Many writers have talent and skill.  While it may sound presumptuous, you probably do as well.  If you can’t work in a productive manner, however, you’ll hardly scratch the surface of what you can achieve.

The more productive you are, the more work you can finish.  It’s that simple.  Improving on this aspect allows you to create more — a situation that can lead to more income and, if you’re lucky, more success.

The first step to improving your productivity is measuring it.  If you don’t know your current mileage, after all, then you have no baseline for improving on.  Get hard numbers for your current performance, so that you can find areas to work on, as well as chart your improvement over time.

If you don’t have any idea where to start measurements, here are some things you can do:

1. Record how much time you spend on each writing activity for each project.  Make sure to segregate different activities, such as analysis, research, outlining, drafting and editing.
2. Record the number of lines you finish in a one hour period everyday for a month.
3. Record the number of lines you finish every 8 hours of work for a month.
4. Record the number of lines you finish every 40 hours of work for a month.
5. Record the number of lines you finish for the month.

From there, you can have a good starting data from which to look at the dips and rises in your productivity, as well as what activities you can do to create improvements in your numbers.

Looking for new tools that can get your writing productivity up a notch?  Here are some I’ve found very helpful:

• Speech-recognition software.  Titles like Dragon Naturally Speaking can take your dictation and automatically transcribe them to text.  That way, you can just speak into a mic, instead of typing.  Accuracy will depend on the software you pick, but the couple ones I’ve tested so far appear to work really well.   Expect to spend upwards of $100 for a good package, though.
• Notebook software.  I’m a huge fan of OneNote and Evernote, both of which allow you to maintain a notebook-like organization of notes, documents, pictures and other digital items.  It really helps streamline the work of managing and maintaining all your research material.
• Macro software.  We all have repetitive tasks that we do on our computer.  If I’ll do a task more than two or three times a year, I usually have a macro software record it and have it do them on schedule.  This saves me time I could otherwise put into my writing activities in the long term.
• Writing software.  We’ve harped on endlessly about the value of this, so I’ll be brief.  If you’re forcing yourself to perform tasks like grammar and spelling checks that a proofreading program can do all on its own, you’re wasting time and leaving money on the table.  Truth.
• Plagiarism-checking websites.  I’m talking about services like Copyscape and those like it, which help you check whether a piece of text has similar or exact matches online.  Personally, I use it to guarantee that my writing doesn’t read like anybody else’s work and to check whether some dirty schmuck decided to appropriate any of my old writing without authorization.

Being a more productive writer isn’t easy. For most of us, there’s a very real upper limit to how much writing we can produce in a given amount of time. However, there are ways you can optimize your work process such that you can hit that upper limit on a more consistent basis.

1. Keep track of your writing habits. Keep tabs on how many words you can write in an hour, how long it takes you to research individual topics, how quickly you can finish a standard project from start to finish with a proofreading software in tow and other writing activities. The more information you keep about your writing habits, the more you’ll find patterns emerge. Recognize behaviors that can serve to improve your writing’s speed and implement them as regulars in your workflow.

2. Try a different approach. It’s easy to build habits around the way you work, not all of them good. If you’re not happy with your results, try something else.

3. Inspire yourself. What motivates you to write? Surely, there was something that encouraged you to write more than the need to pay the bills. Find ways you can periodically remind yourself of that.

4. Add one technique at a time. Some people will read a book about writing and overhaul their entire process. While that could work for some, it usually ends up as a disaster for most. Changing your entire work process will require replacing all your existing habits – something that sounds just as hard as it actually is. A better approach is to slowly alter your workflow by adding one technique at a time and seeing how that works out.

Want to write more?  Here are some surefire techniques to get that done.

1.  Set milestones.  Most writers sit down and get busy.  Others set small goals and set out to get them done.   Contrary to what you may think, being busy doesn’t mean being productive.  You can be busy and accomplishing nothing.

2.  Outright reject activities not related to the goals.  We live in an ever-connected society where there are more things to do than we have time for.  It’s more important than ever to be vigilant about doing things that move you along to completing your milestones.

3.  Jealously guard your working hours.  Your working hours are precious – that’s when you earn your keep.  Guard it against non-productive distractions of all kinds.

4.  Find your most productive hours and schedule your work during that time.  Find blocks of time when you can be the most productive, whether that’s morning, noon, night or dawn.  Make sure you set them during times when you can work uninterrupted.

5.  Separate marketing, networking and other adjunct activities from your writing time.  Writers need to do more than write, of course.  However, all those other things – from querying editors to negotiating for pay – are best done at a different time that your actual writing.

6.  Use tools that help improve productivity.  From grammar checkers to software writing assistants, there are plenty of tools designed to take your productivity to the next level.  Embrace them.

Are you an extrovert? Some say writing is doubly harder for folks of your temperament, since you require more time among people, while writing typically requires the kind of focus you can get by spending time on your own.

Of course, I’ve seen my fair share of extroverted writers who do really well.  If you can’t count yourself among them yet, here are a few things you may want to try doing.

1. Learn how your temperament affects your productivity.  Most extroverts find it easier to attain peak performance when thrust among people.  That can be difficult, given how most writing is best done with complete focus, typically in solitude.  However, extroverts do have particular traits that can help too.  What particular qualities do you have that make you a good writer?

2. Set writing goals.  When you sit down typing on your laptop, do you get anxiety pangs?  Set goals for yourself, such as finishing a page of your novel everyday before giving yourself permission to feed the need to socialize.

3. Try writing among people.  Contrary to cartoon depictions, writers don’t have to sit at a quiet place to write their masterpieces.  I know writers who turn Starbucks into their veritable office, spending hours everyday there writing, amidst throngs of customers passing by.  Maybe, you’ll find the same thing effective for your own productivity.

4. Write about topics that play to your strengths.  As an extrovert, you tend to have insights about certain subjects that introverts won’t have.  Use that to your advantage by focusing your writing on those topics.  Ever read the social columns on the paper?  Most of the best ones are fashioned by extroverts who can get out there and really mingle.

5. Get a writing software.  Anything that makes you work more efficient should help you get out of the house quicker.  A competent writing software can do just that.  Use it.

Need to be more productive?  With the constant stream of distraction we’re regularly subjected to, it’s not unusual to find yourself affected, even when it’s time to work.  These tried-and-tested tips should be a good starting point for writers looking to get more done in the time (however small) they may have.

Write as soon as you wake up. If you can write first thing in the morning (or whichever time of the day you get up), then it’s a great opportunity.  Having enjoyed sufficient rest and bearing a clear mind, writing can feel effortless at this time.  More importantly, though, it sets a productive tone for the rest of your day.

Loud up on tools. Writing tools, such as proofreading software and grammar checkers, can save you a lot of time.  Integrate them into your regular work activities and be amazed at how much time it adds to your workday.

Follow a strict schedule. When you’re trying to squeeze in writing into a busy life, scheduling can work wonders.  Draw up a plan and follow it strictly.

Make sacrifices. How important is your writing to you?  If it’s high on the list, then be willing to make sacrifices.  What things can you give up to make more time for your writing?

Minimize workspace distraction. The problem with working on a computer is the heavy amount of distraction it facilitates.  All that, aside from your cell phone and cornucopia of gadgets.  Personally, I advise everyone to work on a computer with no internet connection.  Fill it with desktop versions of all the software and data you need, relying on it solely.