Believe it or not, it only takes me 20 minutes to write a 400-500 word article. This article (which I wrote in 20 minutes) explains some of the tricks I use to accomplish this.
Blogging gives me a daily deadline, and I don’t really want to spend more than 20 minutes each day on blogging. Many of my blog entries are actually less than 500 words so take me less time.
Taking up blogging got me to start thinking seriously about writing quickly, and you may be facing a blogging time-crunch as well. So here are my 8 tips for writing an article in 20 minutes or less.
- I start with a list of ideas and concepts I want to cover. Usually I write this list in point form. For me, I do this the old fashioned way, with a pen and paper.
- I often “incubate” an article for a few days (this does not count in the 20 minutes). What I do is start roughing out some topic ideas then leave it. Because I have thought about it, ideas tend to come to me that I frequently add to my points. Of course I always carry a notebook for ideas.
- I often need to reduce the number of ideas that I cover. Sometimes they do not fit with the angle of the article or do not flow with the other ideas. Sometimes I have to give up a point to write a good article.
- Never save a good idea. When I know I have many article deadlines to meet, it is tempting to “save” a few good ideas for later. New ideas will always come so always give your best ideas.
- Develop tricks to get past writers block. One way I do this is ”warm up” writing. I just sit down and write for 5 minutes. This tends to help subsequent writing to flow. Another way I do this is to go for a walk, cycle or a run (although sometimes I think I might use this to procrastinate a bit too). Another trick I use is to make a game out of the deadline – say I will do it by X o’ clock. Perhaps I am simple but this motivates me.
- Come back to it later. My best articles are written partly, revisited a few times, then finished. I spend the same 20 minutes, though only 5-7 minutes per session. Of course if the ideas are flowing well, I do keep writing.
- I often write 3-4 articles at the same time. Spending 5 minutes on one, 7 on another etc. When I am really in writing flow, this works well.
- One trick is using bullet points or numbered points as in this article. People seem to like this technique and it helps articles flow for me.
So if I can write so quickly, why don’t I write a few articles each day? Apart from the fact that I have a very full time job, writing is the easy part; coming up with the ideas is the tough part.
Ideas anyone?
About the Author: Jim Estill is the CEO of Canadian computer product company SYNNEX and the author of the Time Leadership blog and book.
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This is superb. Simple & It hit me hard… Keeping life simple yet meeting deadlines are best ways to avoid procrastination.
Writing doesn’t usually take too much time, but the proofreading is what requires an immense amount of revision and fine-tuning. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I have a dedicated readership who are all too glad to correct grammatical and spelling mistakes in the comments
Thanks for the great tips. I need to work on the time I take to write a post.
Jim,
I do something very similar to this. I have written 770 articles since March of ‘07 by using these methods. Every morning I look at my notes from the evening before and turn them into articles. I also keep a notebook with me at all times and have one in my car as well. It can be done!
Connie Ragen Green
I agree whole heartedly that the writing comes quickly when the inspired ideas are there. I also have a full time job apart from my blog, and actually, I blog as a part of my paying gig that’s already writing-heavy, so it can be a challenge.
I think it’s important to interject cretivity into the process and also just be observant. Some of my best ideas are born out of metahpors within my own life or experiences. Mowing the lawn, watching a friend’s kid, things that don’t have anything to do with my topic, which is thrilling, really.
Articles written in a short amount of time are often better than well-researched ones because they come across more original and with more real language.
I do this all the time. It’s really not that hard to do. Good article and love that they are short and sweet.
Wow on the 770 articles.
Thanks for the comments.
My wife always wonders how I can go back and forth between topics. Writing about my kids, then gymnastics, then what is going on in my own head. I thought I was the only one who did this.
Thanks for the great post. I will have to try the game of “have it done by…” sometime this weekend.
writing several articles about a topic permits me to utilize the research and speeds the development of each article. Frequently one feeds others.
Getting started is always the most difficult part. Once I’m on a roll, I should write day and night. But, you know how that goes.
I am ADD…I keep a kitchen timer with me and set myself a goal to get a certain number of tasks done before the bell rings…usually for 20 minutes. I have the little wind-up ones and keep them in multiple places around the house.
I agree with the last point of advice…I have found that using bullet points really helps me to figure out what to say by making it easier to see what looks good and what doesn’t. Maybe it’s an organizational or structural thing- but it works wonders!
Hmmm….Very interesting
You see, I could give you ideas, but I need them for my blog!
Aside from anything else, point number 4 is excellent advice (it’s all good, I’m just focusing on that one). Don’t hold back your good stuff. Give it when it comes because there’s always more to come.
Blogger’s best friend: Clarefontaine notebooks. Unlike spiral pocket-size notebooks, you can carry these in a hip pocket for years and they won’t fall apart - and the texture is great. Marvelous tool. Best, they’re exactly the right size to slip 3×5 cards inside the cover.
Oops - that’s “Clairefontaine.”
You had perfect timing with this article. I was struggling with this very thing yesterday. I’ve been working in PR for many years, mostly writing the last few, and I can whip up a press release in 15 minutes if necessary. When it comes to writing for my blog, though, it’s taking me half a day. I have a bad habit of underestimating transitions. Blog writing is different from the more formal writing of PR/marketing materials and I’m trying to get used to writing in a more conversational tone.
Oh, this is probably really geeky, but I carry around a digital recorder so when I think of an idea I won’t forget it. It also allows me to start writing if I think of a great title or opening line and I can work through it out loud instead of struggling with a pen and paper.
The writing isn’t what takes up time for me, or coming up with ideas. Proofreading and editing are time consuming, looking up links (to my own posts or to other sites), and then finding the right image for my posts. But 20 minute definitely sounds like a timeframe to shoot for.
Thank you for the great tips! I’ve been blogging for almost a year, and I can see how this strategy will really help me write better quality articles faster.
Great tips. I can’t say I have ever tried writing several articles at once, but I have definitely done the incubator. It works great, especially when I feel I might not have enough ideas for the post. Just write a few, tuck it away and think about it subconsciously.
Very good article! I liked it because:
1 - It was clear
2 - It was concise
3 - It was relevant to my needs
In summary, I have used your techniques to become a better comment writer. Notice how thoughtful and informative my comment is.
About the author: John Pash is a veteran blogger with over one dozen posts on his website. In his spare time he likes to spread his unique brand of humo(u)r by commenting on other people’s blogs. John is not and will never be CEO of anything, unless you consider a blog to be a company. In that case, John is CEO, CFO, head of IT and the guy who makes the coffee in the morning.
Love the tips! I must agree with you about the ideas, not the writing…takes so long for me to write an article due to putting ideas together to write a brilliant piece!
Great information! I’m definitely adding this to my toolbox.
Kudos for the title.
20 minutes? That’s a really short amount of time and I am unsure I’ve ever pulled that off. Nevertheless, lots of good tips in this article.
I utilize many of them.
great tips, I use some of them too, I also carry the notebook to jot down ideas. I forget ideas from one end of the house to the other so I have to!
@ Shae, I also have a mini recorder, and yes I feel geeky sometimes. Especially in public - grocery store or the like, but I don’t care if I look geeky, I just chuckle and do it anyway. Usually embarrassing whoever is with me (the best part).
In my experience, articles written off the cuff (or in 20 mins) don’t get many natural links. The articles that I’ve written that were the most popular were also the ones that took the longest to write and rewrite.
I’ve never had a 20 min article get to the front page of Digg or the Top of del.icio.us. Not naturally, anyway
A really short time for a good article! Which means that the preparation matters a lot…
Thank you for this article, I just started writing my own blog and this is so incredibly helpful.
Good tips - it’s all too easy to spend way too long writing a post.
One writing tip that I’d add (though it may lead to violation of the 20 minute rule) is to let the post morph into something different if you find a more interesting angle. I’ve had some great posts grow out of topics that were originally quite different. To keep the time down, when I see that I need to redirect the post I’ll jot down the key points and, as Jim suggests, I’ll let the new concept incubate until the next day.
Roger
I end up composing many of my articles on the move — especially if I’m running or showering or the like. But I don’t think I can have two or three articles going at the same time and do five minutes on each. I like to think in terms of “writing blocks,” giving myself a solid, undisturbed block of time to crank something out from beginning to end. My projects are frequently so diverse that I have to take what I call a “think around the block” to switch from a pediatrician’s website to a technology company’s white paper.
Still, great tips. Thanks for being such a helpful resource for us all.
Picasso used to draw a taurus in five seconds charging a thousand dollars for the job. The Problem is, he worked 40 years to perform such a task
Writing an article in 20 minutes is no big deal, editing it in 20 minutes is another story altogether.
I find #6 particularly helpful. I’ve usually got a few posts simmering away. First I knock out some subheads, then I fill them in as I can. I often tell myself I’ll just do one section, then end up writing the whole thing.
I usually don’t post the same day I draft, I’ll let it sit overnight and then do at least one edit. Like WDOC, editing takes me quite awhile.
Writing articles does take practice but the nice thing about it is the more you write, the better you get.
But you’re right, getting ideas is probably the toughest part, then it’s the proofing.
I like to keep note pads laying around my house (including my nightstand) and jot down things as they come to mind. It’s funny, most of my best ideas come in the middle of the night, …hmmm kinda weird.
Great article - simple and to the point. Love the ideas!
I’m a huge fan of #7. Whenever I feel like I’m “in the zone,” so to speak, I like to carry that momentum and work on as much as I can while I can.
20 minutes per 400~500 words?! I bet the proofreading is not yet included. As your 2nd commentator mentioned, it is the checking that takes an article to finished.
I must admit, I am spending around 2~3 hrs for the same number of words and maybe another 15 minutes while I read it again after posting.
But I am really impressed on how you make different articles simultaneously, as I might be loosing focus if I will be in your shoes.
Those are great advice. The problem I think a lot of people face is what to write, not the writing itself. I also take about 20 minutes once I know what to write.
That was a problem when I first got started but I’ve since tackled the problem using some tactics I shared on my blog.
> coming up with the ideas is the tough part. Ideas anyone?
Yes. Carry a yellow sticky pad with you in the car, to the movies, wherever. You have more ah-ha moments than you’re remembering. You just need to free up your brain.
To give you an idea of what’s possible, when I first started, at the end of the week, I would have about 10 good ideas (write one idea per sticky post). However, the more I dumped my brain, the more I freed it up for more. I go through a couple of full sticky pads per week now. Now, I use Dragon Speak to put the ideas into Word docs at the end of the week.
Also, here’s a few keys:
1. Edison used personal invention quotas - http://sourcesofinsight.com/2008/01/07/personal-invention-quotas/
2. The book THINKERTOYS exposes Disney’s imagineering techniques - http://sourcesofinsight.com/2008/05/05/thinkertoys-book-nuggets/
Thanks for these Great Tips, definitely hits the mark.
I keep trying and failing to complete a post in 30 mins.
I like the idea of coming back to the article over time.
I’m using the timer on my cell phone to help me keep to schedule with my blog writing.
I also use its recorder for taking notes that pop into my head when I’m out and about and sometimes when I wake up in the night with a ‘great’ idea. How sad is that.
very very helpful article! thanks! Really a PRO!
I can sometimes whip out an article in 20 minutes, if I don’t get interrupted!
When I have a topic that is difficult for me, I start with a title, then write as many separate sentences as I can, quickly getting the facts on the page. Then I rearrange what I have into paragraphs, add an opening, closing, and a few transition sentences…. then see what I have. Often, I have exactly what I need to send to a client!
Getting ideas IS another story. Brainstorming with other bloggers works best for me when I am stuck.
Sometimes I ask someone who does not blog what they think about “X subject”. That type of conversation often triggers at least one or two points I can use as a starting block.
i really relate to the third point - dropping ideas.
I have a post in mind and but i like to keep my posts short.
It’s a challenge but being succinct and focused on only a couple of main points makes for better posts.
Some interesting ideas Jim, i`ve just launched a blog at http://www.adelto.co.uk/blog (take a look and let me know your thoughts) the problem i am having is finding the stories to begin with. since we write about contemporary living (architecture, interior design, products etc) and also good descriptive pictures. The writing part is the easiest!!
Have a good weekend
Richard
Interesting read, for a number of reasons:
I found a confusing use of English grammar in the first paragraph, (”Many of my blog entries are actually less than 500 words so take me less time”) perhaps confirming that you wrote this in 20 minutes or less
I relished your use of techniques discussed in this very blog about headlines. The article is ‘churned out’ in 20 minutes, but it is an ‘attitude’ of writing that actually gets a good piece of writing (like this one) out in print. And that attitude can not be quantified in any number of minutes, now can it?
I also found this article of great use because I can plug in a
relevantlink to my post about writing good blog posts right about now blogging made easy, I promiseAll in all, a great post. Thanks
I write a lot of software reviews. To get acquainted with really good software I need at least one to two hours! An example:
http://blogorama.eisbrecher.net/2008/09/04/businesscards-mx-heute-zum-halben-preis/
Do you count this solid preparation too? Can’t imagine that you can do it faster.
nice article. must needed for a lazy blogger like me.
Ha! It’s not the writing that takes time: it’s the flippin’ formatting problems on Blogger that take ages to sort out. How I wish posting something only took 20mins!
These are certainly good tips.
My problem is that I procrastinate far too much for keeping to this routine for long. Any tips on how to beat procrastination ? I guess not… the subject is too personal and too complex. W
I’m all over the place when it comes to writing. I keep notes and I keep adding to them till I have something that resembles an article. Then I put it into word and clean it up. It usually takes me less than a half hour when it gets to this point. I know this sounds kind of crazy but I actually get even more idea’s for articles this way.
Best regards,
ChrisS
I like Brian’s advice about only writing (and posting) when you have something to say.
I think an excellent idea for a post or better yet a GROUP post would be for us to brainstorm ways to come up with article ideas.
Maybe you should take the lead and in the end make a post with links to our articles with ideas on how to create blog post ideas.
I’m game…. anyone else?
Great post. I love articles that have 8 tips or 5 ways or 9 methods. Easy to read, easy to write
I never thought that much about my process for writing. But 20 minutes is a small pittance of the time it takes me to produce a post so I’m envious. I’m often guilty of creating two posts in one, which I guess, makes me the Queen of editing.
I’m struggled for over 3 months to write for my blog after the first post. At last when I started to write on morning, I completed the post in half an hour. but the editing took me a quite a while. Each time I look at it, I want to change it. At last I posted it in my blog. what matters I believe your confidence and conviction to say what you thought right in your own way.
Copyblogger inspired me a lot! thanks!
I usually write my posts while I’m on the bus or train - about 20 minutes. But as Chris F says, it’s the editing and proofing that takes up a whole lot more time.
Interested in the start point of 20 minutes. George Bernard Shaw is reputed to have written to a friend with a note saying “sorry it is such a long letter I did not have time to write a short one”.
The quality versus quantity versus input time is such a personal judgement that the key question for me is “will 20 minutes do justice to this topic and this readership?” then make the call.
All your tips are really valid when that judgement has been made.
Nice outline of the process. I always wanted to know how to write a good enough content without spending to much time with it. My usual takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours including quick research which is quite a lot.
Good stuff …. I’m just launching my webcomic’s blog and was already getting a little writer’s/blogger’s block. This helped clear my head.
Thanks.
Itch
The advise given here would be useful for sure.
Since there are quite a few bloggers here who are prolific I wanted to know how much time on an average do you spend to write a post? Honestly, for me 20 minutes seems too less a time to write a post. I end up spending an hour usually and it is the images, tags, slug, trackbacks and links which take the most time.
Any advise would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
Thank you for this post. I have so much trouble writing material for my website, http://www.garbarrassing.com. So instead of writing them myself. I started to find friends who wanted to post their stories and tales on my site. A few hundred people visit my site a day so convincing my friends that their posts would be seen was easy. I also love to help people out, so if you have any questions about anything, or need some advice, you can follow me @Garbarrassing on Twitter.
Aren’t we all looking for ways to improve our time management and this his is a great way to really shorten the time for writing great articles.
Congratulations for that insight
Have fun and success
Yani
good one
thanks a lot
will try to follow this now onwards
thanks for this wonderful piece. As you have said, the path to good writing is by writing. It is always amazing how much one can do taking this step.
Blogging can indeed be quick when one is writing for one’s own blog, especially when so inspired. This being written, it’s been my experience that writing for a client, especially multiple clients across various industries, takes more than 20 minutes. It may even be in the best interests to take more than 20 minutes to write a blog article for someone else. Do you have any tips for “agency” type blog writing?
Nice to read your tricks….its really hard for me to do the all practices ….. i always confused when writing some type of article, most of time my attention goes to multiple direction, i mean if i am writing an article on mobile technology, so at that time also thinking some thing about how to interrelate other things with it….ok any way really nice post i try to be like you…thanks
Thanks for the suggestions! I actually often write my articles in short sessions (I usually don’t hit publish right away, but that is to make sure it reads well an hour later!) and I sometimes worry that I write them “too quickly” but I definitely am always on a clock and don’t want to spend hours on each article. Take care!
This is truly an insightful post. This post gave me the idea on how to over come writers block. Most of the time i wonder on how to get started on writing an article for my blogs. Usually i writes articles on a single sit. The tips provided above especially the incubation factor found to be an interesting one.
http://www.simplewayoflife.net
Wonderful post! You were tips were really good. I need to speed up as I have heard of many people saying they write an article in less than 20 minutes.
I am not a great writer and I learned a lot from your post as I plan to start writing articles and blogs in the future.
I especially liked the part about warm up writing, makes a lot of sense.
This is great. For me it’s really hard to get most of my articles completed even within an hour, may be since I’m writing more articles on computer programming.
Heck, that’s really fast!
My personal philosophy on this is drawn from Nick Lowe, musician and former record producer, who was (and I guess still is) called “Basher” as a nickname because his creative philosophy was “bash it out now, tart it up later.” (In other words, just get something out quickly, then fix it so that it’s actually, you know, good.)
I find this works pretty well. The “bashing it out” can take twenty minutes for, say, a 500 word piece. The “tarting it up” is a whole ‘nother story. Don’t know how anyone can do it, but hats off to those who can.
I find the whole list style blog post a bit over done. I agree that great posts (for me personally) start with a bulleted list but I find it much more enjoyable to consume when the post is a flowing thought vs. chopped up, ordered list. Here’s why:
1. No thought
2. Over used
3. haha, just kidding.
Great post! Check out my blog at http://ryanagraves.com
Great advice! I write weekly articles and feel like I’m spending way more time on them than I should…and I am! Thanks for the tips, I’m going to give ‘em a try right now!
With this advice you promote a Quick & Dirty attitude to blogging. It took me a whole day to write “WordPress BackStage”
http://blogorama.eisbrecher.net/2008/09/12/wordpress-backstage/
and it’s still not finished. I intend to “finish” (in the web nothing is ever finished) it on sunday evening.
Why do I take this much time for an article? Because a good article needs it. Content is King! The article, not the clock tells you when it is well done.
For example: When you’re in bed with a fine woman you love: you finish this also in 20 minutes?
Impressive. I currently write 500 words at about 40 to 50 minutes total but 20 is definitely one goal I’d love to shoot for. Thanks for sharing how you do it!
Thanks for a great post. Very inspiring and I can’t wait to put your suggestions to the test!
For those of you who commented that you keep a pad with you, voice recorder, sticky notes, etc., I’d like to suggest a Blackberry. With a BB, you can do all of the above and more without carrying all of the extra equipment. Just a thought.
Thanks for a great post. Very inspiring and I can’t wait to put your suggestions to the test!
Great Post.I’m going to give ‘em a try right now!
Regards,
Novina Ravi
http://novinaravi.blogspot.com