TT#041 - How I doubled my writing speed...

I‘ve doubled the volume of written content I can create over the past few months. And engagement rates have actually increased during that time.

Since I rely on content for marketing, that gives me more opportunities to grow my business. Or, I can use the productivity gains to get more time back in my day.

Part of the improvement has come from consistency. Practice may not make perfect, but it has helped me create processes that increase my productivity.

But a big part of the improvement has come from using 3 tools that help me spend more time writing, and less time thinking about what to write.

Here’s a breakdown of each tool and how I use it to boost my writing output.

TypeShare

When it comes to writing, half the battle is getting started. The blank page is intimidating. That’s where TypeShare shines.

TypeShare is a platform with hundreds of writing templates for blog posts, Twitter threads, LinkedIn posts, and other forms of content.

Templates may sound unappealing for a process that's usually associated with creativity. But that highlights a common misunderstanding about creativity:

Boundaries and constraints are the source of our most inspired creativity.

The size of the canvas, the resources you have to work with, and the time you have to do the work are all constraints at the root of most creative processes. 

Writing templates operate much the same way. They eliminate the amount of time I spend thinking about format and structure. And increase the amount of time I spend thinking about the content that goes in it.

Here’s just one example of a writing template I've used in TypeShare:

TypeShare is about $20/mo. or $200/year.  

Here’s a link to try it for free. 

Jasper

Writer's block is another source of inefficiency when you're creating content. It's frustrating to know what you want to write, but not know exactly how to write it. 

That's where Jasper comes in handy. 

Jasper is an AI platform that writes for you. You tell it who you're writing to, summarize what you're writing about, and give a few details on keywords and tone, and Jasper will literally write content. 

You may be thinking, "Isn't that cheating?" And a lot of people will surely think it is. But I've found Jasper to be more helpful in obliterating writer's block by inspiring my own writing than it is in writing for me. 

I typically copy and paste my TypeShare template into Jasper and write until I find myself at a loss of words. And when I find myself starting at a screen for more than a couple minutes, I let Jasper write to see what comes of it. 9 times out of 10, it triggers something for me to write and I'm back to work.  

Here’s an example of it in action: 

With plans between $40 and $150/mo., Jasper isn't cheap. For me, it pays for itself in time saved.

Here’s a link to check it out. 

Hemingway Editor

Whenever I'm done with a first draft of something I've written, I rewrite it to improve the readability. When I do this without some assistance, I sometimes find myself rewriting the same thing over, and over, and over again. 

Hemingway makes editing easier by helping you simplify your message, which improves readability. 

The best part of Hemingway is its simplicity. You just copy and paste your text into the platform, review what it tells you, and make edits accordingly. 

For example, below is what Hemingway showed for the first draft of this section. Note what’s in red 

So, I made a few tweaks and got this result:  

Hemingway is free to use and has an option to upgrade if you’d like. 

You can use it without even creating an account here. 

Write More, Better, Faster

These are a few tools I use to create more content in less time. That gives me more marketing opportunities and better engagement with those opportunities. 

And yes, all 3 tools were used in the writing of this newsletter.