A million words of crap

[sallytuppence]

You’ve probably heard this writing truism: “you have to write a million words of crap...” before, I guess, “...writing something worth reading.” Or maybe “...writing something worth publishing

Comments

[psamphire]

It is complete nonsense, of course. Some people churn out millions and millions of words of crap and never produce anything worth reading. Others do it within a few hundred thousand. Is this a Ray Bradbury quote? Someone like that, I think, but in my vague recollection it was the author saying that he himself had written that amount before writing anything worthwhile.

Don't know how many words I've done. Maybe a little bit over half a million. Does it include second drafts? More important than how many words you've written is the amount of effort you put into writing better with every thing you write.

[sallytuppence]

Does it include second drafts?

Gee, I don't know. There should be a rule book. If it does, maybe I have written a million, because I've REwritten so many of the words.

[psamphire]

Okay, new rule for the rule book: it doesn't count if you rewrite the same word *unless* you first deleted it and replaced it with a different word, then replaced it with the original word. In that case, you get to count both words.

[haddayr]

I started writing at age six. Fiction, that is.

Hopefully that means I've written my million words.

Which explains why it's all CRAP! :-)

It's nothing but roses from here, apparently.

[sallytuppence]

You're all set! Bring on the roses!!

[secritcrush]

I think there's some truth in it: Don't expect to be good right away. Work at it, and chances are good you'll get better.

I think million is just a Big Round Number that people can latch onto.

[sallytuppence]

It is a big round number. A very, very big, scary number.

Writing lots of words is work, yes, but getting better may not have much to do with how many words one writes.

[secritcrush]

Sometimes. And some people are hot right out of the gate. But in general, practice makes perfect. (or at least better. sure, if you practice doing it wrong you are just going to get good at doing it wrong, which is why I think reading a lot is just as important as actually sitting down and writing.)

[sallytuppence]

C'mon, chance! I was trying to start a slapfight here. Couldn't you get a little pissy? Please?

[sartorias]

It's one of those admonitions to practice at one's craft, and can sometimes pull up short a newbie who comes on the scene having finished a first book, proclaiming that they just cried and soared writing it, expecting the readers to have the same intense emotion. But despite people like Keats, who never got a chance to read that number before dying too young, it usually isn't true.

[sallytuppence]

I'd be inclined to say to that newbie, "WOW, you actually finished a book?!" We all know what a huge accomplishment that is.

I mean, I know people who have written a million words and never finished anything.

[sartorias]

Absolutely! Especially when it's just done.

If it's appropriate at all (and I have my misgivings) it's kind of a reality check further along, when the subject of rewriting comes up.

I never have used it in this context--know people who turn out a million words of crap a year and never get anywhere, and people whose first work is brilliant, and only after a light dusting off--but that's where I've heard it most, including the more of less head of the face-to-face group I'm in now. I know he means it as a reality check, and people nod and duck their heads like yes, this is wisdom, totally true, so it seems to work, but.

[gregvaneekhout]

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

[shunn]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Greg?

[gregvaneekhout]

Redrum!