Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

It’s all communication
Why write FAST?
The setup

There’s a myth that’s been passed down from generation to generation. And I have to admit, it’s tempting to continue that tradition. Catch me at the wrong moment, in fact, and I will.

The myth is that writing is hard work. That it’s something only a very special kind of person can do.

Writers throughout the ages have promoted that myth (some even believe it), because it helps their mystique. Think about it. What kind of reaction do you get if you’re sitting next to someone on a plane, and when they ask what you do, you hand them your book?

What’s the reaction? It’s magical, isn’t it? Suddenly, they’re in awe. There’s a reverence for you. You’re a writer. That’s something they could never do!

Or so they think. (And you probably let them think it, too!)

C’mon. That’s ridiculous.

Not only can anyone do it, I believe everyone should do it.

Writing is not the mythical realm of the gods. Writing is really very simple. It’s effective communication. It’s putting your ideas into words that will be clear in a distant time and place. Nothing more.

It takes time to learn. (What doesn’t?) It takes practice to get good at. (What doesn’t?) But if I can do it, you can do it. And the passenger next to you can do it, too.

Short-form writing (a letter, email, web page, short story) has a quick point. Long-form writing (a book, novel, screenplay) has a more elaborate point, or more layers and depth. Large ideas will take planning and organization.

For example, I can communicate FAST (Focus, Apply, Strengthen, Tweak) in four words. But the depth and breadth of the idea — the detail you’ll need to use it effectively — takes quite a bit longer to express. I’m using eighteen chapters.

But it’s all communication. I can do it fast, or I can do it slow. And so can you.