| If you've been hanging around the internet | | | | matter. The point is just to start writing. |
| marketing world for very long, you've run into | | | | The second advantage that Speed Writing has is |
| people selling writing systems based on speed | | | | that it helps us to focus on one good habit for |
| writing. They often make fantastic claims like | | | | your writing. When writing a how-to book, it is a |
| Write Your How-To Book in 24 Hours or Less. | | | | good practice to focus only on the writing initially. |
| Oops that's the name of my book. Sorry. | | | | Just get the words down on paper. The next day, |
| Actually, the big difference is that they claim their | | | | before you start writing, reread what you wrote |
| system works no matter what type of book you | | | | the day before. At that time, you can edit for |
| are writing. So the titles are usually along the lines | | | | spelling, grammar and any rough edges. The result |
| of Write Any Book in 24 Hours or Less. | | | | is that you get to finish much more quickly since |
| But what is speed writing and where does it | | | | you won't have the temptation to overwork the |
| come from? What are its advantages and | | | | writing. |
| disadvantages? | | | | However, speed writing does have a number of |
| Speed writing began from a journalistic trick. | | | | disadvantages when writing a how-to book. |
| Journalists write short pieces which follow a very | | | | How-to books must have a very strong |
| specific template or pattern. They need to write | | | | structure. And writing any long work requires you |
| quickly and produce a great deal of writing in a | | | | to pre-structure the work in order to succeed. |
| very short period of time. There is no room for | | | | Unfortunately, speed writing is based on writing |
| writers block. Speed writing is a technique which | | | | without a net. Structure is not part of the |
| focuses on those issues. | | | | technique. That causes several major |
| I apologize to my speed writing competitors but | | | | disadvantages when writing how-to books and |
| here's a ten second speed course in speed writing. | | | | other long format writing. |
| Start by writing three words that describe your | | | | Because speed writing is a technique that is |
| article. Two of them should be descriptive. For | | | | focuses on writing without thought or structure it |
| example, for this article I might have written | | | | can result in going off into uncharted wilds. When |
| "speed writing good bad". Which are four words, I | | | | writing a how-to book, you can't afford writing for |
| know. This is your title and theme. Now as quickly | | | | the sake of writing. Everything on the page should |
| as you can, begin to write. Don't edit. Don't fix | | | | focus on promoting the purpose of the book. |
| errors. Don't stop. Just write. In five minutes, you'll | | | | That means speed writing will often produce |
| have written a page or two. Write as much as | | | | pages and pages of writing that is unsuitable and |
| you can on that subject until the five minutes | | | | unusable when writing a how-to book. |
| runs out. Then stop. That's speed writing. The | | | | That also means that structural editing is required |
| number of words in the phrase will vary from | | | | for a how-to book written using speed writing. |
| three to five. And the time will vary from two | | | | Structural editing is the most expensive editing |
| minutes to fifteen minutes. But you are always | | | | you can do since the editor is faced with rewriting |
| writing as quickly as you can and you do not edit | | | | whole sections of your book in order to improve |
| -- even spelling errors are left. | | | | understanding and/or style. The cost of structural |
| Give it a try. If you occasionally suffer from | | | | editing is often three times that of simple stylistic |
| writer's block when you try to write your how-to | | | | or copy editing. |
| book, you'll find it a very useful tool. It's a great | | | | Finally, because speed writing is not structured it |
| way to start your writing day off and get over | | | | doesn't really help you to write. Yes, it is focused |
| writer's block. | | | | on producing quickly. Yes, it does help focus your |
| That's probably Speed Writing's biggest advantage. | | | | writing on the topic represented by the three |
| It will help you to get over writer's block which is | | | | word phrase. However, on a paragraph by |
| really just the fear of starting to write. By | | | | paragraph basis it doesn't help you to know what |
| beginning your day with a writing exercise, you | | | | you want to say for each paragraph, on each |
| get the craftsman's juices flowing. The writing | | | | page and in each chapter. |
| itself doesn't matter so if it's good or bad doesn't | | | | |