If you want to write, do so. Don’t dither about, wishing you were doing the one thing you often dream of doing: writing. Becoming a writer won’t happen until you are writing. As Louis L’Amour wrote, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Good, sound advice and so true. But how does one become more prolific in their writing?

When you think of it, your writing speed is dependent on how fast you can type on a keyboard. Or, alternately, how fast you can write cursively (yes, some people still write longhand on paper – I do it whenever I’m sitting in a doctor’s office, waiting). And, writing more means, ultimately, setting more time aside for your regular writing routine. Or, allowing yourself some leeway to start your daily writing routine early and to keep on going when the mood strikes.

Those are the main incentives to write more prolifically and more frequently. For me, writing more also means believing in myself and my ideas. If I don’t believe in what I’m writing, I’ll probably dither the time away, wasting valuable writing moments. My first novel, “Spring,” took the longest to write. Why? I had too many self-doubts. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that perhaps what I was writing might be good. I didn’t get that feeling until I opened up about my writing project to some fellow musicians (the story is about a classical musician) and they were all thrilled and excited at the prospect of a novel centering around a classical musician. That boosted my morale considerably and I started writing faster. Obviously for me, the core to writing faster was confidence.

I started dictating to myself ultimatums. If I didn’t write 1,000 words in an hour, then I’d have to do more laundry, more cleaning, or more of anything less appealing than writing. It worked, to a point. I also disconnected from all outdoor interruptions: I didn’t answer the door, the phones, emails, or private messages. I didn’t even look at social media. It was just me and my writing. I continually told myself that I could potentially impress others by stating that I could write so many words in an hour. I don’t know who I would try to impress, but the implication worked, to a point.

There are lots of ways I could promote myself and my ability to write faster. The bottom line is that it depends on me and my overall writing perspective. If I want to write more, I just do it. Some days are more productive than others, but that can be said for just about anything in life. I keep reminding myself that the goal is quality not quantity. However, the goal of writing faster and more frequently is to get my thoughts on paper (or on the screen). If I hold myself back to the premise of quantity and spend most of my time correcting everything I’ve written, then I won’t move forward. Correcting and editing should be kept in a separate part of the day, a completely different part of the writing regimen. I’m not advocating writing a lot every day just for the concept of quantity, but rather for the belief that I’m accomplishing something and moving closer to my writing goals. The key is to make writing a habit and the rest will fall into place.