How To Write Faster: Strategies for Planners and Pantsers

Plan Draft Revise is the secret to writing fast.
If you're a Planner, you map out your whole story before writing a single word. You clothe the outline in narrative, revise the structure top-down, and then polish the wording. As long as you resist the impulse to compose and edit at the same time, you'll write faster.
But what about Pantsers, those writers who write by the seat of their pants? Half of all writers plunge in without knowing where their story will go, and when something unexpected happens, they're as surprised as their readers.
Pantsers are often told to write more like Planners, but it's bad advice. If you try to outline when it doesn't come naturally, your writing will suffer. Instead, select the techniques that best suit your personality. There's no advantage to being either a Planner or Pantser. Both produce good writing, and both are equally fast.
PDR for Planners:
- Problem-solve using visual tools
- Draft in narrative summary
- Revise with a top-down plan, structure to surface
PDR for Seat-of-the-Pantsers:
- Plan in your head - character development and world building
- Free writing, the best source of new ideas
- Map turning points onto a simple structure
Whether you're a Planner or a Pantser, "Plan Draft Revise" will help you write faster without making you change your style.