Write Fast, Edit Slow

Writing and editing academic work can sometimes seem like a daunting, time-consuming task. Producing numerous pages of original, well-balanced, errorless text is certainly not a walk in the park for anyone. However, there are some useful techniques you can employ to speed up the writing process and make it more enjoyable.

Fast writing, slow revising is one such technique. Described by Sonja Foss and William Waters in their book Destination Dissertation this technique will require silencing the perfectionist (in you) who wants to get it right the first time, and separating your writing into two distinct parts: fast writing and slow editing.

Fast writing, however, might not be for everyone — some are just not comfortable doing it the “express way” and it does require some practice to change old writing habits. Nonetheless, if you let this new process unfold, you might realize it increases your creativity, productivity and the quality of your written work.

Consider the following: most people use different parts of the brain when they write and when they edit. Your creativity sits in the right brain hemisphere, while the left brain hemisphere takes care of analytic abilities. When you write, both parts of your brain need to partake, but you will get better results if these parts do not interfere with each other. Therefore, it is best if you first turn off your left hemisphere and let the writing flow with the uninterrupted engagement from your right brain. After this, turn your left brain back on to analyze, organize and rewrite your text to your heart’s content.

Here are the two steps:

1. Fast Writing

During this first step, all you want to do is write (fast!). You are putting your ideas on paper and just letting the words flow. At this stage, you do not care about spelling, punctuation and grammar. Do your best to dismiss the urge to edit and rewrite. Do not stop to think about the organization and structure of the paper. All this can wait. Your job now is to get your ideas out and generate as much copy as possible.

Fast writing is about creating a robust rough draft — a “spew draft” as Foss and Waters call it — that you will perfect later.  Imagine yourself completed absorbed, in the “zone”, with pages and pages of text pouring from your brain to the end of your fingertips.

To make this process easier, consider the following:

• Remain focused by removing any potential distractions, including disabling your instant messengers like Twitter, Skype, etc., and turning off your phone.
• When you start writing a large section and feel yourself getting stuck, try inserting headings first. Use descriptive headings that will capture your ideas in a more comprehensive way and give your thoughts direction (similar to creating an outline).
• When you come to a point in the text you believe needs more work and additional information, don’t linger there… instead include a note to yourself for later. Write a note in bold letters, use a different color, use ALL CAPS or simply insert a comment. Use whatever is easiest and fastest for you but can be easily identified later.
• Remember: you do not need to follow a certain order of writing. When you get an idea, just jot it down. You can move backwards and forwards between different parts of the text. You do not need to move in a linear fashion. In this way, not only will you allow for greater creative output, you will also make the process more fun and play-like.

2. Slow Editing

Only when you have your finished draft version – your imperfect first draft – in front of you, do you start editing. This you want to do this part in a slow, thoughtful and organized manner. Look at:

• The structure of your document and organize it in a better and more logical way.
• Work on sentences, syntax and paragraphs, look for appropriate words, adjust the vocabulary and insert additional information and explanations.
• Scrutinize and revise your work until you are happy with your product.

The final item is proofreading, which can almost be considered a separate step from editing. Of course, there are software applications that can help you easily spot misspelled words and typos. Nonetheless, a manual final review needs to be carefully done by you: sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. This is arguably the most tedious, yet important, part of finalizing your paper. It requires concentration, attention to detail and meticulousness. If you can, find a second person (with fresh eyes) to help you with a final proofread. It is often surprising what can be overlooked, and many mistakes can be uncovered by a new reader.