08

Feb

5 ways to Write Faster

Italiano: Autore: Francesco Cirillo rilasciata...

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re like most business writers, you enjoy writing. You probably don’t enjoy feeling rushed or under pressure to finish a project. The thought that you missed the opportunity to create a stellar project, just because you needed a few more hours to work on it, can be disheartening.

Writing faster at work is a huge advantage. Some people naturally write faster than others, but we can all take a few steps to improve.  Here are a few strategies for writing faster:

  1.  Create an outline: You may think that you don’t have the time to create an outline, but that’s often a big mistake. Take 5-10 minutes to outline each of the project’s sections and information. In the long run, this saves lots of time because you know exactly what you’re writing and what you’re leading up to.
  2. Cut down on the distractions: It’s almost impossible to write quickly while multi-tasking. Take the time to clear your desk of clutter, send a message to your colleagues that you want to focus on a project, close your browser and email notifications. This helps you concentrate and really dig into the task at hand.
  3. Set a timer for writing: Carve out a few blocks of time to focus solely on writing. Don’t spend any time editing or reviewing your work – just write until your time’s up. I like using the pomodoro technique of working for 25 minutes straight on one task, then taking a 5-minute break.
  4. Don’t rack your brain: When you get stuck, don’t spend time searching for the perfect word or sentence. Instead, note what is missing and come back to it later. For instance, add [insert transition sentence] or [insert title]. Write until the timer goes off, then return and fill in the blanks now that your brain is clearer. Not only does this method usually take less time, it also prevents writer’s block.
  5. Take a break before editing: The slowest way to write is to stare at the screen without direction or ideas for improvements. If you find yourself loosing momentum, take a short break. Once you’ve finished the project, take a longer break – ideally one full day – and edit it with fresh eyes.

How about you? Do you have any strategies for writing faster?

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109 days ago Short URL Comments

Writing

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20

Jan

Workbook for Organizing Writing Projects

Extensive business writing projects require careful planning and organization. When you take the time to plan, you’ll save time writing and produce a better final product. However, organizing them can be very challenging if you don’t know where to start. I spend lots of time and effort creating detailed plans for presentations, manuals and other larger communications — and have found a system that works well for me.

Fill out the form below to receive a free copy of my Workbook for Organizing Writing Projects!

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128 days ago Short URL Comments

Business Writing/Writing

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28

Nov

The rules are simple. Take the work, but never yourself, seriously. Pour in the love and whatever skill you have, and it will come out.
-Chuck Jones

Becoming a productive business writer is a difficult feat. Writing can be tedious, time-consuming and challenging, and writers often work on multiple projects at once. Many business writers struggle with finding the balance between productivity and quality. More often than not, one dominates to the detriment of the other.

I’m always looking for something to improve this balancing act with my many writing projects, organize my projects and day. In pursuing the “perfect” tool, I’ve tried dozens of productivity charts, calendars, apps and to-do lists. Along the way, I’ve developed my own worksheet that may prove useful for you in your business writing and other tasks.

Download free tool: Productivity Handout

You can customize this Word document to fit your specific business writing and productivity needs. I like to print out one handout every morning and fill out each section to plan my day. When I have an idea about a project at any time throughout the day, I jot it down in the bubble at the top left. I hope you find this handout as helpful as I do!

181 days ago Short URL 2 Comments

Business Writing/Writing

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17

Nov

How to make PowerPoint Better

Microsoft PowerPoint

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PowerPoint is a much-hated and much-used tool. Business writers rely heavily on PowerPoint for presentations, training materials, recruiting, reports and more.

You can blame the program; it’s all too easy to produce cluttered and dated- looking slides, it’s cumbersome and time-consuming. But blaming the program and it’s limitations will only get you so far. Right now, business writers need to make the best of this tool to produce clear, powerful and persuasive slides.

Writing for PowerPoint is much different than any other type of writing. Instead of complete sentences, you write in bullet points and brief statements. Instead of using writing to educate and persuade, you rely on a balance of written words, images and your speaking.

How can you make your next PowerPoint presentation better?

1. Don’t underestimate the amount of time required to research, outline, write and prepare your presentation. It takes time to create a successful presentation, sometimes up to thirty hours to create a thirty minute presentation. Make sure you give yourself enough time.

2. Watch verb agreement. When writing in bullet points or short fragments, it’s easy to forget about verb tenses. Use active verbs as often as possible and make sure all the tenses agree. For example:

XYZ Division needs to:

  • Keeping costs down
  • Eliminate overproduction  (These verbs don’t agree.)

3. Edit extensively. Delete any text that isn’t absolutely necessary. Keep slides clean and streamlined by including only one or two central points. Many people prefer including extensive details in the “speaker’s notes” section with explanations, sources and prompts for discussion.

4. Create a word limit for each slide – and stick to it. Your word limit will depend on the topic, number of slides and amount of detail.

5. Keep the entire presentation consistent. Streamline the presentation by using the same font and color scheme throughout. Use a consistent tone to unite all slides into one cohesive presentation or narrative.

Do you struggle with PowerPoint? Do you have any tricks for writing PowerPoint presentations? How do you make yours appealing and engaging?

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192 days ago Short URL 2 Comments

Business Writing/Writing

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02

Nov

Organizing Large Writing Projects like J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling's Organization

With large writing projects where there’s lots of information, organizing the details and dividing the topics can be more challenging than the actual writing. Whether you are crafting a report, white paper, manual or novel, you need to map out the information that you’ll include.

If the information is difficult to juggle, how can you begin organizing? What’s the best way to start?

When faced with a project that has multiple categories, sub-categories, themes and topics, all of which need to be distilled and grouped intuitively, there are several methods to first tackle organization.

I’m impressed by J.K. Rowling’s method for organizing chapters. This simple, hand-drawn chart breaks down chapters from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The chapter’s month, title, central plot and sub-plots are all mapped out with this simple grid. This seems like a great way to organize information; it’s highly structured, easy to read and allows for layers of detail. J.K. Rowling must have used additional methods for organizing each specific chapter or plot line, but this grid is a great way to start.

For business writers, this method can be used to outline each topic of a report or letter, chapters of a manual or sections of a power point presentation or speech. This method could easily be transferred to an excel spreadsheet after being written out by hand. This way, you can collaborate with others, share your outline and make quick updates easily.

What’s your first step for organizing a large writing project? Have you ever used a method similar to J.K. Rowling’s? Do you have another method for mapping out detailed information?

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207 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

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24

Oct

Mono-tasking

multitasking_efficiency

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Focusing on a specific project is crucial to succeeding, whether it’s writing an email, report or strategic planning. Multitasking tempts us every day and threatens to take away this focus. Often, there’s so much to do that it seems impossible to get all of the tasks done one at a time. Yet, working this way often causes errors or just sloppy work, especially with writing. Worse, it leads to inefficiency and procrastination.

Thankfully, there’s a voice in my head that reminds me to just focus and complete the one project.

Mono-tasking isn’t easy – you have to deliberately focus on one thing and tune everything else out. With some diligence, this becomes easier and easier. Here are a few ways to improve focus:

  1. Set a timer for 50 minutes and focus only on one task throughout this time. Once the timer goes off, take a 10 minute break, then spend 5 minutes evaluating what you’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done. This technique is explained in detail in The Wealthy Freelancer.
  2. When working on computer, open only the documents and the pages you need to complete a specific project.
  3. Block time every day to answer emails. If you receive lots of messages in the morning, set aside 50 minutes to respond in the morning. This will improve your efficiency on other projects, and the thoughtfulness of your responses. When working on other projects, remember that your email will still be there when you’re done.
  4. When you feel rattled by the amount of tasks and projects that you need to accomplish, take some time to plan them out. Make sure you’re spending your time wisely and working on high-priority projects.

When we make the effort to focus on one task at a time, we write better, produce better products, serve clients better and solve problems faster. With fewer distractions, we accomplish more.

How about you? How do you tune out the endless stream of information, emails and other distractions? How do you keep yourself from multitasking? What are your tips for mono-tasking?

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215 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Business Writing/Writing

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04

Oct

Organizing your (Blog & Newsletter) Ideas

Evernote Screenshot

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How do you come up with new ideas for your business’ blogs, newsletters, e-zines, intranet site or magazine articles?

If you’re like me, ideas sometimes pop into your head. Other times, reading an interesting article may provoke some ideas or topics that you want to write about. Then these ideas turn into articles, generating more and more ideas.

But how to remember all of them? How can you store all these ideas to write better and faster?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to organize ideas and concepts for my website, blog, e-zine:

1. Create a large mind map of what you want to write about. Organize around one central theme that your articles will discuss in detail. If your blog or e-zine focuses on improving the Work-Life balance, for example, you can break this topic down into sub-themes (exercise, stress relief, nutrition, prioritization, etc.), and then into article ideas. Mind maps are fun to create and great for focusing on the big picture.

2. A word document. A classic organization tool for a reason, word allows you to organize notes easily and keep tabs on the topics you’ve already written on. Write down larger concepts, then break them down into smaller ideas. Capture your title ideas and include a few key points that the article will discuss. I like to have one document dedicated entirely to ideas, but some people prefer having a folder filled with multiple documents.

3. Write on index cards. If you have great ideas while running errands or waiting for a meeting to start, try a portable method. I like writing on index cards (and filling out as many ideas as I can) and transferring them to my main idea folder when I’m back at my computer.

4. Use Evernote to save thought-provoking articles and sites. If articles, websites, blogs or online discussions inspire you, Evernote can help you store those great articles that you’d like to write about.

How about you? What’s your favorite method for organizing your ideas? How do you prevent that terrible feeling that you have no ideas?

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235 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Business Writing/Writing

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27

Sep

Improve your Emails: Why it’s Worth It

How do you make sure you write productive and efficient emails? Have you struggled with receiving poor emails in the past? How have you coped?

Check out my thoughts on improving your emails over at Fuel Your Writing.

243 days ago Short URL Comments

Business Writing/Writing

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01

Sep

Writing Supplies

A small pad of Post-It notes.

Image via Wikipedia

When “back to school” time rolls around, I find myself feeling jealous of young kids – their shiny new notebooks, bright colored pencils and pens. Growing up, I always loved summer (and still do!), but also remember loving the renewed sense of focus and optimism that the each new school year brings and, of course, new school supplies.

Writing – like any other job, including school – requires many supplies. Some are basic, and others are the writer’s favorite tools for focusing and being productive. Here’s my list of supplies I use for writing and editing:

  • Legal pads for writing notes, lists, thoughts and outlines.
  • Binder for organizing projects, research and notes.
  • Dropbox to store, backup, organize and share documents.
  • Mindmeister for brain-storming and creating mind-maps.
  • Words That Sell and The Corporate Storyteller
  • Headphones to help me concentrate and write anywhere.
  • Post-It Notes, of course!

What supplies to you find helpful for your writing? Do you ever treat yourself to new office supplies, just because? What supplies are essential you to do your job well?

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268 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Writing

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26

Aug

5 bad habits that destroy productivity

Mind-map-manager

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It’s a myth that only highly intelligent geniuses are successful writers.

Writing – like any other craft – requires dedication, persistence and a dash of luck. Anyone can do it – whether it’s writing copy for an ad or your most recent business report – by leveraging their skills and creativity.

So why is it so difficult to be productive?

Many writers struggle with bad habits that cripple productivity and the success of the final product. The good news is that these habits can be broken with only a little bit of work.

Here’s 5 bad habits that could be hurting your writing:

1. Fearing that you’ll fail: Lots of writers let the fear of “getting it wrong” keep them from ever writing the first word. You’re going to make mistakes, but you’ll learn from these mistakes and be one step closer to success (easier said than done, but true). When you let fear keep you from writing, you’ll never improve.

Gain confidence by writing a list of why you are knowledgeable and capable of writing about the specific subject. You don’t have to be the top expert to make a valuable contribution, so don’t let this fear keep you from starting your writing.

2. Poor organization: Many writing projects have lots of information and research that must be distilled and packaged in a useful way. Before starting any writing project, make sure you understand the project’s goals and concepts, because poor organization crushes productivity quickly.

Condense the research, take notes or create a mind-map of the information. Staying organized is challenging, so try different strategies and techniques to find what works best for you.

3. Working on one project for too long: Focusing on one thing at a time boosts productivity. If you are struggling to gain traction on a project, however, switch to another project. This prevents writer’s block and keeps you from loosing motivation. Plus, while your attentions are focused elsewhere, your mind will work through problems subconsciously. You’ll return to the project renewed and more productive than before!

4. Judging your work too quickly: Many writers critique and edit their work while they are writing, making the process much longer in the end. Spend time just writing. Simply hit the keys. Don’t edit. Don’t analyze. Don’t judge.

I struggle to break this bad habit, but find that when I focus solely on writing, the final product is more cohesive and creative!

5. Not taking the time to find your voice: Knowing and understanding your voice as a writer is vital. In creative writing, this makes your writing strong and unique. In business writing, it makes your writing authentic, inspiring trust and engagement.

Take the time to sketch out why a writing project is important to you, your connection to the goal and why you are the ideal writer. Next, determine the tone you’ll use – formal, conversational, peppy or humorous. With a clear style in mind and a dedication to the topic, your voice will shine.

Do you have any tips for breaking these bad habits? Are there any other bad habits that keep you from writing productively?

274 days ago Short URL 4 Comments

Writing

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