Here's how you can write faster as a journalist without sacrificing quality.

Whether it's pitching, writing, researching, following up, or editing, I have it all explicitly scheduled in my calendar. Block off time for each of these tasks specifically and adjust time blocks accordingly.

You don't have to follow an outline that you created at the beginning while writing an article later. But it really helps you decide which information you want to include in your article which in turn helps you research faster. And, gathering only useful information, you won't waste time on filtering out unnecessary things.

Your outline isn't just what guides your article, it even guides your pitch. It should be flexible. The end result may not directly reflect its order, but it's more so for the contents anyway. Think of it as a mind map—a springboard for brainstorming and ensuring you cover all the essential points.

I don’t personally find outlining useful to article writing. However, planning ahead should be in your toolbox. I use index cards. On each card, I’ll write a quote or two from a source. On the back of the card, I’ll write any relevant thoughts or facts to back up that particular quote. It’s important to craft your story around the quotes as opposed to the unethical practice of using quotes to get your particular idea out.

I learned the importance of this lesson while writing sports for a small daily newspaper, back in the days when newspapers still roamed the earth. When at my desk cranking a feature story or a game story or a column, I had to learn to get into my bubble and ignore everything else while I wrote. Ignore the telephones ringing in the office, the chatter of co-workers, the outburst from an editor upset over something, the venting of the photographer who just came back from an assignment in which he dropped his lens and cracked it. I had no control over what happened in the office while I was there. The only thing I could control was my focus on what mattered at the moment.

A principle that has served me as a journalist, a professional writer, and college composition instructor was always to write a draft first, and then revise and edit it. Do not revise and edit while drafting. Get words out of your head onto the screen first. Let your fingers fly over the keyboard. Don't revise or edit until you complete the first draft. The more you write, the better you get at it, and the faster the words will come.

Once the first draft is completed without stopping, edit that draft for flow and word count. Only work on fixing grammar during your final draft. If time permits, put the story away for the afternoon, or a full day, if you can. When you go to re-read, you may find glaring errors you may have missed in the first round of edits. I find that this helps me identify potential, time-consuming mistakes early on, and with practice, makes rough draft writing much faster.

Sometimes you just need to take a break. Be sure to schedule them in. Staring at a screen all day will not help you write faster. In fact, stepping away can refresh your perspective and boost creativity. Even a short walk or some light exercise can work wonders for your focus and writing flow. Food and water too! Don't neglect your basic needs. It won't make you a better writer—just a sicker person.

Learning a story shape or two can really help speed up your writing. When I was writing sports for a small daily, the most-used tool in my toolbox was the inverted pyramid lead. Yes, basic journalism. But incredibly useful when I had 10 minutes left to deadline and was trying bang together a high school football or basketball story and also do my own box score. Another story shape I learned was the "Martini Glass." Draw a simple martini glass with an olive in the bottom of the glass. The big upside down pyramid of the glass is the inverted paragraph lead. The olive is the "nut graph" which states the significance of the lead. The stem is the additional details, quotes, etc. Shape and structure give a ready framework to fill in with words.

During my undergrad days, I've learned to write faster without sacrificing quality. Here's my formula: Research efficiently with tools like Evernote Create an outline to stay on track Write in a distraction-free zone Use templates and style guides to save time Write in shorter bursts with breaks in between Edit as you go to refine your work Leverage technology like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor Practice regularly to boost efficiency Prioritize the most critical aspects of the story Take care of yourself to stay energized and focused By following these tips, I write faster and better. Give them a try and see the difference for yourself!