How to Write Prolifically

How Prolific Writers Write Every Day and Still Have a Life

Do you yearn to learn how to write prolifically, while still living each day to the fullest? Have you ever wondered why some people get so much done?

It seems that the more they have (like family, friends, hobbies, a day job) the more they get done. They are the ones you see posting an article or blog post almost every single day. Quietly and steadily. Do you want to know their secret to knowing how to write prolifically? They do two things: batch and bite.

How to Batch and Bite to Learn How to Write Prolifically

If we start with the bite-part, no, they do not chew a plate of chocolate for every article they write. They bite into time. They split up their work into bite-sized tasks. This means that even when they only have 15 minutes at a time, they can still get work done, without feeling overwhelmed.

Because when you know exactly what you have to do, you can sit down and do it. Then get up and relax or do something else.

The second thing they do is batch the tasks. Most amateur writers will start by thinking, “I need to write a blog post today. Hm… What should I write about?” Then they will spend time coming up with ideas, maybe doing keyword research, and already by now, they would have spent at least half an hour.

After that, they think about how to write about the topic they found and they start writing. Maybe they write things that does not belong in the article after all, so they delete it and rewrite. All this takes a long time.

What is worse: It feels very unsatisfying, because they have wasted all that time and do not have much to show for it. Pro-writers will batch their work and do it step-by-step.

Step One: Ideation

Pro-writers will take time to find ideas for at least the next seven articles they will write. Often they do much more, like ten, so they can pick and choose. And that way, even if they one day should not have time to get new ideas, they would still have some on the list that they can use. This saves them time and energy.

We all have 24 hours per day. Sure, some are more busy than others. But it is often the most busy who get the most done, too. They know how to save their energy for what is important. By batching the tasks, things get easier and faster.

When you spend one whole time slot doing ideation, you are in ideation mode. You know what to do, and your brain is spewing out ideas left and right. Once pro-writers have their list of ideas, the next step is research.

Step Two: Research

Pro-writers will do most of the research in a second batch. They will often have a lot of knowledge up front about the topic they are going to write about. But there will be things, like who wrote the quote for article four? What year did the event from article six take place?

They will take a look at the ideas they had and then do all the research they can think of and which they need. They will not waste time on going down rabbit holes while on this task. Well… Maybe some. But they will limit it.

Step Three: Outline

Now with the research out of the way, they can outline all the articles they are going to write for the upcoming week. Outlining does not have to take long. You will always start with an introduction. So, that is the first point in your outline. After that it depends…

Do you have a how-to article with steps in chronological order? Or do you have a list article, like “5 tips about your topic”?
The last point in your outline is either a conclusion or a call-to-action. If you can combine the two, it is often best.

Step Four: Write

You do not get ideas for, research and outline one week of articles in one day. Typically, you have taken a couple of days. This means that by now you know your topic. You know exactly what to write. You do not have to stop and think.

You just need to fill out the blanks, meaning using your outlines to write the articles.
Writing is therefore easy and fast. If you were used to spending hours writing a 500-word article, then look forward to this new life of writing like a pro.

Depending on your typing speed, you can write a 1,000-word article in 25 minutes. The time for a perfect Pomodoro time slot. Yes, pro-writers will often pace themselves with a ticking clock. They use the famous Pomodoro-method where you work, focused, for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. And then they rinse and repeat. Write as fast as you can. You will edit in the next phase.

Step Five: Edit

Check for spelling errors, typos and grammatical errors.
Most writers use either ProWritingAid (aff lin – https://clq.cx/prowritingaid) or Grammarly (https://grammarly.com) to help them find those errors. You do not have to use all their suggestions. While ProWritingAid is the better of the two, they both have their weaknesses.
They are not humans, after all.

Remove unnecessary words. Split up sentences that are too long. Read the article out aloud. If you stumble, then you have something to tweak. Better yet, use writing tools (link to article 14) to make your writing sing. Make it quote worthy.

Step Six: Publish

Got all that? Now you just need to publish. Use a featured image for the article or blog post. Add one or two other images to stop skimmers and get them back to read the text.

Do not use gifs unless it is to illustrate something moving, like scrolling through a long snippet of code. Otherwise, gifs are distracting. You want your readers to keep reading, not to get distracted and leave.

Do you see now how doing those two simple things, batching and biting, makes things doable? It will help you save energy and get all your writing done in a fun and easy way. And it will still leave you time for friends, hobbies and family. Knowing how to write prolifically just makes sense.

How to Write Prolifically and Lightning Fast by Being Slow

If I told you to sit down now and write a 1,000-word essay about Nikola Tesla, could you do it? I would show you over to a chair in a room without internet. Just a table and a typewriter. Then I would start a timer and tell you to write.

Does this bring back memories of sweating over exams back in your youth? This would not be an easy task. How long would it take you to write those one thousand words? Five hours?

Why It Takes Longer to Just Start Writing

Let us assume that this was your own idea. You are impressed by Nikola Tesla and his inventions and thinking. You want to honor him with an essay.

But if you just start writing, like we just saw, it would take way too long. You would not know what to write or in which order. Besides, unless you are a die-hard Nikola Tesla fan, you would probably need to do some research. So, let us slow down to get this done fast.

Write with a Goal

What is your goal? What are you aiming for with this article? To honor Tesla. Sure. But that is a bit vague. Imagine setting a writing-GPS for that goal. “Go to ‘honor Tesla.’ When can we be there?” Nah, you would need pointers along the way.

That is what research is for. It will help you know exactly what to aim for, what things you want to include in your article. Research will give you the pointers. You’ll have more knowledge, and you’ll know what is important for the article and what is not.

When you do the research, take notes in your own words. It is tempting to just copy and paste or rewrite exactly what you find, but by doing that, you are learning those exact words and phrases. Later, when you write, you will think that you came up with them by inspiration.

When you during your research find things, you want to use, write short notes about it in your own words. This will also serve to make it easier for you to remember. When it comes to writing, you may not even have to look at your notes.

Make sure to add links to your notes, so you know where to go if you missed something during your research. Keep your notes where you can easily find them again and use them.

If you prefer to save your research to your computer, you can use Notion, Evernote or Obsidian.
If you keep your research on paper, it is better to have them in a notebook, so you do not accidentally lose papers.

Pro Secret: Use Your Research Notes More Than Once

Today, you are writing about Tesla. Tomorrow, you may be writing about the Wright Brothers and their vision, and you may want to mention Tesla, too.

Structure Your Notes

Now you have knowledge from the research. You have notes where you have written down facts and findings in your own words. To make your notes even better, you now need to do some thinking. We are still taking it slow.

Read Through Your Notes

Add your thoughts. What would have happened if Tesla had not contracted cholera? What might have happened if he had become a priest and not an engineer?

Take your time to add your thoughts and start thinking about what angle you will use for your article.
Your next step is to create an outline for your article. Make it based on your notes.

You will need an introduction and a conclusion and/or call-to-action. How many points? Let us say you found four things that are so important and so related that they all belong in your article.

To write 1,000 words, that means 100 in the introduction, 100 in the conclusion, and 200 words for each point. You can easily write 200 words now that you have done your research and thought about it, right?

Add Quick Reminders

Do not ever trust your memory. It is the most lying thing after politicians. You will get an idea and your memory will tell you, “Ah, you do not need to write that down. This is such a brilliant idea. I will remember it.”

And you are the one left holding the bag (or laptop) when you sit down to write and have no clue about what that section was about. Do not trust your memory.

Jot down reminders in the outline. Small clues that make it easy for you when it is time to write as fast as you can without thinking. Add those reminders for each section in your outline.

Write! This is the Best Way to Learn How to Write Prolifically

You have done your slow. Your research and your thinking. When you separate thinking from writing, you can write as fast as your fingers can type. (Tip: Learn touch-typing.)

Your fingers will fly over the keyboard, and you can easily write a 1,000-word article in less than half an hour. Even on difficult topics like Nikola Tesla.

How long would the research and outlining take you? It would be individual. But in total, you would never come close to the five hours it would take, if you just sat down with your idea and started to write.

The first time you use this slow and fast method as a strategy to learn how to write prolifically, it may take you longer. Maybe not. But the more you do it, the faster you become. And better yet, it will feel like more fun to write. More satisfying, because you get so much done in so little time.

In the long run, this allows you to speed up your writing.
You will be able to write more and write better. If your goal is an article a day, you can do it, if you have one to two hours a day… Not five hours a day.

This slow and fast method helps you save energy, enjoy writing and write a lot more than if you used the method most amateur writers use. Try it next time you want to write an article or blog post.

Understanding the concepts and strategies behind how to write prolifically will change your life. I now earn more income with my writing than with any other work I do, whether it’s passive, active, or investments.

I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author Connie Ragen Green. My goal is to help at least a thousand people to reach six-figures and beyond with an online business. Come along with me, if you will and let us discover how we may further connect to achieve all of your dreams and goals. Knowing how to write prolifically will make a difference.