My problem isn’t that I’m a bad writer but rather I’m slowwwww… I think too much. I try to write a basic cover letter and it somehow turns into a Supreme Court pleading about unlocking an iPhone.

So… I’ve been testing ways to write faster.

Writing: Where Your Time Really Goes…

My kids are at a point in school where they have to write a lot of small essays. We’ve been coaching them a lot. Just for fun, I tried a couple of these writing assignments myself with the kids watching, tracking my progress on a clock. It turns out we don’t actually “write” much when we’re “writing”… For example, look at this chart, based on some 5 paragraph essays.

Typical writing time per 5 paragraph essay was around 30 minutes. The quality was decent but not Shakespeare. Maybe good enough to post as blog content. Most of my time was spent trying figure out what to write next. Bear in mind, this was for very simple stuff: presenting and defending opinions based on public events. Technical content or stuff requiring actual research would take much longer.

The Template Test – Eliminate Uncertainty

Sadly, most of this thinking while writing doesn’t really add value. Regardless of how  much time I spent thinking about the topic, the first thing I wrote down on paper was usually garbage. So what if we simplified things? Give a writer with a template based on structured questions and tell them to “fill in the blanks”. We put this to the test. A time trial, in front of an audience (my family) about a random topic that I had never written about before. Using this template, I was able to write a 469 word article in under 11 minutes. This represents a 63% improvement from my typical writing speed. The real surprise? I wrote a better essay this way. The template forced me to organize my thoughts and present them in a consistent manner. The well defined structure also helped focus my attention in the editing process.

Editing & Re-writing: Da Real MVP

In retrospect, editing time added the most value per minute in terms of overall article quality. If you have an extra five minutes, re-reading the article several times often results in a very nice lift in the quality of the final product. I usually edit one of two ways. The “basic tightening” and the “partial re-write”. “Basic tightening” consists of scanning the paragraph a couple of times and removing unnecessary words. The partial re-write restates the entire paragraph in a fresh voice. While more time consuming, it is usually far faster than the original draft. I’ll leave you on an uplifting note: “To Write Is Human, To Edit Divine”

The post Write Like The Wind! How To Write 63% Faster… appeared first on Hanging Hyena.

The sheer number of synonyms for crazy exist because of the vague and often loaded nature of the term. Each of these terms means something slightly different, and they will probably serve your narrative better than the initial term. Unfortunately, the slightly different meaning of these words means they aren’t interchangeable. You can’t just copy and paste these terms in – so spend some time thinking about what they really mean, and how you can work with them. If you take the time to read over the definitions, you’ll be able to make better substitutions.

A Dozen Suggestions For Another Word For Crazy

Insane
Insane is the most clinical synonym for crazy, and it carries a weightier connotation. This is a great word to use when the situation calls for a bit more gravity.

Nuts
On the other end of the spectrum, nuts is a great term to show that the scene in question is crazy in a slightly friendlier way. Nuts isn’t a term that should be used formally, of course, but it’s a more authentic term to use in casual speech.

Mad
Mad is a great synonym to use when attempting to write in historical prose or when talking specifically about insanity. Mad isn’t a particularly sensitive word to use when describing a character, but might be appropriate when describing a situation.

Psychotic
A psychosis is a very specific kind of insanity. While it’s not a synonm for the term in general, it does capture the essence of the word in many circumstances. Psychotic is a great way to describe a darkly insane character, while the related term “psychosis” can describe the manner in which a character is crazy.

Bonkers
Bonkers is a difficult term. You can’t slot it into a serious work, but it does describe a type of joyful craziness. Use it when you’re describing a childish or outlandish situation for a bit more impact.

Unhinged
Unhinged is a polite way of saying crazy for some, or a great way to describe a dementedly insane character for others. It isn’t a precise trade – no find and replace here – but describing a character as unhinged will often carry the same meaning as using crazy in the same sentence.

Berserk
This is a violent, out-of-control type of crazy. A character who goes berserk is almost always engaging in violence, and be aware that this word almost always describes something living.

Wacky
The cousin of bonkers and nuts, wacky definitely has a lighter connotation than most things on this list. Things that are cartoonishly out of control tend to fall under this heading.

Uncontrollable
When you say a situation is crazy because it’s out of control, you might as well practice an economy of words and just call it uncontrollable. If you aren’t directly talking about literal insanity, you might as well use this word in crazy’s place.

Mental
Mental is another word for crazy, and it’s definitely not a polite substitution. There’s a lot of weight attached to this word, so use it sparingly.

Unbalanced
When a character’s described as unbalanced, it’s generally inferred that they are a bit insane. This term can be useful when writing period fiction as well, as an unbalanced mind is a great historic term.

Lunatic
This isn’t a friendly term, but it does mean the same thing as crazy. A lunatic is a historically accurate term for a crazy person, even if it isn’t used in polite company today.

Picking Another Word for Crazy

As you continue to look for alternative terms, try to hone in on what you really mean. Crazy’s a great term, but you can narrow down your words to be more specific. The more specific you can be, the better your descriptive writing. Finding alternative words isn’t just a way to stop repetition – it’s a way to help you better make your point.

The post Another Word For Crazy – 12 Insane Ideas! appeared first on Hanging Hyena.

Below, we’ve come up with different synonyms for the word good. Sprinkle them into your next letter or speech of praise. They’ll add a little spice and your audience will appreciate it. Boring writing equals fewer readers. And a little emotion is often a good thing.

15 Suggestions for Another Word for Good

1 – Virtuous

Used to describe a person’s character or morals. Instead of saying he is a good person; try saying he is virtuous. This is a particular appropriate choice if you’re writing a formal speech or presentation.

2 – Kindhearted

Another word for good that describes a person’s character. Use this to praise someone for being nice or generous.

3 – Superior

Use this synonym for good if you’re describing qualities for a particular role. Instead of saying these are good tires; try these are superior tires. This says they stand out relative to the rest of the tires you could buy. See how easy it is to spice up your vocabulary by just changing one word?

4 – Delightful

Use when explaining an enjoyable or satisfying meal, show, or other experience. Instead of “the movie was good”, maybe try “the movie was delightful”. Yes, you may sound a tad snobby, but who cares? You’re broadening your vocabulary!

5 – Appropriate

Suitable for a particular purpose. Instead of saying this wine is good with spaghetti, try saying this wine is appropriate with spaghetti. And, now I’m craving spaghetti and wine.

6 – Tip-top

Meaning desired or approved of. We wouldn’t recommend using it often, but it’s a tip-top word to use sparingly when describing something or someone’s condition.

7 – Obedient

Follows rules or another word for good behavior. It can easily be used to describe a pet or child in the modern world. Obedience is a virtue in many religious orders and cultures.

8 – Significant

Out of all the synonyms for good, this is one of our favorites. Using significant instead of good often makes more of an impact. But use it sparingly, so the audience considers it as significant…

9 – Awesome

The perfect synonym of good for a younger audience. It’s definitely not a word you would find in Shakespeare’s writings.

10 – Proficient

Another word used to describe having the expertise needed for a particular role. Being told your driving is good may not strike you as well as being told it is highly proficient.

11 – Outstanding

Telling someone their play performance was good will not get the same smile and reaction as telling them their performance was outstanding. Particularly if you throw flowers at them afterwards!

12 – Charitable

One way to describe someone’s intentions or kind heart. Sometimes changing a simple word can show more emotion or show someone your sincere intent. Instead of saying, “You are such a good person”, try “You are such a charitable person”. They may look at you weird, but at least you’re being nice.

13 – Reputable

Deserving of respect. Honorable. Telling someone a company is reputable makes a better impact than saying it is good.

14 – Fine

A bit boring, but a perfectly acceptable synonym for good. It’s fantastic if you want to let someone know that while they performed acceptably, they have the opportunity to do better in the future.

15 – Wicked

Although informal, it’s the perfect descriptive word when you’re wanting to grab attention.

Searching for Synonyms of Good

There are many more words out there that work as another word for good. Just pick the best one that fits in the context. Words create strong and lasting impressions. So, remember the next time you praise your spouse for cleaning the house, don’t say, “good job”. Instead, say, “you did an outstanding job! The house looks tip-top”.

The post Another Word For Good – 15 Great Ideas! appeared first on Hanging Hyena.

Let’s face it.  Even if your product or idea is actually AMAZING, there’s only so many ways you can say this before your reader starts to tune out and thinks you’re full of meaningless hype. This is also an overused title on article sharing sites and news stories (“10 amazing ways to say amazing! Yay!”). It’s time to find another word for amazing by looking at synonyms and alternatives.

The list below gives you the word (another word for amazing) and some context about when to use it. Ideally, you want to use a synonym for amazing which is a good match with the context of the topic; there’s always a small shift in meaning when you move between words so this is critical to good writing.

1 – Outstanding 

Best used if you can compare your topic to others; indicates your subject stands out from its peers.

2 – Remarkable

Indicates your product is worth sharing with others.

3 – Breathtaking

Indicates a sheer level of awesomeness that will cause the audience to suck in their breath….

4 – Spectacular

From the Roman concept of spectacles, big public events with lions and tigers. Indicates your product is worth being the star of the show.

5 – Splendid

A generic expression of quality; splendid points towards something being magnificent or impressive.

6, 7, 8 – Staggering, Stunning, Overwhelming

The audience will get more than they expect. Best if we’re talking about a deal of some kind.

9 – Impressive

The product or topic will surprise the visitors, giving them a reason to remember it.

10 – Bewildering

The product or solution is beyond the ability of average people to comprehend. This is a risky word for advertising copy writing – people are usually reluctant to purchase stuff they don’t understand. It is a great word you can slap on the competition’s solution (while promising that your product is easier).

11 – Prodigious

Indicates something is impressive in the sense there’s a whole lot of it or it’s super rare

12 – Colossal

The original old school cool, going back to the Romans and Greeks. They didn’t write five paragraph essays and sales letters, they built massive buildings out of stone and filled em up with lions, tigers, and bears.  Or gigantic statues (Colossus of Rhodes) that we still talking about two thousand years later.

13 – Wicked

This is a Northeast US thing, but wicked means extremely good in those parts.

14  – Sublime

Heavenly – best used when we’re talking about quality vs. quantity of benefits

15 & 16 – Marvelous, Magnificent

Worth looking at. Worthy of admiration.

17 – Legendary

I always think mythology or video games when we talk about this one, but it works for pop culture.

18 – Flawless

Another “success through quality” word – used properly, it can really set the item apart from the rest.

19 – Award winning

This leverages social proof, using the fact that someone else (in a perceived position of authority) approved the product or policy/proposal to build credibility with your audience.

20 – Top-Notch 

Another first class replacement for the word; indicates what you’re speaking about has high quality.

Finding Another Word For Amazing:

Our exploration of the synonyms for amazing only scratched the surface of the possibilities here. The real trick here is to stop and think about WHAT makes the subject you are writing about Amazing. The best way to find another word for amazing is to zoom in on the quality of the subject (eg. product, policy, proposal, etc.) which makes your subject amazing and select a word that features that particular quality. Once you understand what features you’re promoting (quality, volume, price/discount, uniqueness) then you can look for impressive words that describe those qualities.

This approach will actually make your writing better – rather than a generic indication your subject is impressive (Amazing!), you’re linking the reader back to a specific quality that you think is impressive!

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