3 Steps To Write A Newsletter In Less Than 30 Minutes And Cut Your Self-Doubt By 50%

Did you know you can write a newsletter in less than 30 minutes?

On October 12, 2023, I wrote my first newsletter titled “Solutions For Beginning Writers Experiencing Writer’s Block.” That issue took around two hours to finish. A lot of this came down to having an inefficient process.

A process that ultimately led me to doubt my work, much more than I do today.

I’m going to share some of the mistakes that led to this awful slow process, starting with the biggest mistake.

Overthinking sentences and word choice

Have you ever written a newsletter where you kept stopping yourself?

Maybe you thought you were using the wrong word. Maybe the sentence was too long or in the wrong place. Or maybe you simply weren’t confident in your words.

That can slow down your writing speed by a lot.

Here are 5 other mistakes I made that you want to avoid when you want to write a newsletter in less than 30 minutes:

1. Lack of planning or not starting from an outline.

2. Self-doubt can make you hesitate and write slower.

3. Fatigue and burnout: writing while tired or mentally exhausted can decrease your speed.

4. Inconsistent writing habits: if you’re not in the habit it’s harder to start your writing session.

5. Distractions: Allowing self-imposed or outside distractions to break your flow.

Follow the steps I lay out in this newsletter to streamline your writing session and finish a newsletter in less than 30 minutes.

Step 1: Streamline Your Ideation Process

If you want to finish a newsletter in less than 30 minutes, starting with a blank page is the worst thing you can do.

Instead, set up a process to make yourself an idea gatherer. Once a week, you want to look at other people talking about the same stuff as you. Write down their headlines, topics, and angles, and figure out ways to put your spin on them.

Important note: Keep all your ideas in one space, so when the time comes, you only have to go to that one place and grab the idea you need.

Step 2: Don't Fear The Templatized Process

When I started writing online, my first thought was that templates would only lead to writing the same thing over and over again.

What I didn't know was that there lies a tremendous amount of freedom within a template. The template only serves to help you stay on track so you know which direction to take right from the start. And it's not some new technique made up on the internet.

Some of the best writers in the world look at great writing and use their sentence structures and writing rhythm as a starting point for their writing.

Step 3: Set A Timer And Stick To It

The single best way to finish a newsletter in less than 30 minutes is by not allowing yourself to cross over to minute 31.

Once you're seated, grabbed your idea, and pulled out your template, you're going to set a timer for 29 minutes. By setting yourself this goal of finishing within this timeframe, you're much more likely to stay on course and not get distracted by outside factors. This technique is what is also commonly referred to as Time Blocking.

You can finish a newsletter in less than 30 minutes by simply deciding to.