tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post6069169053363717896..comments2024-02-22T07:47:22.661-05:00Comments on The Bathroom Monologues: The Brutal 2,000-Word DayJohn Wiswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-19268561373528016002012-06-24T00:59:12.908-04:002012-06-24T00:59:12.908-04:00I'm in the camp of whoever says another author...I'm in the camp of whoever says another author is doing it wrong is wrong. Write fast, write slow, write whatever. Just write. Now, as for editing, I also agree with you. Take you time and don't rush that step. Rushing the writing is one thing, but not taking enough time to polish is quite another. That's what leads to the bad name of indi-publishing.Eric J. Krausehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05774468607814244185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-67196372045674067982012-05-24T10:50:58.896-04:002012-05-24T10:50:58.896-04:00The story tells itself as it should, or at least t...The story tells itself as it should, or at least that ought to be the case. It's nice to have a target for word count, but IMHO, that's all it should be is a target -- not the holy grail. Somedays, if things are going well, or the section you're is speedy, then you might get more. Other days, you might clap yourself on the back for getting half your goal, but if the words you output are good, then you accomplished the real goal anyway, I think.Janet Aldrichhttp://janetmaldrich.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-47167879822784732042012-05-23T11:44:26.941-04:002012-05-23T11:44:26.941-04:00Bravo. It took me more than forty years as a profe...Bravo. It took me more than forty years as a professional writer to be ready to write my first novel. One of my four novels took 7 years to write, another, 7 months. How many words should a novel be? As many as it takes, no more? How long should it take to write a novel? As long as it takes to do it well, no less. I have had days when I have drafted upwards of 5,000 words (not many, mind you) but only a fraction of those survived the many rounds of editing needed to make them right.Larry Constantine (Lior Samson)http://www.amazon.com/Lior-Samson/e/B004KDPO9A/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-82450746785732616572012-05-22T05:20:19.449-04:002012-05-22T05:20:19.449-04:00I'm learning this lesson the hard way. The ver...I'm learning this lesson the hard way. The very act of making word count a focus is threat to quality. I mean nobody ever throws this nonsense at poetry!Peter Newmanhttp://www.runpetewrite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-58576583005029370322012-05-21T15:00:14.284-04:002012-05-21T15:00:14.284-04:00It could be inferred from my assessment that the p...It could be inferred from my assessment that the poor quality of novels from novelists who publish many times a year is a holistic rejection of speed-writing. I'm glad I didn't read as too rejectionist. Naturally I've got great admiration for King, whom I mentioned as an example of the quality quick-production writers.<br /><br />I do tend to default to, "Did this writer rush?" when a novel is too quick. The most recent sequel I read was dreadful, and when I realized it was one of three novels she'd released that year, I definitely defaulted to a conclusion.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-22478434585379010262012-05-21T00:04:17.458-04:002012-05-21T00:04:17.458-04:00I'm trying to remember the last cliffhangers t...I'm trying to remember the last cliffhangers that actually got me. On Kirkman's Walking Dead comic, they actually got more annoying over time. Maybe Fellowship of the Ring? I can't imagine a series repeatedly dropping me off on cliffhangers and keeping me hooked. But then, in most of what I read the novels end in subdued ways they just promise more - like The Warded Man, or The Passage, or Dark Tower. How do you feel about all those rushed books with jaggy ends?John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-91197480423970552992012-05-20T23:58:20.302-04:002012-05-20T23:58:20.302-04:00I wouldn't call you lazy, naturally, especiall...I wouldn't call you lazy, naturally, especially on the exploring-boundaries end. I'm all for writers pushing themselves. We write 100 words a day, find it easy, then try 250, 500, 1,000, or whatever goal makes us sweat. Like in exercise, the lifting gets easier over time. Can you remember what you used to be assigned in school? I could write those essays in half an hour these days (though Google helps on the citations).John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-23387744505912913682012-05-20T23:56:20.559-04:002012-05-20T23:56:20.559-04:00I certainly took the time on this essay. Almost de...I certainly took the time on this essay. Almost delayed it another week, but based on the comments and retweet-count, I didn't have to! Good to know the sense is working out.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-91786036275471108352012-05-20T23:46:59.820-04:002012-05-20T23:46:59.820-04:00I think relatives and neighbors questioning when t...I think relatives and neighbors questioning when that novel/book/movie/videogame/app/album will be finished is itself something that'll never go away. I'm glad you're taking your time, though, Aaron. However, I don't view posting updates and views into your process as necessarily cajoling other creators to hasten. I know when I blog about writing, run word counts on the site and tweet about developments, I'm just trying to be transparent and show people how one process functions (or doesn't).John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-38912479620187007072012-05-20T23:37:14.756-04:002012-05-20T23:37:14.756-04:00As King's said many times, to write is human, ...As King's said many times, to write is human, to edit is divine. I take editing very seriously. Ted Hoagland actually used to joke that editing was the cure for writer's block. Can't produce new stuff? Fix the old stuff? I like the notion of a minimum number of hours of editing per day, to keep one honest, rather than skipping along a set number of words. I'm pretty drastic in content-curation on my edit-only days.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-23343169422146868402012-05-20T20:52:41.358-04:002012-05-20T20:52:41.358-04:00Hear, hear!
I find it interesting that of all the...Hear, hear!<br /><br />I find it interesting that of all the word-count advisors I've read (recommending anywhere from 500 to 2,000 words per day), precisely ONE of them mentioned editing time as a task equivalent to writing new words. Carolyn See says to write 1,000 words per day or 2 hours of editing, whichever it is you need to do on a given project. It figures she's a professional author who gave that recommendation in a book published in the traditional manner.<br /><br />And yes, Stephen King does write quickly, but he didn't get as fast as he is now until he sold "Carrie" and was able to turn to writing full-time. Writing 2,000 new words per day (or the equivalent editing time) isn't so bad if it's also your primary means of work, other mitigating circumstances notwithstanding.Katherine Hajerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08270232675026751342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-23246045110522567502012-05-20T18:54:59.869-04:002012-05-20T18:54:59.869-04:00I guess I'm a lazy writer then! My novel or I ...I guess I'm a lazy writer then! My novel or I should say novella (after many edits) originally took me a year to write and has taken the last three years on and off editing, but I hope the finished product is worth the read.<br /><br />Interesting post John, and I think one writes at the speed they write, whether it be fast or slow its quality often depends on the effort put in the editing to make it as polished as possible.Helen A. Howellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12748128819820230841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-6994152959771736522012-05-20T16:43:39.450-04:002012-05-20T16:43:39.450-04:00Whether a blog post or a novel, self-published or ...Whether a blog post or a novel, self-published or big 6, to me it's all about the highest quality content each writer and editor are capable of producing. I don't care if it takes 5 months or 5 years. Good post as always, thanks John.liminalfictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08762010680878316253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-31054044569346132812012-05-20T15:23:30.390-04:002012-05-20T15:23:30.390-04:00Excellent piece! As someone who is being asked by ...Excellent piece! As someone who is being asked by nearly everyone I know, "When will the book be finished?!", it's nice to read something about taking one's time. I was always taught to measure twice, cut once. In the writing of my novel, it has become more measure a hundred times and only then contemplate which saw to cut with.<br /><br />Granted, my updating via social media things like "I'm finishing the book soon!" and posting excerpts may not help the hurry up attitude, but I feel the need to balance my desire to write my way at my pace with my fear of people losing interest in the material that's out there already.<br /><br />Anyhow, as a slow writer, I appreciate a voice telling me that I'm doing nothing wrong by finding my own way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-51168284912729404132012-05-20T11:32:21.640-04:002012-05-20T11:32:21.640-04:00I know the quick and easy method is pushed especia...I know the quick and easy method is pushed especially hard in genre and serial work. The publishers want the book left on a cliffhanger so people will want to read the next installment, but readers are then frustrated to be left dangling from a ledge for 12 months. I read a lot of genre fiction and a little smut, but I still want an engaging story and dynamic characters, and I'd rather wait 18 months for a book I'll reread than have one in 9 months that did nothing for plot or character development and that I forget about five minutes after reading. <br /><br />I'm still working on my own craft and it's going to take me a lot longer to get to where I need to be, but if I don't put in the time to make something worthwhile, what's the point of doing this at all?Danielle La Pagliahttp://www.daniellelapaglia.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-88316730066201086352012-05-20T10:48:46.551-04:002012-05-20T10:48:46.551-04:00I see you saying that some writers obviously don&#...I see you saying that some writers obviously don't know how to edit, books *or* blog posts, but I didn't see you actually tell anyone they were writing too quickly. I must have missed it. I'd react to that the same way I react to anyone telling any writers "They're doing it wrong": Nope. There is no wrong, as long as good writing is produced. I have a quick pace but I don't think I write any better or worse than people who takes years or minutes to produce their stories.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01425418200940737247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-3904929620868337022012-05-20T10:17:58.228-04:002012-05-20T10:17:58.228-04:00Your prose is a perfect example of work that ought...Your prose is a perfect example of work that ought not to be rushed. You create distinct fiction, sentence-by-sentence and piece-by-piece. I'm not surprised agents have told you to take your time, as the craft shows.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-33995563190976838792012-05-20T10:16:33.611-04:002012-05-20T10:16:33.611-04:00But I like dinosaurs! There are even some in the n...But I like dinosaurs! There are even some in the novel I have in the pipeline!<br /><br />And really, there is no better force in this argument than readers supporting superior work in the market place.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-11401287223269794232012-05-20T10:15:07.719-04:002012-05-20T10:15:07.719-04:00To be fair, here I've suggested that some writ...To be fair, here I've suggested that some writers' paces are too quick. How did you react to those claims? Regardless, thank you for the agreement, and for reminding me of the shifty "rules."John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-37995050098182677612012-05-20T10:14:00.469-04:002012-05-20T10:14:00.469-04:00Lamentably, what it's supposed to be about var...Lamentably, what it's supposed to be about varies on several factors. I'm prone to some utopian thinking about writing, but creating superior work is a worthwhile goal.John Wiswellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416044628686736927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-70977025001395343292012-05-20T09:56:29.104-04:002012-05-20T09:56:29.104-04:00Yep. Excellent post.
It is far easier to write 2k...Yep. Excellent post.<br /><br />It is far easier to write 2k words a day than to write an EXCELLENT 100 words a day. The market that demands writing at that pace is a market I will avoid. I have had agents and editors tell me to take my time with my stories, get to know the characters--there is no rush. Those are the professionals I want to work with.<br /><br />Slow and steady wins the race. I cannot release my writing before it is ready. Peace...Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110078016784294934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-4871165728027170932012-05-20T08:59:31.584-04:002012-05-20T08:59:31.584-04:00Very well said, John. What difference if I take si...Very well said, John. What difference if I take six months or six years to write my novel, as long as it comes out right in the end. You can't rush the story. That's what it's supposed to be about right?Lauritahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03688820247531607677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-22622042100171628892012-05-20T07:00:40.411-04:002012-05-20T07:00:40.411-04:00Yes and Yes, John. Thank you for your reasonable v...Yes and Yes, John. Thank you for your reasonable voice. Suggesting that anyone's writing pace is wrong, too quick OR too slow, is not only unfair but totally bizarre--What was it Maugham said? There are 3 rules for writing, but unfortunately no one knows them?<br /><br />Sheesh. The internet, man.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01425418200940737247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337042377966398742.post-18563507709100985122012-05-20T02:43:43.390-04:002012-05-20T02:43:43.390-04:00Thank you. I am a reader rather than a writer. I...Thank you. I am a reader rather than a writer. I don't like formula writing. I don't like sloppy writing. Yes, I read agreeable trash from time to time but that is not all I read. And I want a book that will bear rereading.<br />The slickdrawMcgraw writing style might fill in an hour butI can't see me putting it on my shelves, or rereading.<br />Yes, I know, I am a dinosaur.Elephant's Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06650565833097914052noreply@blogger.com