By Eric Myers | Soul of a Writer | April 14, 2026

Let’s be honest. You’ve probably googled “How to write faster” more than once this month. Maybe today. You brewed coffee, opened your laptop, stared at the blinking cursor, and thought, Good night, why does this take me so long?

Friend, I’ve been there.

As a pastor, therapist, and editor, I’ve counseled hundreds of writers who confess the same struggle: “I feel called to write, but I just can’t move fast enough without losing my soul.”

So today, let’s talk about writing speed—but not as a hustle metric. Let’s talk about how to write faithfully, not frantically. Because the truth is, writing faster isn’t about typing speed—it’s about trust.

Trust that God gave you this story, and He’ll finish what He started in you.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” — Philippians 1:6

Below are 10 real‑world ways I’ve learned to write more efficiently—and joyfully—without losing the heartbeat behind the writing.

1. Don’t Edit While You’re Creating

Raise your hand if you’ve ever written three sentences, deleted two, sighed, and opened Instagram. (Yeah. That’s so me.)

We do this because perfection feels safe. But creation was never meant to be clean.

When I was still preaching every Sunday, I learned that the first version of a sermon always came out messy—half ideas and half prayers. But I couldn’t preach what I hadn’t first written through the mess.

Your first draft is your wilderness. Don’t stop walking just because it’s dusty.

“Without form and void”—that’s how creation started too. (Genesis 1:2)

So silence that inner critic when drafting. Let God work chaos into beauty later.

2. Set Tiny, Manageable Goals

Don’t aim for 2,000 words a day if life already feels like juggling flaming chainsaws.

When I was counseling single parents who wanted to write, I’d tell them, “Fifteen minutes with intent beats five hours of guilt.”

Start embarrassingly small. 300 words a day. One scene. One paragraph. You’ll be amazed how those word‑bricks build cathedrals over time.

3. Get Ruthless About Distractions

Every writer I know can be derailed by a phone notification. (Preach, right?)

When I write, my phone goes in another room. I play soft instrumentals, close tabs, and give myself 45 minutes of deliberate quiet.

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16)—not because He belittled people but because He valued focus. Sometimes the holiest thing you can do for your calling is click Do Not Disturb.

4. Outline—Or at Least Daydream Intentionally

I used to think outlining killed creativity until I realized it actually kills stress.

Now, before I begin a new story, I write a few sentences about what happens next. Just enough breadcrumbs that tomorrow, when my brain is foggy, I won’t stumble lost through a blank screen.

Think of outlining like Proverbs‑level wisdom:

“A wise person thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t.” — Proverbs 13:16 NL T

Dreaming on paper is still dreaming—it just saves you from panic later.

5. Stay Consistent, Even When It’s Ugly

Writing is ninety percent showing up.

Years ago, I taught therapy sessions on habit building. The clients who healed fastest weren’t the most talented—they were the most consistent. They kept showing up even on bad days.

Writing is spiritual discipline disguised as storytelling. Keep your appointment with the page. God meets the faithful, not the frantic.

6. Track Your Progress

Writers are emotional creatures. One good writing day feels like revival; one bad one feels like exile.

That’s why I track every word I write on a calendar. Seeing progress reminds me I’m growing even when my feelings disagree.

Try it. Every number is a prayer answered in ink.

7. Try Talking Your Story Out Loud

I know this sounds wild, but I’ve used speech‑to‑text on long walks, dictating scenes like I’m telling a bedtime story to God.

Something about speaking loosens the heart. It removes the need for polished grammar and gets to the raw emotion of the scene.

You might blush at first—but then again, David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14). Maybe that joy belongs in your writing, too.

8. Write an Awful First Draft (On Purpose)

When I mentor writers, I tell them, “Bad drafts are how good writers pray.”

It’s the most freeing thing when you realize God’s more interested in your obedience than your punctuation.

Let it be ugly. God can edit dust into man, chaos into cosmos.

9. Practice Like It’s Worship

Writers often compare early drafts to their favorite authors and spiral into despair. I’ve done it too.

But imagine if David had compared his early psalms to Isaiah’s prophecies and just quit. We’d have missed half the Psalter.

The more you practice, the sharper your storytelling—and the clearer God’s voice sounds in the craft.

10. Work on More Than One Story

Crazy advice, right? But sometimes shifting between projects keeps creativity from freezing.

When I’m stuck, I jump to another story—often just journaling or devotional writing—and come back later with clarity.

Even Scripture moves between genres: poetry, history, prophecy, letters. God Himself loves creative variety.

Reflection

Which of these spoke most to you today?

Where are you over‑editing, over‑thinking, or under‑trusting?

Drop a comment or share this with another writer who’s trapped at the blinking‑cursor stage. Maybe remind them: perfection was never the goal—faithfulness was.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” — Proverbs 16:3

Keep writing and trust the process. You were made to share your writing with the world.

Eric Myers,

Founder of Soul of a Writer, helping you become the writer God meant you to be.