My husband made fun of me a few days ago. I bought new running shoes, expensive shoes because I have old knees and I need good shoes. They felt so wonderful on that first day out on the road. I returned home after an hour's run (dripping sweat, not a pretty picture) and told my husband I ran fast and felt great in my pretty new footgear. He laughed and said steady might be a better description than fast. Okay, so I resembled more a snail crawling through peanut butter than a world class marathoner, but the pace felt perfect for me at my present stage of life.
Our pace at many things changes at different stages of life and career. Seven years after my first publishing contract, I write much faster (and I hope better) than I did all those years ago. I was satisfied with finishing one novel during those early years of being a writer. Now I'm trying for four per year. It's the pace that fits me now.
Can you write a novel in one month? Two months? One year? Four years? I feel more comfortable every day with my pace as I settle into being a full time writer. When I was working on the day job full time and as my children grew up, I'd advanced to a two novels per year pace. But those were first drafts. There was still a lot of editing and rewrites to be done. Being comfortable and enjoying the journey is part of the fun of being a writer. There's plenty or room in this world for jets and snails.
In case you're worried about young people and the state of reading and writing in our society, let me introduce you to a young man, a teenager actually, who is celebrating some of his short, short stories being published. Patrick Stahl's drabble titled, Trying to Make a Living is featured on Specklit. I hope you'll stop by and leave a comment for Patrick. He's a very cool young man and a gifted writer.
Every write a drabble? Are you comfortable with your writing pace? Has it changed over the course of your career? Ever see a snail gliding through peanut butter?
24 comments:
Congrats on the new jogging shoes. I don't care what age, what speed or what slowness, good jogging shoes are THE BEST.
PS: Mine match my iPod.
Have a great rest of your week. I'm off to make a cake. Oven preheated and ready to go!
If I didn't have to work outside the home and care for a family of five, I could do a LOT of things. LOL It was encouraging to read that practice brings faster (and better) writing. I've seen that for myself. I only hope my speed continues to improve.
I've seen a slug on a sidewalk. Does that count? :P
My pace is slower than I want to be now that I am back working more hours. But I just keep plugging. These days, I think, "What will be, will be."
I don't think I write faster, but it does take a shorter time of concentrated effort to produce a book.
My first book was written in five weeks. I had only submitted two chapters to an editor when I had been told I won a publisher's contest.
I've never written that fast again. :)
I just pampered myself with some new running shoes too. And I don't even run! I'm using them for biking and love them - so comfy!
I think I'm on year two of seriously sitting down and writing my first book. I hope to have it out (if I get the courage) before the year's out.
You ran in this soupy humidity! Kudos to you. I'd collapse.
I've done NaNo but the 50k is only a rough draft. Months of revisions followed.
Good shoes make all the difference. I wrote 120,000 words in 20 days, so yeah can get one done in a month haha And as for kids books, I could do a 100 a month without breaking a sweat. Out they just flow.
I don't write particularly fast. I really quite slow. I do wish I could go a little faster, though.
Maybe I need new shoes...
I recently bought new running shoes, too. I love how I feel in them—so sporty and fit, even if the opposite is true.
I can't imagine writing four novels a year. I feel like there is still so much for me to learn about craft. The more books I read on writing the more mistakes I realize I've made in my rough draft. Seems like I make it through one round of edits, read some more, and then have to go again. I know it won't ever be perfect... but I want it to be the best it can be. I definitely don't want it chock full of Rookie Mistakes.
I should/will think about writing my NEXT project while I edit this one, though. It might keep that creativity flowing better.
That sounds like me when I run! ;) It's a great reminder, though, to accept and respect the pace we're at, when we're at it. I'm really impressed that you can finish four novels per year! I hope I get there someday.
Oh my, I'm trying to be faster, but I've still got little kids, so you know what that's like. Actually we've been home schooling them too, so it's a double whammy. We're going to try something different this fall, and I'm hoping I'll be able to carve out more writing time with a few more hours to myself. Around the insanity I was finishing about a book every six months to 1 a year...but my writing overlaps--editing something while drafting something else.
Four a year??? Wowzer.
I've completed three novels. One took five years, one took a year, and this last one has been just over two years. Apparently I'm still stuck in the learning curve when it comes to writing novels. And, in all honesty, my slowness is one of the reasons I doubt I can hack it as a professional writer. I just can't write fast enough for the market. But I've got two good novels up my sleeve right now, so maybe I've bought myself a little time when they finally get published. :)
You're right Susan--our thoughts are in sync today!
I used to finish one book every two years. Now I am aiming toward one novel a year and several short stories/novellas. The further you go into publishing, the more it seems you need/want to stories. So I guess I am trying to be faster than I was years ago.
My writing pace has improved and I can write a first draft pretty quickly if I have the time. Editing, well, that takes me more time. That's the walking part of my marathon. My first story I got published was a drabble. Congratulations to Patrick!
Thank you, Ms. Rains.
Questions 1 and 4 are easy for me to answer. "15 of them" and "no," respectively. As for whether I'm comfortable with my writing pace or not, it really depends upon the project. I'm fast enough that I can write flash fics in one sitting without getting uncomfortable, but for longer stories I feel, for lack of better words, like a snail in peanut butter. My pace hasn't changed since June 30th when my career began, so far as I can tell.
Congrats to Patrick! So exciting.
I am a snail writer who desperately wants to be a jet. I do feel my pace quickening somewhat---like going through creamy peanut butter instead of chunky, hehe.
Thanks for sharing your progression with us. It gives me inspiration to keep at it.
On a separate note---why do you suppose our husbands feel the need to put us down just when we're feeling pleased with ourselves? Congrats on your aweseome new shoes. Run like the wind!
Congrats to Patrick. I love the drabble - earning time is a wonderful concept!
I've learned so much in the past few years of writing! I am definitely getting faster - mostly because I'm learning not to write the bits I'm going to delete later :)
I miss running. Even at a snail's pace. My orthopedist said my knees just couldn't take it anymore.
I can be a super fast writer. Unfortunately I edit at about the same pace I used to run, so the end result is pretty slow.
My pace changes daily. It has to, My life changes daily. There are times I can write. There are times I must tend to other things in my life. That's okay with me. In fact, I like it that way.
I don't write faster, but a bit better, I think. At least it's not taking me as long as my first book. However, I am lazier these days. My muses left for a trip. I sure hope she comes back soon.
Hi Susan .. I find drabbles fun - but will definitely check out Patrick .. he seems a dynamic young man.
When we're more accustomed to things we can do them more easily ..
Good luck as you pick up apace with your writing, and improve those snail times with your new shoes .. cheers Hilary
I only buy REALLY good shoes now for the exact same reason. A specialist told me you shouldn't be able to bend a shoe in half. I need the extra support.
With regards to my writing, I've picked up the pace. But that's from becoming more of a planner and using Scrivener.
Post a Comment