As I promised in the previous article, today we continue the list of things we can do to shorten the time needed to write an article, without diminishing its quality or length.

Besides improving typing speed, creating lists, and prior research, we need many other tricks to gain a few extra hours per week, which we can dedicate entirely to writing.

7. Take breaks (wisely!)

Some specialists, or rather well-known article authors and bloggers, suggest that these breaks should be taken at fixed intervals, meaning after 25 or 30 minutes of writing you should take a 5-10 minute break, then return to your text. To time this precisely, they even suggest using an alert system, like a phone alarm or a kitchen timer. Personally, I don't find this solution very inspired, because it might be that when the alarm sounds, I am in the middle of an idea and the sharp sound will interrupt my train of thought. Nevertheless, this method might work for some of you, so I mentioned it here.

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My version of breaks is the following: breaks should be taken when you finish an important paragraph, when you move from one subject to another, or, for example, in this article, when I move from point 7 to point 8. Since it involves finishing one idea and starting a new one, our thinking and concentration will not suffer but will actually be stimulated. These breaks are not, of course, mandatory, but it is good to take breaks while writing. Some need more breaks (depending also on experience, the subject tackled, its complexity, as well as subjective factors like fatigue or mood), others fewer.

Breaks can be used to get up from the desk (very important!), to take a few steps and relax a little. However, if we take a break to answer emails and write another document, then it is no longer a break but an interruption!

8. Set yourself a deadline

The tendency to always postpone what we can do today is general and represents a great temptation, especially when we actually have some time. However, procrastination is very harmful for several reasons. First, the longer you delay, the more stressed you become because of it, and you won't manage to write your best article. Also, if you leave it to the last minute, you might not be able to do it at all due to various reasons, such as an unexpected event, health problems, a prolonged or unannounced meeting, etc.

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Setting a deadline is thus both beneficial and healthy. If we set a deadline and are strict, we will manage to meet it. The example of students is telling: although they have the entire semester to study, they postpone until the last days when – most of the time – they manage to catch up on the material. In other words, if we are pressured by a deadline, we manage to complete our task. And if not, the result is, as with students, an unhappy one.

The deadline should be set within reasonable parameters, approximately the minimum estimated time to finish it. A too tight deadline will not be met, but a too relaxed one will lead to postponement and overshooting.

9. Use your most productive period

We are different, so not all of us think alike, react alike, or manage time alike. Some are early risers, others prefer to sleep later but work at night. German specialists in medicine have discovered that the brain is responsible for our preferences or productivity relative to the time of day. So, some are more productive and active during the night, others in the morning hours. Regardless of which category you fall into, it is important to respect this period and make the most of it. The so-called "night owls" (those who prefer late hours) will try in vain to write a quality article before noon if their biological clock is not yet set for it.

10. Use simple words

Don't waste time searching for complicated words to replace common ones. It is a mistake that makes no sense.

Beyond the temptation to use pompous words, neologisms, phrases, and scientific or specialized terms, if you are not writing a book dedicated to a limited audience but creating articles or any kind of web content, there is a hurried reader, a person who does not have time to read and understand the meaning of every specialized term in the text. That is why you must use ordinary, simple words, short sentences, short and uncomplicated phrases, to be easy and quick to read by anyone.

Conclusions

If you are not an experienced text writer with several years behind you, then applying at least one of these suggestions can considerably improve your writing speed. By applying them gradually and learning along the way, you will gain both experience and time to write more articles, longer and better documented.