If you’re struggling with writer’s block, or are finding your approach to writing too slow and methodical, how about trying fast drafting to get your first draft written?

We’re all Plotters

There’s a lot written about whether author’s are plotters and pantsers. These terms define whether you plot out your book before your start writing, or just write by the seat of your pants, not knowing (or caring) where your words lead you.

But even if you’re a pantser, at some point in your writing journey you’re going to have to polish up your outline to put your content in a semblance of order.

Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, your book has to flow. If the content is organized in an erratic and chaotic fashion, you run the risk of a reader getting confused or overwhelmed.

From Plodding Plotter to Chaotic Pantser

When I wrote my first book, seven years ago, I was an avid plotter and methodical plodder. My paragraphs were swamps I got sucked into, and I agonized over every word choice, sentence, and delicate punctuation placement.

My first book took the longest time to write because I was trying to create perfection on a page. I was trying to prove myself as a writer and so my content needed to be head and shoulders above that of the lay man, or else it opened me up to criticism. I thought people would judge me harshly if my turn of phrase wasn’t as eloquent as Hemingway’s.

But a couple of years ago I discovered freewriting and fast drafting, and it’s revolutionized my approach to writing. Now I write is short sharp bursts of 20-25 minutes, and write so fast that my inner critic can’t keep up. I’ve discovered that this approach releases that paralyzing grip your inner critic has on your creativity.

That evil critic living in my conscious mind is like a child falling from a tree, trying to grab hold of every branch on the way down to the ground. But when you fast draft, your thoughts flow effortlessly like water shooting out of the end of a hose pipe.

It’s our job to turn this watery first draft into wine.

Juice or Wine?

Those 750 to a 1,000 words look good, but when you read them you’ll get lost amid the tangents. Your sentences will jump or end abruptly. And don’t even get me started on the accuracy of spelling and grammar. But do you know why this watery first draft is so effective? You can’t edit a blank page.

Rather than sitting and starting at a blank page with writer’s block, or fighting off the desire to procrastinate. Your short burst of effort has created pages of words to ferment into a fine wine.

When you fast draft or freewrite your book’s content, you have to accept and embrace that at least 30-50% of your content way get discarded. That’s a bitter pill to swallow.

You may wonder why any writer would bother trying this fast drafting approach, but having tried different approach to writing, I’ve discovered that writing and editing at the same time is less effective and more time consuming that fast drafting and editing.

Plus, because when I fast draft I tap into the creative reserves of my subconscious mind, the quality of my book’s content is higher than if I tried to squeeze it out, word by excruciating word.

It’s all about drawing from that well of creativity, rather than getting lost in a cave of analytical thought.

How I Fast Draft

The key to fast drafting is to do it fast and raw within a specific timeframe. Start by engaging your creative side and writing until the timer stops. 

Here’s your seven-point plan for achieving a successful freewriting session:

1. Create you ideal writing conditions
2. Set a deadline
3. Determine your freewriting goal
4. Choose your freewriting prompt
5. Relax your conscious mind
6. Don’t stop to think, just keep your hand moving
7. Don’t edit or censor yourself

There’s nothing on this list you can’t master with a little bit of practice. The most challenging aspect of this writing style is #5. But writing is like a muscle, you have to exercise to get toned and limber.

I know lots of writers who use a freewriting warm up session using these seven steps, to get into a Morning Pages habit, which is a common method to limber up the creative aspect of your brain.

But fast drafting isn’t a one-shot exercise to start your day. It’s a way of writing the entire first draft of your book in short sharp bursts.

This writing method works for any type of content output. I use it extensively for writing nonfiction, but it’ll be just as effective for fiction, blog posts, documents—well, any writing task you have. Especially if you’ve got a creative block and are struggling over every laborious and anxious.

Additional Resources

To find out more about how your conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds words, check out this post:

Yes Nonfiction writers use freewriting!

One of my earlier podcast episodes cover this fast approach to writing, and the same concepts and techniques for freewriting carry over effortlessly to fast drafting.

So what type of writer are you? Plotter? Pantster? Or somewhere in the middle. If you’ve tried fast drafting I’d love to know what worked and what you struggled with.

Author Toolbox Blog Hop

This post is part of the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, hosted by Raimey Gallant every third Wednesday of each month. Click here to join this author blog hop and to read writing tips and advice that will inspire your next writing session.