You’re not alone. Cranking out a first draft is agony for many freelance writers. It can kill your productivity and suck the joy out of your work. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I used to hate first drafts, too. I could sweat for hours over one paragraph. Hours! My writing speed was so terrible, I even quit freelance writing for a while. Don’t do that, OK?

When I came back to freelance writing after a long break, I had a new attitude-and a new skill set. I learned how to triple my writing speed. I’m happier, I’m a better writer, and I make more money in less time.

No matter how slow, scared, and perfectionistic you are, you can light up your first-draft writing speed.

It’s not a mysterious, magical gift. It’s a skill, just like knowing where to put the commas or how to pitch an editor. And the better you get at it, the more you can earn.

Ready to fire up your first-draft writing speed? Check out these ten tips to write faster.

1. Sketch an outline

If you have a structure in mind, even a loose one, you’ll improve your writing speed. You won’t waste time wondering where your article should go next.

Does word “outline” scare you? Don’t let it. Your mean high school English teacher has left the building, and no one is going to make you use Roman numerals.

Tip: All you have to do is organize your ideas in a way that works for you. It can be as fancy as a spreadsheet or as simple as a few lines jotted on a piece of paper.

My outline for this assignment was short, and the finished post doesn’t follow it exactly. But it gave me a plan to get started and follow. More complex articles need more detailed outlines.

2. Do your research in advance

Get quotes, sources, statistics, links, and other information before you begin your draft. You might also want to research and choose SEO keyword terms.

Trying to research and write at the same time will mean you can’t focus on either task.

Tip: If doing research for an assignment is a huge time suck, check out these tips from research librarian Emily Jane-Dawson.

3. Just say “No” to distractions

Choose a quiet time and place, close the door, and remember Facebook is not your friend when you’re in writing mode. There’s also a growing number of apps available to help you manage distractions.

My no-distraction mode: I silence my phone and minimize my Internet tabs before I start a draft.

4. Begin with the end in mind

I can double my first draft writing speed if I know how I want to finish. This might mean:

• Choosing a quote or piece of advice from a source to leave readers with
• Writing a summary paragraph to wrap things up, or
• Pointing out questions that have yet to be answered

Tip: The conclusion can be the most time-consuming part of an article, so give it some thought before you begin.

5. Write a messy first-draft…fast

Throw the whole draft down onto the page as fast as you can. Don’t worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar, or getting every word perfect.

If you realize you need to fill something in, leave a space for it and blitz on. Don’t break your momentum.

Tip: Most freelance writers don’t need distractions like National Novel Writing Month. But if you’re going to do it anyway, the NaNoWriMo website has great resources for honing your sprint-writing skills in a fun environment. I learned a lot there.

6. Set a time limit

Don’t ignore this one. Time limits are a key element of learning how to write faster.

Set a timer for a work session. When the timer or stopwatch goes off, stop writing. Even if you’re almost done, stop writing. Take a break-get your eyes off the screen, get a bite of chocolate, walk out of the room.

Tip: Experiment to find the time limits that work best for you. The Pomodoro Technique is based on 25-minute work periods and 5-minute breaks. If you’re just starting out, try shorter time limits.

7. Reward yourself

Remember the old cartoons of greyhounds chasing mechanical rabbits? Incentives really do increase productivity and writing speed.

As soon as I finished the first draft of this guest post, I walked outside into the sunshine and checked the mailbox.

For you, a cup of coffee or a quick texting break might work wonders.

8. Learn to type faster

If you can two-finger type 100 words a minute, ignore this tip. If you can’t, consider upping your keyboarding skills.

Get to the point where you can type without thinking. Or look into dictation and speech-recognition software to increase your first draft speed.

Tip: Check out online typing apps and games to improve your writing speed.

9. Keep practicing

The more you write, the faster you’ll go. It’s easy to get bogged down thinking about how long it might take you to complete an assignment.

Don’t give up. It takes practice to improve your writing speed. If you keep going, you will get better.

Results: My speed and productivity have increased steadily the longer I’ve worked as a freelance writer.

10. Have fun

Surprised to find this tip in an article about how to write faster? I’ve left it for last because I want you to remember it.

Playfulness is one of the most important, underrated productivity hacks. When you’re working and having fun, it does’t really seem like work. Isn’t that part of what the freelance life is all about?

Now is always the best time to improve your writing speed

I’ve been writing all my life, and I still freeze at the beginning of a new draft. I froze when I started this one.

You too? Try getting over the block by spilling out the most ridiculous sentences. Be silly, relax. If you get stuck in the middle, inject more nonsense to get unstuck, and write faster.

If you want to to boost your writing speed, take your first draft seriously-but not too seriously. Let it be messy. Laugh at yourself. But above all, keep writing. And if you finish before the timer goes off, give yourself an extra reward.

Maria Veres is a freelance writer based in Oklahoma City. She wrote the first draft of this guest post in exactly 25 minutes.

You will have clients, ideas, stories, things you’re learning, things you’re trying, word trackers, pitching trackers, and more.

Diving into bullet journaling for writers can be a great way for you to manage all of those moving parts.

This is why you should learn how to use one. In this article, we will cover all the basics you need to know, how to set it up, and things you could track as a writer.

Bullet Journaling for Writers – An Overview

Becoming a full-time or even part-time freelance writer requires you to keep tabs on an endless amount of moving parts. You will often need to manage your thoughts and your ongoing tasks.

This is where bullet journaling can be your saving grace. It is a creative and flexible system that not only enhances productivity but also can help you understand your own creative process even better than before.

Yes, there are endless options when it comes to productivity software and things like that, but there is so much benefit from putting pen to paper and managing it all the old-fashioned way.

What Is Bullet Journaling?

Bullet Journaling, commonly known as BuJo, is a customizable organizational system designed to help individuals track their past, organize their present, and plan for the future. Originating as a simple note-taking method, it has evolved into a powerful tool embraced by various professionals, including writers.

Setting up a Bullet Journal for writing doesn’t require artistic prowess or extensive preparation. A blank notebook, a pen, and a willingness to experiment are all you need.

Begin with an index or table of contents, setting aside dedicated sections for brainstorming, plotting, character development, and more.

The Key Elements Of Bullet Journaling

1. Rapid Logging: The core of Bullet Journaling lies in rapid logging – a quick and efficient way to jot down ideas, tasks, and notes. For fiction writers, this means capturing fleeting thoughts, story concepts, and character traits on the go. For freelance writers, it could mean potential clients, leads, assignments, and more.
2. Collections: Create specialized collections within your Bullet Journal to house specific writing-related content. This could include your current assignments, due dates, article ideas, publications you are pursuing, and more.
3. Migration: Regularly review and migrate tasks and ideas to ensure nothing is forgotten. As a writer, this process is invaluable for keeping track of ongoing projects, revising drafts, and planning future works.
4. Monthly and Weekly Spreads: Use monthly and weekly spreads to map out writing goals, deadlines, and milestones. This provides a bird’s eye view of your writing journey and helps you allocate time effectively.
5. Trackers: Integrate trackers to monitor writing habits, word counts, and reading progress. Visualizing your achievements can be a powerful motivator and assist in maintaining a consistent writing routine.

Benefits of Bullet Journaling for Writers

Enhanced Productivity

The structured nature of Bullet Journaling ensures that no idea slips through the cracks. It provides a clear roadmap for your writing journey, making it easier to meet deadlines and accomplish goals.

Creative Exploration

The free-form nature of Bullet Journaling allows writers to explore ideas and concepts without constraints. Doodling, mind maps, and creative layouts can spark inspiration and lead to unexpected breakthroughs in your writing.

Personalized Planning

Tailor your Bullet Journal to suit your unique writing process. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or a spontaneous creator, the flexibility of the system allows for a personalized approach that aligns with your preferences.

Mindful Reflection

Regular reflection through the Bullet Journaling process fosters mindfulness about your writing journey. It encourages self-awareness, helping you identify patterns, overcome challenges, and celebrate accomplishments.

Story Idea and Inspiration Generator

Transform your Bullet Journal into a story idea generator by dedicating a section to prompts, snippets, and random thoughts. Whenever inspiration strikes, jot it down. Over time, this collection becomes a goldmine of ideas, ensuring you’re never at a loss for your next writing project.

Character Development Spread

Craft compelling characters by creating dedicated spreads for each character in your story. Include details like personality traits, backstory, and even visual references. Visualizing your characters in this way can bring them to life on the page, making them more authentic and relatable to your readers.

Word Sprints Tracker

For writers who thrive on word sprints, use your Bullet Journal to track your progress during these focused writing sessions. Note the date, time, and word count achieved in each sprint. This not only motivates you to improve with each session but also provides insight into your most productive writing periods.

Research Repository

Build a repository for research notes and references. Whether you’re delving into historical fiction, sci-fi, or fantasy, having a dedicated space to organize your research helps you seamlessly weave accurate and rich details into your narrative.

Submission Tracker

Navigate the world of submissions with a dedicated tracker. Keep tabs on where you’ve submitted your work, response times, and any feedback received. This not only helps you stay organized but also provides insights into the submission process, aiding in refining your approach.

Reading Log and Reviews

Expand your Bullet Journal into a reading log and review journal. Document the books you read, jot down your thoughts, and rate them. This not only serves as a delightful reading diary but can also offer valuable insights into different writing styles and genres.

Inspiration Collage

Create an inspiration collage by incorporating visual elements into your Bullet Journal. Collect images, quotes, and snippets that resonate with your current project. Flipping through these pages can reignite your creative spark when you’re in need of a burst of inspiration.

Writing Rituals and Habits

Explore and cultivate your writing rituals and habits by dedicating a section to your daily routines. Note down the time of day you feel most productive, any pre-writing rituals, or habits that contribute to your creative flow. This self-awareness can optimize your writing process for peak performance.

Revision Roadmap

Develop a revision roadmap by breaking down the editing process into manageable steps. Create a checklist for each revision stage, from the first draft to the final polish. This systematic approach ensures a thorough and organized revision process.

Overall

Incorporating these unique ideas into your Bullet Journaling practice can elevate your writing experience to new heights. By transforming your journal into a versatile tool that aligns with your creative process, you not only stay organized but also foster a deeper connection with your craft.

The Bullet Journal becomes not just a planner but a creative companion, guiding you through the twists and turns of your writing journey. So, customize your journal, experiment with different layouts, and watch as your creativity unfolds on the pages of your Bullet Journal.

In the world of writers, where creativity and organization collide, Bullet Journaling emerges as a versatile and empowering ally. By adopting this system, writers can navigate the intricate landscape of their creative minds with purpose and efficiency.

Ready To Build Your Writing Career?

If you have your bullet journal set up and ready to go, you probably want to make sure you are building a career that can withstand any things you throw at your career.

No matter what happens in the world, you can still build a profitable, solid career. Get the recession-proof ebook to build a great writing career:

But more than this, Ackerman and Puglisi are professionals at articulating ways to think through your story in profound ways. Their work in One Stop For Writers is profound, and reviewing it is a must. However, along with the pros, there are a few cons. In this One Stop For Writers review I cover it all. Let’s dive in with an overview of what it is.

What is One Stop For Writers?

One Stop For Writers is an online tool created by authors to aid writers in their storytelling process. When you first enter the website, the following copy jumps out at you:

“With the right tools, your writing career can soar. Spellbinding worlds, unforgettable characters, and powerful storytelling are just a click away.”

One Stop For Writers

Every writer wants to write a great story that boasts compelling characters and a plot that keeps readers turning the pages. So what exactly are these tools, features, and how do you use them? 

One Stop For Writers Review: Key Features

To begin this One Stop For Writers review, it’s important to list the key features so you know exactly what you’re getting. The website’s landing page shows the following menu bar: Information Desk, Thesaurus, The Stacks, and Connect. If you click “The Stacks” the following features show up:

• Storyteller’s roadmap
• Character builder
• Story maps 
• Scene maps (formal)
• Scene maps (informal)
• Timelines 
• Worldbuilding surveys
• Idea generator 
• Templates and worksheets 
• Checklists and tip sheets
• Tutorials

With so many options to choose from, it may seem a bit overwhelming, but let’s break these features down.

Storyteller’s Roadmap, Character Builder, and Story Maps

If you are new to writing, want to stay organized as you write, or want to take a deep dive into your characters, these first three features are for you. 

Not only can you roadmap your story through learning how to plan, write, and revise, but you can create in-depth characters and maps that enhance your story. 

Scene Maps, Timelines, Worldbuilding Surveys, and Idea Generator

Scene maps aid you in creating each scene, while timelines help ensure you avoid plot holes and inconsistencies. 

The worldbuilding survey acts as a guide as you create a completely new world (fantasy, science-fiction, etc.) or build a world from what you know (historical fiction, crime fiction, etc.). 

And if you ever struggle with writer’s block, the idea generator gives you different angles and ideas to push you onward. 

Templates and Worksheets, Checklists, and Tip Sheets

This is for writers who:

• Prefer to work from a template
• Follow a worksheet
• Want to make sure they check off every important aspect
• Need a few tips

These next features provide the guidance you need. What’s particularly helpful with these features is that successful, established authors created them. They know what you, the writer, are going through because they’ve been there themselves. 

Tutorials

Additionally, what sets this One Stop For Writers review apart from other reviews of services is its hands-on, in-depth guidance from authors. If you’re unsure how to move forward or need a bit of help, One Stop For Writers has an entire section dedicated to tutorials. 

Pros and Cons

Like any service, there are pros and cons. A One Stop For Writers review would not be complete without discussing both the positives and negatives. First, let’s look at pricing. 

Pricing

One Stop For Writers offers three tiers of pricing options, starting with a monthly payment and progressing to an annual payment. 

• Monthly: $11 per month
• Biannually: $60 
• Annually: $105

The pro for these payment plans is that if you find you benefit from the service, you can subscribe for an annual fee that is significantly less than paying monthly. Additionally, One Stop For Writers offers a two-week, free trial so you can get a feel for the service before any financial investment. 

However, with these price points in mind it’s important to take note of which features you will use and which ones may not fit your needs.

For instance, if you don’t enjoy plotting your story out and prefer to discover your characters as you write them, several of the features you pay for won’t be used. When choosing whether or not to invest in this service, note which features will benefit you and if it is worth the price point. 

Plotters versus Pantsers 

Throughout this One Stop For Writers review it’s become clear that this service is extremely beneficial, well thought out, and crafted for writers. However, many of the features discussed above seem best suited for plotters. 

If you are a pantser and prefer to write your story as it comes to you, rather than plot it out, many of One Stop For Writers’ features will lie dormant. 

That said, a few of their features stand out among the rest. These features work for either type of writer, and even hybrid writers who partially plot. Specifically the Thesaurus feature, deemed the largest show-don’t-tell database for writers available anywhere, may be worth the annual investment. 

Great writing heavily relies on showing the story rather than simply describing what happens. For a little over one hundred dollars a year, access to this database may be worth considering. 

Alternatives to One Stop For Writers 

Now that you are aware of One Stop For Writers, reviews, and have processed some of the pros and cons, there is one final step to cover. If you do not require all the features and prefer to invest in a service aimed at a specific aspect of writing, below are a few options.

Inkarnate—This service was created for fantasy writers as they seek to create their storyworlds. If you want to focus strictly on map-building, Inkarnate offers a free and paid version. 

TypingChimp—This is a software for fiction writers and focuses on the following: your characters, plots, and story worlds. Rather than pay monthly or annually, this is a one-time investment and offers integration with Scrivener. 

SelfPublishing—This service is geared for writers who desire: coaching, online education for writing and publishing, a like-minded writing community, and a book production package. If you have your book idea but want help using it to create impact, this service is for you.

Post This One Stop For Writers Review: Next Steps

You may want to consider signing up for the free, two-week trial for One Stop For Writers, see if you enjoy it, and then go from there.  One Stop For Writers is a comprehensive service for writers who desire a formulaic process for creating their stories and characters. 

If you find yourself at this part of the writing process, investing several hours browsing the website during your free trial could be extremely beneficial. 

Remember, all writers work differently. Writing is subjective, so what works for you may not work for others. Take some time to familiarize yourself with One Stop For Writers, come up with your own pros and cons, and then consider taking the plunge!

If you’re interested in checking out a list of free blogging platforms, you have come to the right place. As of the time of writing the article, there are still a few great options!

Free blogging sties won’t suit everyone, but if you’re looking for a place to share your writing and don’t care about a lot of customization or extra features (or you have the skills to add those yourself) then one of these options may be a good fit.

List of Free Blogging Platforms

Let’s go over some of the options of the free blogging platforms out there so you can pick a good fit for what you need.

Keep in mind, unless you buy your own domain for your blog, you will often have a subdomain from the main website host you plan to put your free blog on.

Substack

Many writers have launched Substack newsletters, and it’s also a good free option for blogging. It’s free to get started, and there’s also a paid subscription option (which Substack will take a cut from for operating expenses).

If you already have a blog somewhere else, Substack allows you to import your posts and emails into their platform during setup.

Medium

Over the years, Medium has become one of the more popular blogging options.

With Medium, you do not get your own website but you can start to write a blog on their platform in just a few minutes of registering with an account.

Medium also has their own internal search, so people can find your blog and posts to read and then choose to subscribe. There is also a payment method within Medium, if your blog is doing well and attracting enough readers.

Wix

Wix is a popular blogging option for people who want to use a free platform.

With Wix, if you do decide to grow your website and upgrade your hosting, domain, or website in general, there are options for you to easily pay and do so. Upgrading will also allow you to do things like take payments.

If you do not have any tech skills, Wix is easy to set up since you can use drag-and-drop options to design the overall look of your site.

WordPress

WordPress is a common blogging platform, both for free bloggers and for professional websites. It is one of the most powerful options when it comes to putting a website.

Keep in mind, there are two versions of WordPress, although they are both the same parent company: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

The dot com website is the options that offers free websites. The dot org option is one you will need to install on a website you have purchased for hosting, the domain, and so on.

With WordPress.com, you have less ways to customize your website and overall design, but you do have templates to choose from that can work best with your free blog.

Drupal

Drupal might not be as well-known as some of the other blogging options on this list, but if you are up for a little bit of a tech learning curve, it might be a perfect fit for what you need.

It offers an open source content management system that you can fully customize with code and build to be exactly what you need.

If you do not know much about coding or anything in that world, you can skip this option, but for those that do, this might be exactly the type of thing you need.

Should You Use a Free or Paid Blogging Platform?

If you want to take blogging seriously, you will most likely decide to use a paid platform or build your own site (hosting, domain, template, etc.).

However, using a free blogging platform is a great way to test the waters before you choose to invest anything more than time.

Some from the list of free blogging platforms listed above come with a built-in design so you don’t have to do anything but write. That’s a huge help for people without the technical skills to build and maintain their own website.

Cons of Free Blogging Platforms

Here are a few reasons you might not want to use a free blogging platform.

Harder to monetize

Blogs that are free can be harder to monetize because you do not often have as many customization or monetization options as you will have with your own site.

May not be able to fully customize your site

If you have a free blogging platform, you do not always have the option of installing templates or website themes to fully customize your website look.

May not be able to take payments

Some free blogging platforms will not allow you to take payments, so be sure do double-check if ones do or not if that is something you need out of a platform.

You do not have a custom domain

The price of free means you use the platforms domain, not your own unique one. Some free options allow a custom domain upgrade, so if this is important to you then check that out before getting started.

Search engine issues

Sometimes search engines will prioritize websites that have their own domain versus sites that do not and only are using a free platform.

Is Blogging Still Worth It?

Even though social media channels like YouTube and TikTok are dominating the content creation market right now, there are still many benefits to starting and maintaining a blog.

One reasons is to create an additional revenue stream. Yes, there are blogs that earn money and provide a full-time income for writers.

However, blogs are also useful for creating a place to express your thoughts or practice writing. You can become a stronger writer by continually practicing in public.

Another reason to start a blog is to use it as a portfolio or a platform for attracting writing work. When you have something that is high-quality for clients and publications to see, it increases your chances of landing the job.

If you feel that the excitement of the new year has long worn off and you’re looking for a way to re-inspire yourself in your writing endeavors, you may want to look into writer retreats near you. Or, if you have the ability to travel, you might consider making an extended trip out of it. 

No matter where you are in your writing process, choosing the best writing retreat for your needs can help you continue toward your goals. 

What Are Writer Retreats? 

The goal of writer retreats is to to use dedicated writing time to progress any project in a supportive environment. Unlike writing conferences, retreats primarily focus on the activity of writing. When you attend a conference, the goal is usually multifaceted: 

• Learn from the workshops you attend 
• Pitch your project during appointments 
• Network with other writers 

While writer retreats are a great place to network, their sole focus is to help you, the writer, get closer to the finish line in your work-in-progress. If you’re mid-project or need help getting started, here is a list of writer retreats you can attend no matter where you are in the world. 

Writer Retreats In 4 Regions

Writer retreats span the globe. Whether you find yourself living in the US, Canada, or across the pond in Europe or Asia, below are twenty writer retreat options for you to choose from. 

1. United States 

First, let’s take a look at five writer retreats in the United States. 

Ragdale

This nonprofit residency program offers over 100 residencies and various themed residencies. No matter which session you attend, you will experience:

• Uninterrupted time for writing 
• An environment built to support your goals 
• Fifty acres of idyllic prairie
• Community dinner every night

Millay

Looking for writer retreats based out of New York? Millay offers writer retreats that are both two and four weeks long. These residencies are geared for poets and creative fiction and nonfiction writers. 

Live Free And Write

Located in New England, this writers’ retreat offers both workshops to strengthen your writing abilities and extended time to put your newfound skills to work. 

Private Retreat In Maui

Join just one or two other writers and the retreat’s host in a private home. Surrounded by the scenes and scents of Hawaii, spend your mornings walking the beach and the rest of your day writing. 

Retreat and Create

Have you heard of writer retreats including massages and yoga? Look no further. This retreat offers solitary time to write, the option for community meals, and hiking to inspire you imagination. 

2. Canada

Next up, writer retreats in Canada. Whether you want to cross the border to attend or already reside there, these retreats could help your career.

Writers’ Trust

Writer retreats are frequently open to writers in any stage of the process. This retreat in Canada is aimed at writers who have a minimum of one professionally published book. If you’re looking to surround yourself with established writers and fit the criteria, this is for you.

Fireside Writing Retreat

This retreat offers the option of fireside feedback. While you have time to write on your own, you can spend the evenings with other writers in the firelight, swapping tips. 

Pulp Literature

Don’t have much time but want a brief getaway? This single day writing retreat gives you space to write, workshop your story, and of course, enjoy the wine and dine offerings.

Warbler’s Roost

Rent space at a discounted rate, surround yourself with other creatives in a peaceful environment, and write your book at Warbler’s Roost in Ontario.

Writers’ Residency

A two-week residency focused on poetry writers, this getaway is designed to help you take your writing to the next level in just two weeks.

3. Europe

Who doesn’t love a creative getaway in Europe? Let’s start in Greece.

Corfu, Greece Writer Retreats 

This six night, seven day retreat takes place in Greece, surrounded by just four to seven other writers. If you’re ready for tantalizing food and fantastic views, this writer retreat is for you. 

Tuscany, Italy

Targeted for both writers and aspiring writers, this week away in Tuscany will fuel your creative juices and help you focus on writing in a breath-taking environment. 

Loire Valley

Travel to rural France for peaceful writing sessions. Whether you’re a fiction writer, poet, songwriter, or academic, this retreat is for you. 

Switzerland

Writer retreats often offer one or two of the following, this one offers all three: Quiet time to write, workshops, and feedback sessions to aid your growth. 

Mallorca

This one week writer retreat helps you write your book in the time you spend in Mallorca. Are you on deadline? Sequester yourself on this island and crank out your novel! 

4. Asia

Last, but certainly not least, writer retreats throughout Asia.

Himalayan Writer Retreats 

Located in India, this retreat brings in professionals to teach you how to level-up your writing. If you can’t make the retreat in person, they offer online writing courses as well. 

Memoir Retreat 

This retreat encourages writers to bring their book ideas, first chapters, or even completed draft for feedback, and offer a wide array of idyllic locations for writing.

Write Your Journey

Set in Vietnam, this six day writing retreat provides you the atmosphere and leisure time to write your book. 

Business Writing Retreat

Writer retreats focused on the business aspect are few and far between, and this one is led by an author of six books who also provides business coaching. 

Koh Phangan, Thailand

This week-long retreat takes place on a tropical island. Its focus is to help you take large steps toward the completion of your book, wherever you may be in the process.

Why Attend Writer Retreats: Your Next Step To Success

If flying out of the country or even taking a week off work seems like a luxury you’re not sure you should take, don’t click away just yet. 

Most of us have some vacation time we can take, and even if traveling to one of the above retreats isn’t an option at this time, there is always the option of online writer retreats. 

If you can take the time off, but you’re not sure traveling to an aesthetic location can really balance out the other variables, consider these few points. Writer retreats:

• Provide you a change of pace and environment to stimulate creativity 
• Allow you to meet other like-minded creatives and network 
• Create a space for you to write without distraction

Provided that you do have the option of going on a retreat this year, you may want to consider the pros of devoting time specifically to your writing. 

Yes, you can tell your friends and family you’ll be in your writing cave and not to disturb you, but we all know sometimes changing our location is the only way to eliminate distractions. 

Besides, you never know what ideas a change of scenery may inspire, what friends you may meet, or how restful writer retreats can be. Let us know if you decide to go on one, and which one you pick!

They titled their article, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives” and since its release, smart goals have been discussed by a plethora of people. But what exactly are smart goals and can they help writers? 

What are Smart Goals?

The SMART acronym stands for the following type of goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Smart goal setting allows individuals to create parameters around their goals in order to help them find success. 

Imagine how helpful it would be to have a way to measure your creativity as a writer or assess how close you are to achieving your goals. Let’s dive into the specifics of how smart goals help writers.

How Smart Goals Help Writers

Due to the five unique aspects of this acronym, smart goals offer five key helps to writers. 

1. Specific 

First, when you choose to set a smart goal, you must choose a specific method. For writers, this can alleviate pressure that comes with the subjectivity of creative writing. For writers, specific goals could look like answering the following questions:

• How many words do I want to write daily?
• How many agents do I hope to query this month?
• What is the number one area I need to study more in writing?

Setting specific goals helps you set the trajectory for your success.

2. Measurable 

In addition to your specificity, your goal should be measurable. Let’s say you want to write 10,000 words in one month. This comes out to roughly 500 words per week day. When it comes time to measure your goals, you can articulate exactly how close you came to meeting your goal, or even how far you exceeded it.

3. Achievable 

But what if writing 500 words a day (roughly two pages of double-spaced Word documents) isn’t doable for you in this season? If you can’t achieve your goal, you set yourself up for failure. Set a goal, then make it achievable by lessening your daily workload just a bit. If you believe you can write 500 words every week day, set a goal of writing 475 words four days a week. 

4. Relevant 

It’s easy to set goals that are irrelevant to your ultimate dream. If you want to be a full time creative writer, but set a goal of learning code to create your first website, you may be veering off track a bit. Instead, choose a goal that is relevant to your larger dream. 

• Learn to set up your own website with a template 
• Hire a web designer to create a custom site
• Invest in a creative writing course 

Always make sure your goals take you closer to your dream in the most effective way possible.

5. Time-Bound

“I want to write a 80,000 word novel” is a goal. “I want to write a 80,000 word novel in the next nine months” is a time-bound goal. The first goal is subjective and open-ended. The second goal forces you to create actionable steps to meet it.

How to Set Smart Goals 

Learning goal-setting techniques can be the difference between ultimate success and failure. So, how do you set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound goals? You start by accurately assessing your strengths and weaknesses. 

Look At Yourself Honestly

What are your current, ongoing commitments and how much time do you have remaining? If you work a full-time job and are married with kids, your smart goals will look different than a single, college-student working part-time. 

Also assess how much innate passion or drive you have, how many hours you need to sleep per night to function well, and if you have a writing community around you to encourage. 

Set Your Long-Term Goal And Articulate Obstacles 

Let’s say, for example, that you attend college full-time and work part time. Your long-term goal is to be a full-time writer. You dream of becoming a published author. What is keeping you from this goal? Perhaps one or more of the following:

• Your part time work takes up writing time
• You need to learn how to write to industry-standard 
• You’re unsure what idea to choose to write on

Once you can attach words to your roadblocks, it’s time to set an action plan.

Set Your Immediate Trajectory 

What steps do you need to take to reach your goal, and what is the most efficient path to get there?

• Your part time work takes up writing time → Consider applying for jobs that center on writing (marketing, ads, etc.)
• You need to learn writing rules → Invest in a mentorship program or purchase books on writing
• Your unsure what idea to write on → Join a writing community and share some of your ideas 

After you honestly look at yourself, identify obstacles, and set a rough next-step plan, it’s time to create your smart goals. 

Smart Goals: Make It Your Own

If your long term goal is to become a published author but you need to write your book, consider the following example.

Specific: I want to write my rough draft in one year. 
Measurable: I want to write my memoir of 55,000 words in the next six months.  
Achievable: I must type roughly one and a half, double-spaced pages, daily. 
Relevant: I love books and want to be an author, so this will help me on my journey.
Time-bound: I will begin next Monday and have my draft written six months from then.

You can also make smart goals into an action-packed sentence, similar to an elevator pitch: I will write a page and a half every day for six months to complete my rough draft and near my ultimate goal of becoming an author. 

Mistakes to Avoid

Like all goal-setting, smart goals can have mistakes wound up inside. For instance, what if you realize one week in that there’s no way you can write your predetermined word count in the time frame you set?

Or what if you make a goal of writing your first trilogy in the next three years? That’s a huge goal, but very distant. What if you have four smart goals and are pursuing each one at the same time?

These mistakes are common, and thankfully, there’s an easy fix: Simply reassess. Did you set too high of a word count? Track your writing progress until you can identify an achievable, daily number. Reset your goal. 

Is your goal too distant? Set smaller goals that will lead to it. Are you pursuing too much at once? Choose the most important goal and work toward it first. 

The phrase smart goals is an over four-decades old term for baby steps. Like children learning to walk, it’s important to take it slow and make each step achievable. You only learn to walk by first standing up. 

Smart goals act as a guide to help you create those baby steps, and ultimately, achieve them.

There are many ways writers can use AI and AI writing tools to better their writing, but before we dive into the specifics, what exactly is it? 

• What Is AI?
• Ways Writers Can Use AI Writing Tools
• Top 5 AI Writing Tools
• Choosing Your Tool
• Make the Most of Your Writing Time

What Is AI?

AI, or artificial intelligence, is a way to generate new content, based on existing data, and uses machines to do so. There are many types of AI, but for the purposes of this article, we specifically focus on AI writing tools. 

Ways Writers Can Use AI Writing Tools

Writers can use AI writing tools in a plethora of ways, some of which can speed up your writing process, and others that can take away your unique writing voice. Regardless of the pros and cons of this type of tool, educating yourself on it is an important step for writers today. 

Outline Content 

One of the ways you can use AI writing tools to your advantage is by making it generate outlines for your next blog post or article. Whether you need a template to follow or just a brief outline to get you started, AI writing tools can save you copious amounts of time. 

When using AI tools to outline, it’s important to make sure you follow the legal parameters set in place. For instance, if copy is protected by robots.txt, you’ll want to make sure you don’t crawl content from these protected pages. 

Write Your Next Book

You can also use AI writing tools to write your book for you. Sudowrite, discussed later in this article, is one software that does so. This specific writing tool generates up to 300 words for you (over a page of double spaced work). 

With this in mind, do be cognizant of the voice, tone, and style AI writing tools give you. While these tools can be extremely helpful for writing a book and writing it extremely quickly, your unique tone will change in at least minor ways. 

Craft Your Plot Points 

Another use for AI writing tools is in creating your plot. Sudowrite (previously mentioned) has a tool called Canvas that provides you multiple plot points to choose from. If you feel stuck and want AI to present next steps for your characters, you can do so with this writing tool.

When using Canvas, or other types of AI tools, be aware that generated plot points are like a type of maze: There are many journeys through the maze that will lead you to the finish line, but by entering the maze you choose to take a pre-generated path, rather than create one of your own choosing.

Top 5 AI Writing Tools

Let’s take a look at the top five AI writing tools and then discuss which one may or may not be best for you, and why. 

1. Jasper

Jasper allows you a free trial as well as request to a free demo. To get started, you need to bring seed words to the platform so that it has a starting copy to analyze. Of all the AI writing tools out there, Jasper is known as one of the top in the list. Jasper offers long-form writing help, supports over twenty languages, and is said to include 2,500 categories of writing styles. 

2. Sudowrite

This tool was built for creative writers and offers four different categories:

• Writing: generates up to 300 words at a time
• Pacing: ability to lengthen scenes to slow down the pace
• Canvas: creates various plot points you can choose from
• Visualization: offers graphics to help you visualize 

Sudowrite acts as the creative and you get to simply watch a book come to life. 

3. SEMRush

SEMRush is known primarily for its SEO capabilities, but it also offers AI writing tools to help you craft articles. If you provide it with a few keywords, SEMRush will generate an article for you. However, if another SEMRush user implements the same keywords, your articles may look quite similar. 

4. Rytr 

Rytr’s writing assistant writes articles for you. You simply get it started, walk away from the computer, and upon your return, your article waits for you. This tool includes a grammar and plagiarism check to help your writing stay safe and look professional. 

5. Chibi AI

AI writing tools often generate content for you, but Chibi AI is more of a helping hand for when you stumble into a mental block. Chibi AI can also help you edit your writing, offer feedback on your writing, and has a custom NLP system to help enhance its accuracy. 

Choosing Your Tool

With five versatile AI writing tools to choose from, how do you decide which one is best for you? The answer comes down to your goals and how you want to reach them. Consider the following questions: 

• Would you benefit from AI writing your book for you, or do you want to act as the creative behind your story?
• Does generating an outline sound like a great time saver, or do you want to create your own outlines?
• How could AI help speed up your turnaround process as a blogger, or would generating content in this way hinder your credibility as a writer?

There are pros and cons to AI writing tools, ethical factors to consider, and the time element to take a look at. Some writers can greatly benefit from AI generated outlines, articles, and even books. This can save them time, and as the saying goes, time is money. 

Other writers love the creative process of taking their book from ideation to completion, want to build their credibility as a thought leader and writer, and desire their writing to be self-generated (some platforms award “Human Writer” certificates for writing done without AI).

Whether you fall into one of these two camps or a hybrid of both, AI writing tools are worth learning about and establishing a knowledge base in. 

Make the Most of Your Writing Time

In a busy world, it’s crucial for writers to learn how to make the most of their creative time. For many, that means using some form of AI, whether Grammarly, an SEO software, or writing tools specifically made to generate content via AI.

For other writers, the bare bones of AI is all they need to set them on their creative writing journey. They don’t want artificial intelligence plotting their story, much less writing it. 

But where do you fall? How will this type of writing tool benefit your writing, speed up your turnaround time, or distract from your authentic writing voice? That’s up for you, the creative, to discover. 

Feel free to browse the websites for the five AI writing tools listed above, see which ones may work for you, which ones may hinder you, and then set the trajectory for your writing. 

When it comes to AI, there is no one size fits all. How these writing tools benefit you will vary. Do your research, honestly assess where you’re at, and then get back to work!

“UX” is technology language for user experience. As a UX writer, you are focused on making sure the writing on websites, apps, and more, provides a pleasant experience. If you want to know how to become a UX writer, you will need to spend more time developing skills outside of just creative writing.

Not only do you need to persuade the people on the website to do what you want them to do, but you also need to make sure it’s aesthetic and fits perfectly in the space allowed.

It is a field that is growing in demand, with more and more businesses needing professional websites that give customers a top-notch experience.

If you have wondered what UX writing is, how to become a UX writer, the skills required, and where to find jobs, we will be covering all of that and more.

What Is UX Writing?

UX means user experience. As a UX writer, your job is to cater to the user’s experience on a website or other professionally designed platform.

To make it easy to understand, have you ever been on a website that was terribly designed? None of the buttons worked, half the text went off the page, or some fonts would not load on your screen? That is what a terrible user experience is like.

Bad sites can break trust with potential customers because it just demonstrates that they are not professionals or do not take their image seriously.

That is where designers and UX writers come into play.

When you’re a UX writer, you are not only thinking about the customer reading the page, but you are taking the overall website design into consideration. On top of all of that you also need to be able to write in the brand’s voice and keep it consistent across all of the things you write.

You are working hard to make sure it is a pleasant experience for everyone, while also using copywriting skills to persuade the reader to take action.

When you are on a perfectly designed site, it feels effortless. You are able to understand everything, it flows together well, it tells you exactly what you need to know, and you are happier using it.

Skills Needed As A UX Writer

UX writing is under the umbrella of technical writing, along with specialties like copywriting, but it does have its own skill sets required.

Since UX writing is closely tied with copywriting, you will need to learn a lot about copywriting and marketing in general.

That means you’ll need to study things like persuasive writing, behaviors of customers, the psychology behind purchases, and even a little bit of sales.

On top of all of that, you will also need to study design elements. You will need to know which fonts go best together, how to properly size and fit in your text, and know what the goals are for the website you are writing for.

It is quite a lot of work! That’s why UX designers are in demand everywhere, since so many businesses have to have professional websites.

How To Become A UX Writer

#1 – Master the basics

The first thing you will need to do is to learn the ins and outs of UX writing and copywriting. Whether you choose to take a course, self study, or watch a lot of YouTube videos, you will need to know the basics.

UX writing is different than other kinds of freelance writing, so you will need to know what you are doing before you jump into working with and taking on clients.

#2 – Learn persuasive and UX writing-specific skills

This means you might need to learn about copywriting, the basics of design, different fonts and why people choose different ones.

You will want to take the time to study UX writing advice and figure out how everything flows together. UX writing is much different than creative writing, and while creative writing can help you become a better writer, you will need to deeply study UX writing and how it works.

#3 – Look around the internet

Now that you have a base skill set, this is a good time to look around various websites and start to mentally think about how you would improve each of them.

This is a good way to practice your skills without directly taking on client work. You will now be able to spot problems on websites and start to tune your eye for how you would fix it or what you would do to make it better.

#4 – Showcase your skills

After you have been practicing a lot and have put together some samples, you will want to collect them all into one central place. This will not only give you something to show clients, but you will be able to see your own growth as you practice and continue to learn.

Ideally, you will have a solid portfolio to show off that you can keep adding to as you take on more projects.

#5 – Work with tangible projects

Once you feel confident with your UX writing skills, you need to get your hands on some real world projects to do.

Whether you help a friend with a website, get an internship, try your hand at a few freelance projects, or anything else, you need to directly apply these skills to the real world.

Working with real world projects also gives you the ability to get direct feedback, which gives you a chance to improve your skills for the next project you work on.

After you get to this step, now you need to decide whether you want to keep doing freelance work or find a job as a UX writer.

Where To Find Work As A UX Writer

Since UX writing is so technically intertwined with technology and websites, there are a ton of different avenues you can take for this career.

You could choose to go the freelance or side hustle path or on the other end you could take a UX writing job at one of the big companies such as Apple, Google, or Amazon.

It really depends on what you want out of this career, but know that both are viable paths. You could also choose to freelance until you try it out enough and find a job in the field, or vice versa.

Either way, you will need to put together a solid portfolio to show off to clients. That will be the most essential step you take because your portfolio will speak volumes over any kind of training or education you have.

Clients and employers will always want to visually see what you can create and understand how you approach projects.

If you are looking for a traditional or remote job, you will find UX writing jobs on almost any job board or platform such as LinkedIn.

Ready to Become A Freelance Writer?

If you are truly ready to succeed as a freelance writer, the Writers Den 2X is exactly what you need to start finding work and getting paid.

It has a proven framework to get you out of thinking mode and get you out in the world to become a professional. Whether you want to pursue UX writing or any other kind of freelance writing, you will want to check it out:

On the other hand, passive voice is sometimes used both accidentally and intentionally. How do we know when to use active versus passive voice? What do they mean? What are the proper ways to use these two polar opposite voices? In this article, we discuss: 

• Active Versus Passive: Defined
• When To Use
• When Not To Use
• Examples From Real Writing

If you’re new to writing, consider this a 30,000-foot view of what to do and what not to do. If you are a writer with years of experience, use this as a refresher to familiarize yourself with this highly discussed writing rule. 

Active Versus Passive: Defined

A simple way to define active versus passive voice is by saying active voice does the action, and passive voice is acted upon. As you seek to differentiate between the two, look for these common red-flag words:

• Am
• Are
• Is
• Was
• Were
• Be
• Being 
• Been

Otherwise known as state-of-being verbs, the above list acts as markers pointing you to the type of voice you use. Consider the following two sentences with active versus passive voice in mind:

#1 – He was going to get his car looked at by the mechanic. 

#2 – He took his car to the mechanic so he could look at it. 

The first example employs passive voice: He was going. The second example uses active voice: He took his car. 

The difficulty arises in deciding when to use active versus passive voice and how to decide. In today’s captions, journalism, blogging, and articles, professional writers often prefer active voice between the two. But what about when it comes to storytelling? 

When To Use Active Voice

Jerry Jenkins, 21-time New York Times bestselling author, says this: “Avoiding passive voice will set you apart from much of your competition, but even better, it will give your writing a distinct ring of clarity.”

Do you want to stand out in the competition? Do you want to bring clarity to your writing? Choose to use active voice and take the time necessary to learn how to spot passive voice. 

Here is a list of places you should (as a rule) use active voice over passive:

• Emails
• Social media captions
• Blog posts
• Articles 
• Nonfiction 
• Fiction 
• Speeches 

You probably get the idea! It’s absolutely crucial to master active voice. Consider the following email example:

Hi John,

I am going to be out of town this weekend and I am wondering if you would be able to cover for me. Is there anything I am able to do to help before I leave?

Thank you,

Jane

Now take a look at this email: 

Hi John,

This weekend I’m out of town. Could you cover for me? Let me know if I can help before I leave.

Thank you,

Jane

The first email, passive voice, includes unnecessary words and takes up John’s time. The second email, active voice, states the point in a succinct, yet still polite, manner. 

When Not To Use Active Voice

With the above examples in mind, you may still wonder, “When should I use active versus passive voice?” According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, in their Supporting English Acquisition, they say to use passive voice to: 

#1 – Keep discourse topics in the subject position of sentences

#2 – Avoid mentioning the agent of an action

#3 – Emphasize the receiver of an action

While these are exceptions to the active versus passive voice rule, remember that for creative writing, active voice usually comprises the most accepted form of writing. With the groundwork laid, let’s dive into examples from real writing. 

Active Versus Passive Voice: Examples From Real Writing

As you look through the following examples, pay attention to the examples that grab your attention, the ones you find yourself distracted while reading, and the ones that seem to include too many words. 

#1 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J. K. Rowling

“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.”

Yes, I realize I took an example of passive voice from the series Rowling used to reportedly gross over $1 billion from. So, if you can write books like Rowling and teach a generation to love reading, by all means, use passive voice. 

#2 – Dead Sea Conspiracy, Jerry B. Jenkins

“Conflicted. How else could Nicole Berman describe herself on one of the most pivotal mornings of her life? As the first woman, and certainly the first under the age of forty, to be awarded a permit to serve as lead archaeologist on a dig here, she should have been euphoric.”

Note Jenkins’ use of both active and passive voice. The first main sentence uses active voice. The second uses passive voice: “To be awarded.” However, in this case, passive voice fits due to her earning an award given by others. 

#3 – All Over But The Shoutin’, Rick Bragg

“My mother and father were born in the most beautiful place on earth, in the foothills of the Appalachians along the Alabama-Georgia line. It was a place where gray mists hid the tops of low, deep-green mountains, where redbone and blue tick hounds flashed through the pines and they chased possums into the sacks of old men in frayed overalls…”

While Bragg does use passive voice, the tone of his life story calls for it. His book is a national bestseller for a reason. 

#4 – Fable, Adrienne Young 

“Between the trees, I could see Koy and the others kicking up sand as they pushed off the beach. The skiff slid into the water, and I ran faster, my bare feet finding their way over twisted tree roots and buried rock on the path. I came through the thicket just in time to see the smirk on Koy’s lips as the sail dropped open.”

This first-person, active voice opening grips the reader and draws them into the story.

#5 – Atomic Habits, James Clear

“The fate of British Cycling changed one day in 2003. The organization, which was the governing body for professional cycling in Great Britain, had recently hired Dave Brailsford as its new performance director. At the time, professional cyclist in Great Britain had endured nearly one hundred years of mediocrity.”

This nonfiction, New York Times bestseller mixes both active and passive voice in a way that highlights the stories Clear shares. 

Take Your Action Step Today

The fun part about writing is that you get to make the choice of what’s best for your story, active versus passive voice or a mix of both. Read, read, read as you make your choice to familiarize yourself with both styles.

Writing has rules to follow, but it is subjective. Do your research, make your choice, and then write with boldness. Best wishes on your endeavors!