The more websites you research, the more tempted you'll be to copy their information, style and tone. Moreover, there are numerous sites that. basically, have the same information on them. So, they're not at all helpful.

- Once you've found your reliable sources, you must try to write everything at once in one draft, without stopping. Once this first draft is ready, you can read it and fill the gaps and add any other necessary information. Stop printing what you write. Try to make all the necessary changes on the PC. This will save you a lot of time. Sometimes, when the resources are good and valuable, you won't even have to add anything. The first draft will also be your final article.

- Another important piece of advice for you is to stop with the self-criticism. Rewriting the same phrase 5 times in a row is not helpful. It makes you waste a lot of time. Just try to trust yourself and your writing. I'm sure that the first versions of your article are pretty good as well, but you're too self-critical. Just try to send an article after you've rewritten it only once and see what you're clients are saying. I'm sure they'll also like it.

- Experience comes with time. So, as you write more and more, you'll see that you'll start writing faster. You'll also get to that point in which your draft will be your final version of the article.

For example, now I can write approx 500 words in 1 hour, but I've been in the copywriting business for 4 years.

I hope this helps.

Typing Pandas.

if you just learn about the pen handling tricks it will be easy for you .don't hold your pen tightly and select your pen according to your requirement

*pore over it*

"Pour over" is what you do with milk or salad dressing.

I hate so say this, because this requires work, BUT....

you need to just write. And write. And write.

The whole point of studying the masterpieces, hand writing them, and thinking about them is that eventually you subconsciously know what you are doing.

Therefore, you write faster and faster because you have this "other brain" working as well.

Just write. And then some more.

Adam

p.s. A writing coach or mentor will also speed up the process

A little different, but I take somewhere between 30 and 50 hours to write a sales letter, from research to finished (well, finished until we test it and start tweaking).

Like others have said already, quality trumps quantity.

That being said, I find outlining and hourly breaks help keep me moving forward at a healthy pace.