Strategies To Write Quickly

[doovde]

Does anyone have any strategies they use to write quickly?

I found this when googling today and thought it looked really cool How To Write An Article In Under 10 Minutes

I am going to give it a try tomorrow and see if I can increase my productivity, I don't think I'll be able to do one every 10 minutes though. Usually I write 4 articles per day 500 words or more and tomorrow using this I'm going to aim to write 9. I might well not actually write 9 but if I could get up to 6 then I'd have made a serious increase in my productivity.

There are some key elements of the linked article which I really like.

Lots of white space, short paragraphs and snappy to the point sentences, makes the article better for the reader.

Breaking the article down into 3 main sections, again makes the article easy to scan but also makes it much easier to write becasue these can be pre planned.

A virtually automatic introduction and conclusion which imo might well help write an article that converts.

Intro = Tell them what you are going to tell them.
Body = Tell them what you told them you are going to tell them.
Conclusion = Tell them again breifly what you've told them.

Thoughts on this or any other strategies you've seen like this?

[wjb316]

I write very quickly by using lists, bullet points and lots of sub headings. I write the headings first then a couple paragraphs under each. Intro and closing added...sometime i write in order, other times i add the intro last. Boom done!

[Turtleknife]

I think poker articles require quite a bit more work than 10 minutes or a few bullet points. Because of the language and technical terms involved, going milky soft (10 minute articles) over topics are just going to be a wasted effort IMHO.

I would have to say mine usually take an hour, because I tend to tackle a specific subject and sometimes that requires either research, or sometimes confirmation too. Specific subjects are rooted in keywords but you can find them while playing yourself, watching the poker chats, going through poker forums, and ripping thoughts from poker books.

If it is being talked/blogged/written about, it's probably something you can write an article on, but that takes some time to make your content original and compelling.

I also think your article introduction should present a problem-issue that is very representative of what is being discussed about poker and then divide the remaining part of your article into 3 subsections of that issue. A good way to get traffic to an article in this process is to use (or debunk) a common perception or theory of a pro player. For instance like a title I used a couple years ago:

How Sit and Go Tournaments are NOT Good Training for MTT Final Tables - Sorry Howard Lederer

I guess, the point I am making is to produce quality first and don't worry about how long it takes you, because that article could be pulling in traffic for you for YEARS to come. If you do that consistently, you really won't care how long it takes because it is far more important to be claiming some valuable internet real estate with a long term objective.

[Planet Mark]

Have been using variations of the 3Ts method from the start... always a useful core structure. Not sure whether structure and speed are always directly related, though I see how it could help.

My personal tip is so basic that many overlook it... stop stopping! It is so easy when you are writing to get to a tricky bit, hesitate, and then go get a drink / check mails / stats or whatever... I make myself finish the article before moving on (even if it will require adjusting / proof-reading later)... this avoids turning a 40 minute write into a hour into an hour and a half...

Another one would be to avoid hiding behind the productivity / quality excuse... go on, how many of you have written a few excellent articles early in your working day, slapped yourself on the back and then used the 'well if I write any more the quality will go down' excuse to fire up the poker tables??!? Nonsense... if your mind is clear keep going, this will make up for the days when you genuinely do not have the time.


Mark

[doovde]

Turtleknife I take on board what you are saying but it really depends on your target audience and what you want to achieve from your article. Your article about SNG's was great I'm sure but not all subjects are as diverse as Poker.

Take bingo and casino games. There is little or no real winning strategy but if you can make a few suggestions that make sense and will help players reduce the house edge a little then you've written a useful article. These article work even better if you suggest a particular casino because thy have less house edge on a game anyway.

[Turtleknife]

Turtleknife I take on board what you are saying but it really depends on your target audience and what you want to achieve from your article.

Take bingo and casino games. There is little or no real winning strategy but if you can make a few suggestions that make sense and will help players reduce the house edge a little then you've written a useful article..

Cool. Agreed.

[wjb316]

I agree completely with everything said so far.

Also - get up early, take a shower and attack your most difficult/boring articles first thing in the morning. It always goes faster when you're up early and refreshed.

I also like to hit the gym first thing in the morning. There's nothing better for productivity than getting into a great routine of waking up early (550AM for me), hitting gym, eating well and getting lots of work done. I guess this getting a little more into general productivity but it also helps me stay motivated and get those articles done quickly.

[MPC]

I've written a lot of content. I can sit down, right about pretty much anything I know without making a plan on paper. The same goes for oral presentations, because they are really similar when you think of it.

Some tips I can provide:

Know what primary message you want to convey. How can you express that message? Think of ways to break down the information in a manner that is logical. Keep the sequence logic. Basically, each paragraph must have a purpose, it's own message. If it's not saying anything, then it's pointless. This is essientially the same process as doing a quick plan on paper, except I do it in my head.

If you start it, finish it. Don't do bits and pieces. Just STFU and get it done now. Don't do anything else.

Procrastination is the enemy. No body cares if you use "exciting" vs "thrilling".

Write the whole thing from start to finish, then reread and tweak. Sometimes I find that I just need to reorder some paragraphs. Sometimes I reread and notice that a particular paragraph isn't saying much. So I edit it, or just drop it. Tweaks are usually minor, but often required.

Again, just STFU and get it done now. Stop reading this thread. You know what you need to do, so go and do it you panzy.

[CorryC]

Again, just STFU and get it done now. Stop reading this thread. You know what you need to do, so go and do it you panzy.

Lol...

Well said

[Turtleknife]

Lately I have been using mindmeister.com mind map service to lay out my thought process for an article or video. I think it helps speed things up, keeps me on track, and improves the final quality.