Captain GIROG
Piracy McGee
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Writing quickly is not easy. There are ways to get good at it, though. I decided to make this thread to share with my fellow attractive writers how to write at the speed of sound, and also to get some tips in return. With this easy-to-use guide, you might even find yourself writing faster than Micheal Phelps can swim; which I'm told is mach 17.
FIRST OFF:
Don't procrastinate. This is the hardest, most difficult AND the least easy part of writing quickly. If you need to punch yourself into submission before you are able to write, then take some ibuprofen. Procrastination is never a good thing. It's always good to have written and proof-written ahead of time. The rest of this guide will help you with this.
SECOND THING:
Think about your characters and story even when you're not at the computer/notepad/typewriter/ghostwriter. If you're in a relatively unusual situation (rodeo, jury duty, Mexican standoff), imagine what your characters would do in that situation. It may never end up in your story, but it will help you get a feel for your characters. This is very important.
Think about your story as well. You don't want to be thinking up major plot points at a computer/notepad/typewriter/ghostwriter.
THIRD TIP:
Just take a break. It may seem counter productive to take a break in order to write faster, but that's wrong. As long as you're thinking of what you will write, you'll be able to put down a hell of a lot more when you get back than if you were just sitting down the whole time.
Alternatively, go grab a drink. Nothing alcoholic, though. You don't want your mind muddled if you want to write quickly. I threw together some of my favorite recipes for your drinking pleasure, though one of them might kill you:
FOURTH IDEA:
Have lots of characters. This is very useful for a few reasons. My favorite use of my disposable characters is for when I get bored. When nothing exciting is happening with the main characters, the secondary characters get a day of use. Remember that people like it better if you have something exciting or humorous happening with a secondary character than if you just throw out a random time skip. Compare the next two clips.
Not only does it make a more exciting read, but it's a lot more fun to write. REMEMBER: FUN WRITING IS FAST WRITING. It will also give you the freedom to make filler chapters.
FIFTH POINT:
Know your characters. As I said in the first tip, knowing your characters makes it easier to put them through situations. Two ways you could do this are:
1) Putting them into random situations. How would your characters act in a hijacked plane?
2) Writing situations that didn't happen in your story's timeline. What happened in Main Character's fifth birthday party? How did he react when the school bully called him a whiny nordicus?
NUMBER SIX:
Add humor, dammit. It's about as fun to take yourself seriously while writing as it is to read someone taking him/herself too seriously. If you'll notice, there is a mother of a "That's What She Said" joke in this Wednesday's Field Research chapter. It's turned into a brick joke later. Fun writing is fast writing.
If for whatever reason you're writing grimdark, try some black humor. I mean Perry Bible Fellowship all up in this.
SEVENTH THING TO MAKE WRITING FASTER:
Get comfortable. It's easy and simple, but it's more helpful than having your own personal boy scout.
LASTLY:
Get used to writing everything in proper format. even in a chatroom, you should be double spacing after periods, capitalizing, using the right you're/your, all that stuff. Getting into the habit of doing this will make writing well the first time all the more easy, making proofreading all the more easy and leaving your more time for writing.
ACTUAL LASTLY:
Read the Bulbagarden Writing Academy. It will make writing more natural, making it more easy.
IN CLOSING:
There. You're done. Feel free to put down your own tips, and also feel free to congratulate me on avoiding the obvious black humor joke I avoided. (HINT: it has to do with a link to the movie "Lottery Ticket".)
ADDED NOTE:
Everyone gets surefire writer's block occasionally. Whether you just don't like that scene or you just don't feel like writing, the best thing is to just charge through that section. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just do it.™
FIRST OFF:
Don't procrastinate. This is the hardest, most difficult AND the least easy part of writing quickly. If you need to punch yourself into submission before you are able to write, then take some ibuprofen. Procrastination is never a good thing. It's always good to have written and proof-written ahead of time. The rest of this guide will help you with this.
SECOND THING:
Think about your characters and story even when you're not at the computer/notepad/typewriter/ghostwriter. If you're in a relatively unusual situation (rodeo, jury duty, Mexican standoff), imagine what your characters would do in that situation. It may never end up in your story, but it will help you get a feel for your characters. This is very important.
Think about your story as well. You don't want to be thinking up major plot points at a computer/notepad/typewriter/ghostwriter.
THIRD TIP:
Just take a break. It may seem counter productive to take a break in order to write faster, but that's wrong. As long as you're thinking of what you will write, you'll be able to put down a hell of a lot more when you get back than if you were just sitting down the whole time.
Alternatively, go grab a drink. Nothing alcoholic, though. You don't want your mind muddled if you want to write quickly. I threw together some of my favorite recipes for your drinking pleasure, though one of them might kill you:
GIROG's Anti-Scurvy Orange-Lemon Explosion:
Make yourself a cup of CrystalLight™ Lemonade. Then grab a lemon and an orange. Cut and squeeze both of the citrus fruit into the cup. For extra brownie points, freeze for two hours. If you're not planning to write, add some of your favorite liquor.
GIROG's Fun-Creating Digestion-Destroying Soda Punch
Get a big pitcher and fill it halfway with some generic lemon lime soda. Add your favorite fruit juice. For extra brownie points, don't regret drinking it two hours later.
GIROG's Best Chlorine Gas
Mix bleach and ammonia. Inhale deeply. For added brownie points, don't die.
Make yourself a cup of CrystalLight™ Lemonade. Then grab a lemon and an orange. Cut and squeeze both of the citrus fruit into the cup. For extra brownie points, freeze for two hours. If you're not planning to write, add some of your favorite liquor.
GIROG's Fun-Creating Digestion-Destroying Soda Punch
Get a big pitcher and fill it halfway with some generic lemon lime soda. Add your favorite fruit juice. For extra brownie points, don't regret drinking it two hours later.
GIROG's Best Chlorine Gas
Mix bleach and ammonia. Inhale deeply. For added brownie points, don't die.
FOURTH IDEA:
Have lots of characters. This is very useful for a few reasons. My favorite use of my disposable characters is for when I get bored. When nothing exciting is happening with the main characters, the secondary characters get a day of use. Remember that people like it better if you have something exciting or humorous happening with a secondary character than if you just throw out a random time skip. Compare the next two clips.
"Main Character went to bed Monday Night. Main character didn't really do much the next day, but Secondary Character blah blah science blah... ...All the way home.
Next chapter:
When Main Character woke up Wednesday morning...
"Main Character went to bed. He did some stuff the next day, then on the third day..."
Next chapter:
When Main Character woke up Wednesday morning...
"Main Character went to bed. He did some stuff the next day, then on the third day..."
Not only does it make a more exciting read, but it's a lot more fun to write. REMEMBER: FUN WRITING IS FAST WRITING. It will also give you the freedom to make filler chapters.
FIFTH POINT:
Know your characters. As I said in the first tip, knowing your characters makes it easier to put them through situations. Two ways you could do this are:
1) Putting them into random situations. How would your characters act in a hijacked plane?
2) Writing situations that didn't happen in your story's timeline. What happened in Main Character's fifth birthday party? How did he react when the school bully called him a whiny nordicus?
NUMBER SIX:
Add humor, dammit. It's about as fun to take yourself seriously while writing as it is to read someone taking him/herself too seriously. If you'll notice, there is a mother of a "That's What She Said" joke in this Wednesday's Field Research chapter. It's turned into a brick joke later. Fun writing is fast writing.
If for whatever reason you're writing grimdark, try some black humor. I mean Perry Bible Fellowship all up in this.
SEVENTH THING TO MAKE WRITING FASTER:
Get comfortable. It's easy and simple, but it's more helpful than having your own personal boy scout.
LASTLY:
Get used to writing everything in proper format. even in a chatroom, you should be double spacing after periods, capitalizing, using the right you're/your, all that stuff. Getting into the habit of doing this will make writing well the first time all the more easy, making proofreading all the more easy and leaving your more time for writing.
ACTUAL LASTLY:
Read the Bulbagarden Writing Academy. It will make writing more natural, making it more easy.
IN CLOSING:
There. You're done. Feel free to put down your own tips, and also feel free to congratulate me on avoiding the obvious black humor joke I avoided. (HINT: it has to do with a link to the movie "Lottery Ticket".)
ADDED NOTE:
Everyone gets surefire writer's block occasionally. Whether you just don't like that scene or you just don't feel like writing, the best thing is to just charge through that section. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just do it.™
Last edited: