Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

Quickly break down anything
Squeeze the most out of FAST
The payoff

Can you see the pattern that’s emerging?

The whole point of the Pre-Flight technique (and, indeed, of the FAST System itself) is to break big projects down quickly.

Listen, writing can have incredibly satisfying moments.

But it can also be pure, unadulterated torture.

For me, I’ve gone through both during the writing of this book. And I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon.

The longer anything takes, the harder it becomes. And the harder it is, the more torturous it feels.

But what’s even worse is that when it’s difficult and painful to write, it also tends to be confusing to read!

Think back over this book. Were any chapters or segments confusing? Oddly enough, they’re almost certainly the areas I struggled to write!

Same goes for your ideas.

Break them down quickly, and you won’t have a chance to over-complicate them. Remember: Simple is always better.

Here’s how to break an idea down quickly.

Do it by stripping the idea into its component parts.

For example, let’s say your idea is “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” And you want to turn it into a novel.

What are its component parts? “Absolute power” is one part, “Corrupts” is another, and “Absolutely” could be the third.

Once you’ve identified them, immediately turn those components into examples.

For “Absolute power,” you might create a character who’s got absolute power. Or maybe one who wants it, instead.

For “Corrupts,” you might outline a path of corruption — or two or three — leading from “honest” to “corrupt” (or from corrupt to honest).

For “Absolutely,” maybe you’ll find a visual example of something that cannot be undone — a human tragedy that brings this idea out.

Quick. Immediate. Decisions. Follow your instincts.

Use this example to spark your own ideas. To give shape to your writing. And the more you practice, the sharper you’ll become.

I’ve found that it’s much more effective to move quickly and instinctively through it, than over-think it. The ideas can certainly evolve as you go through the process. But when you over-think it early on, you prevent yourself from moving forward.

Break it down. Run the Pre-Flight. And then leap in.

When you do, the ideas in your mind begin to flow.