Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

Simplifying the complex
Why write FAST?
The setup

The real problem is that you have a million possible choices. And there’s virtually no way to know which one’s “right.”

I believe this chapter will put you in the right frame of mind to understand the FAST System. I think it’ll be a useful framework for you. (And when I re-read it later, if I think I was wrong, I’ll adjust it. [Which I just did.])

But I could put a nearly infinite combination of words on this page right now to express this idea. Which one’s right? Which one’s better than all the rest? Which one’s wrong?

Truth is, you’re looking in the wrong place. There is no “right” or “wrong.” There are only varying degrees of effectiveness. And that’s what makes writing so incredibly challenging.

(Which fosters the myth that writers are so mysterious.)

When you read a published book (a good one, anyway), it’s well-written. It’s clever. Concise. Simple. It looks like the writer did it effortlessly. You think to yourself, I could never do that.

But why not? It’s only a matter of communicating. Of turning the ideas in your head, into words on a page. And making sure the idea is as dynamic on the page as it was in your head.

Enter the FAST System.

Suddenly, the process is simple. FAST walks you step-by-step through it. It breaks it down into manageable pieces. It keeps you from getting lost. And that’s its power.

To all the writers out there who promote the mystique that writing is hard, I formally apologize for ruining it for you.

But I believe that every one of us has something to share, and if a writer doesn’t share it, I (personally) might miss out on the chain effect of their spark. And what if it’s something that could change or save my life?

I want you to write. And because I want that, I’m going to show you how to take what appears to be a complex process, and make it simple, fast, effective and fun!

That’s how the chain works.