It's so Easy

Let's face it: the music we like is pretty distracting, especially the type of music with strong lyrics. That said, some of us like white noise over silence. For me, writing in a coffee shop is actually preferable to writing in my office. Everyone is different in this case, so it's important to identify the best method for getting you focused, whether it be classical music, techno, or even nature sounds. The more focus you have, the easier it will be for you to write quickly and in one setting.

You want your work to be useful for the people who read it. The trouble is that our scattered thoughts tend to lead to essays with a flow only we understand easily. This can be avoided by simply thinking through what you're going to write before you start rambling away. Granted, it's still important to let yourself be inspired as you're putting the words together, but structure will help you keep everything organized and on point.

You've probably heard this a million times, but that doesn't make it any less true. The best writers are the best readers. This is because reading ensures that you're still learning and consuming content. The details of writing include the ability to form phrases and transitions that exhibit expert writing skills. Most of these "details" are picked up subconsciously as we read books and news articles consistently. In fact, I personally take this to the extreme by always opting for Closed Captions and subtitles for all of the visual media I consume, which includes movies, television, and even video games. It may seem excessive, but this allows you to draw from a larger pool of words and expressions that keep your writing fresh and unique.

Writing can be like a relationship. We spend so much time with that person, that we begin to get bored with the relationship. The same goes with writing. Kill your comfort zone by writing somewhere new. Go to a coffee shop, out in the woods or even sit in your car to write. Force yourself to stay there until you're finished. Writing in a familiar environment with too many distractions (like our homes) keeps us from writing faster. But if you're in a place where the only thing you can do is write, then the task gets done much quicker.

This may seem contradictory to what I just said, but stay with me. When you first start to write, it's usually for yourself. You don't have an audience yet, so no one is really expecting anything from you. Time goes on, however, and people start watching you. It's easy to start believing it's more important to write for them than yourself. In some cases, your job is to cater to an audience, which is fine to an extent. But if you want your writing to keep growing and making you happy, then it's important to set aside a place where you can write for yourself, whether it be a personal blog, a journal or something different.