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Mar 12, 2011 15:01

I've picked up the bad habit of reading blogs targeted at beginning writers recently. The problem is, I'm not a beginning writer; I'm a wannabe writer. On a good day, I get a couple hundred words in, and good days are rare. One thing I've picked up from these blogs is that speed of writing is critical; you get better at the rate that you produce. ( Read more... )

Comments 6

diantha March 13 2011, 15:33:14 UTC

When I was writing my dissertation, my dad (who has written a bunch of CS books) gave me a copy of the clockwork muse, and I found it really helpful.
http://www.amazon.com/Clockwork-Muse-Practical-Writing-Dissertations/dp/0674135865
When I was writing all day, I spent some time thinking about when I am creative, and when I am tired, and I settled on writing in the morning when I am most creative and most efficient, and editing in the afternoon. But, I did try to write every day, and I did give myself a daily page goal.

clipdude March 13 2011, 15:33:15 UTC

I don't have experience with writing fiction, but when I am writing papers (or when I was writing my dissertation), I don't find that speed is important as much as forcing myself to sit down and write a certain amount each day. A lot of the problem is procrastination--if you keep putting off writing until the next day, you aren't going to make much progress.

cissa March 15 2011, 04:35:40 UTC

I think Rothfuss should add THINKING to his writing. The protag in his first was such a big Marty Stu that I couldn't believe it: he was a child! and yet better than everyone experienced in all sorts of things!

That is SO annoying.

two_star March 15 2011, 23:07:00 UTC

(Hmm, I no longer seem to be getting notification emails from lj. Good thing I checked.)

Mmm. I agree it was a little over the top. On the other hand, prodigies do exist, and an early start, motivation, practice, and cheating go a long way, and Kvothe had all four on his side. I guess I bought it more than others did.

cissa March 16 2011, 01:40:39 UTC

Prodigies in one or 2 (related) areas, yeah.

Prodigies in EVERYTHING- that's a Marty Stu.

I don't know if I'll read #2; I found #1 to be just to ridiculous for words. Even prodigies need practice to be able to trump people who have devoted their lives to an art, and that this guy was just SO brilliant in SO many areas that he could trump experience in all of them- well. Implausible and also annoying.

duchez March 16 2011, 01:31:20 UTC

As a professional writer (you have no idea how much it weirds me out to write that), if we are going to get better at the speed of writing, I am in trouble. I struggle to increase my output at my job, and I am probably one of the slowest writers there. I agonize over every word and placement, and that's not what my bosses want to see.

I put up a sign on my desk paraphrasing a fortune cookie: "A complete story today is better than a perfect one tomorrow."

I know what you mean about the advice to "just write" not being helpful. But it really is the only way to. As diantha mentioned, the key is to find when you are most productive. I've discovered I am super productive between 12noon and 1pm, 3 and 5pm, and between 8am and 9am, so I actually try to set aside those times and devote to writing, and do research or meetings or editing all the other times. (I sometimes end up doing fiction during those times instead of work - that was the only way Nanowrimo was possible for me ( ... )