Okay, it’s late, but I wanted to see if I could write a blog post in under 15 minutes. I have been pretty close in the past, but I’ve never really tried to time myself. Anyway, if you are new to writing or blogging, there are a couple of tips that will help you write faster and with fewer interruptions. This, of course, is key if you want to write a blog and still have a life. So, here are my tips for writing a blog post in 15 minutes.
Photo by KevinZim
Don’t Worry About Grammar and Spell Check
Just write! Write as though you are speaking. You don’t make a correction every time you are speaking to someone do you? Well, maybe you do, but stop correcting yourself when you are typing! Let your mind flow like water and get everything out that you want to say and let the automatic spell check fix your mistakes. If you are really concerned, and you have WordPress, you can always install After the Deadline.
Learn to Touch Type
Seriously, you can’t write a full blog post in under 15 minutes if you are still using 2 fingers to type on the keyboard. I made it through high school and college doing that, but time seems to get shorter and shorter and 2 fingers just doesn’t cut it. If you don’t know how to touch type yet, you can check out Keybr.com, a cool touch typing tutor online. It beats paying for Mavis Beacon software.
Don’t Worry about links or formatting
I used to spend an hour trying to hunt down pictures and links. Don’t worry about them! They can always be added later. All you will do if you worry about those things is ruin your train of thought. Sometimes you’ll end up not even using them after you’ve reviewed your first draft.
Your First Draft is Crap
That’s right! No matter what you do, your first draft will be crap. It sucks, it’s the worst thing ever, and it should be shot on sight. Don’t worry about it! Unless you have the writing ability of C.S. Lewis, you won’t be able to write near-perfectly on the first go around. Just write down your thoughts and know that they are nothing but a raw piece of what you want to present.
Conclusion
I have less than 3 minutes left on the clock, and I can assure you that my first draft of this post was garbage. But hey, I finished it, and all I have to do now is proofread it, add some cute images, and links to some relevant content. Don’t try and be perfect and you can write some great posts in a short amount of time!
Note outside of the 15 minute window: If you want proof that I wrote this piece in under 15 minutes, here is a pic of my iPhone stopwatch app. See, it can be done. Now stop calling me a liar!
blog writing, blogging, speed writing, touch typing, typing tutor, Writing, writing fast
Mark Alves
October 2, 2009 at 12:43 pmYour first draft of this post would be interesting to see here — which of the main points made it in, what kind of editing was required, etc.
Dean Soto
October 2, 2009 at 4:40 pmGreat suggestion. The majority of the draft actually made it in. Most of the corrections and modifications were spelling and grammar. I checked the post revisions to see if the first draft was still there, but it wasn't. I would imagine that longer posts would warrant the removal of concepts and various points. I'll need to save some of my first drafts in the future.