Why you need a system - Meet the FAST system - The setup

Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

Why you need a system
Meet the FAST system
The setup

Writing without a system is like starting a three-thousand mile trek through the wilderness without a plan. It doesn’t make good sense. You wouldn’t just get to the edge of the city and start walking into the bush, would you?

Of course not. You’d never make it to the other side. There are just too many pitfalls along the way.

You need a roadmap.

The only problem is that when it comes to writing, every journey is different. No one can show you the road you’re about to take, because no one’s ever taken it before!

So pre-made roadmaps won’t work. Formulas and methods are a bunch of hype. Instead, you need a system that helps you create your own roadmap.

And that’s what the FAST System is all about.

I could tell you all about the Hollywood formulas and the classic three-act structures. They’re great roadmaps — if that’s the road you’re taking. But the roadmap you’ll create with FAST is original. Custom-tailored to you.

See, the FAST System isn’t concerned with only the structure of your story, or only your words. It helps you through the whole process, from idea to completion. It’s a way of looking at that hazardous terrain, and knowing exactly how to respond to the different kinds of troubles you’re likely to encounter.

We’ll break down your writing into manageable chunks — chunks you can handle easily and effectively. And then we’ll move systematically through your work.

Look, confidence breeds success. When you successfully get through a phase of your writing, the struggle and the pain of it will slip away. You’ll know exactly how to conquer it because you understand the system.