by Anne R. Allen
I first blogged about the plight of slow writers back in 2014, at the height of the indie publishing boom. All the indie superstar gurus were telling writers to grind out ebooks as fast as they could type to take advantage of the “Kindle Gold Rush”.
Three years later, the Kindle Gold Rush is history, but there’s even more pressure to write fast–not only for authors who self-publish, but for traditionally published authors as well.
The New York Times reported recently: “The practice of spacing an author’s books at least one year apart is gradually being discarded as publishers appeal to the same “must-know-now” impulse that drives binge viewing.”
Confessions of a Slow Writer
I’m afraid I’m in the tortoise camp myself. My plots morph and change during the writing process and never bear much resemblance to my original outline. That means I spend a lot of time rewriting and reworking.
Maybe I could write faster if I kept to my outlines, but then I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun writing the books. If the writer isn’t having fun, I worry the reader won’t either.
I could also write more ebooks if I didn’t spend time recording audiobooks and getting everything into nicer print copies–and, of course, blogging and corresponding with readers here and on social media.
I realize I’m defying cultural norms. We live in a speed-obsessed civilization. Whatever it is we crave—cars, trains, electronics, food, dates—we want them ever-faster-and-furiouser. In fact, much of the developed world seems to be engaged some turbocharged drag race of the soul, hurtling our frenzied selves from cradle to grave, terrified of slowing for even a minute of rose-smelling.
So am I doomed to fail as I lag back here with only 10 books to my name?
Speed in the Gig Economy
Overworking ourselves is considered a good thing in the era of the “gig culture.” In an an economy where fewer people have steady jobs and many eke out a living with random piecemeal employment, working an absurd number of hours becomes something to be admired.
In fact, taking care of ourselves has become something of a taboo.
In the New Yorker last month, Jia Tolentino wrote a piece called “The Gig Economy Celebrates Working yourself to Death”. She talked about the praise heaped on a young pregnant Lyft driver who picked up a fare on the way to the hospital while she was having contractions.
She’s praised as a hero, with nobody mentioning what a dangerous message that sends. “Being in labor isn’t that big a deal, ladies. Go to work anyway.”
I’d much rather see an article praising somebody who took care of herself (and the people around her.) “WOMAN STAYS HOME WITH FLU! KEEPS GERMS AWAY FROM THOUSANDS!
Yeah, I know. Not likely.
On Medium this week, a blogger who calls himself “Son of Baldwin” laments the pressure young people feel to abuse their physical and mental health and hide all signs of stress. He says “we’re despised for showing any vulnerability, for having emotions, for displaying moments of weakness.”
Another Medium blogger, Mianya Ong wrote about her case of burnout after working 90 hr weeks for a start-up. “Sleep is for the weak. Failure is a choice. There is only success, and those too lazy to achieve it. That’s the kind of mantra I fed myself.”
But last week Ruth Harris wrote about the dangers of stress and burnout. Do we really want to go there?
The Pressure to Write Fast
Writers seem to get more than our share of pressure to overwork. I think that’s partly because so many non-writers think writing books is easy. I’ve met people who think writing books involves nothing but typing. “It took you a year to write a book? My grandmother can type 80 words a minute!”
Writers and artists have always worked a gig economy, so nothing’s new there. We know that if we don’t produce a saleable product in a reasonable amount of time, we don’t eat.
But the pressure is escalating, as “Son of Baldwin” said in his post. A writer who could turn out a book a year used to be considered “prolific.” But now everybody tells us that if we can’t produce books as fast as Mickey D’s grills burgers, we should choose another line of work.
What About the Reader?
What does the need for speed do for the quality of books that readers can choose from?
Humorist Tara Sparling wrote a post last month lamenting the sameness of bestsellers these days. She says, “books are being hammered into pre-existing trends, and nobody’s coming out with anything new.”
If we’re blogging, networking, sending out newsletters, and churning out books as fast as we can type, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important person in the publishing equation: the reader.
Like Tara, most readers would probably would like something new, rather than a copycat of what they just read.
But creating new stuff takes time. And with all this busy-work, we don’t have any to spare.
Self-Pub vs. Trad-Pub
One of the chief prophets of the speed-writing gospel is uber-prolific indie guru Dean Wesley Smith. Back in 2014, Mr. Smith got into a verbal contretemps on the subject with literary agent Donald Maass.
Donald Maass, author of the popular how-to-write-breakout-novels books, posted a controversial piece for Writer Unboxed, dividing all authors into three classes with the imperiousness of Caesar dividing Gaul.
He relegated self-publishers to “Freight” class, and the direct-to-paperback/ebook trad-pubbed midlist authors to “Coach”, while pronouncing the “First Class” artistic elite (like Snooki, Rush Limbaugh, and the Duck Dynasty guys, presumably) deserving of hardcovers, big bucks and the undying respect of the literati.
Many big-name indies rebutted him, but none with more passion than Dean Wesley Smith. I agreed with much of what DWS had to say, until I read his remarks in the comment thread:
“He [Maass] thinks all writers need to rewrite and rewrite….He thinks that slowing down and writing less is a better way to become a better writer.”
And “I tell writers to write with passion and never rewrite.”
I think DWS did more harm to the self-publishing movement with those statements than any of Maass’s silly elitism.
In his rebuttal, Mr. Smith revived an old piece of advice from scifi great Robert Heinlein, excerpted from a 1947 essay, “On the Writing of Speculative Fiction”, which offered the following counsel to young writers:
1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
4. You must put the work on the market.
5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.
I’m sure those were excellent rules for writing science fiction for pulp magazines 70 years ago—when writers submitted work to actual editors who would later give those “editorial orders”.
But in the age of self-publishing, that advice is pretty awful. It could derail a promising career and stoke the fears of every reader already cowering in dread of the indie “tsunami of crap.”
Later in the thread, Donald Maass himself appeared, and I found myself agreeing with some of his points, like this one:
“What I advocate and teach is not any particular pace of output but the techniques that I’ve observed result in strong fiction. I do see that revision is pretty often part of getting that result.”
My problem with both men in this argument is they had lumped together completely separate issues:
- Writing Fast
- Self-publishing
- The need to edit
So Let’s Look at Them Separately:
1) Writing Fast:
Authors have been urged to write faster for decades. Writing fast has nothing to do with the self-publishing movement, or whether you’re in “Freight” or “First Class” (or “Coach” like me.)
As early as the 1970s, P.G. Wodehouse, prolific author of the “Jeeves” novels and many others, gave this advice to new writers in the Paris Review,“I always feel the thing to go for is speed.”
In 2011, the trad-pubbed Sci-Fi author Rachel Aaron wrote an article for SFWA outlining how she built from a meagre 2000 words a day to 10,000 words a day or more, when her publisher required it.
And as Elizabeth S. Craig told us in her guest post in February of this year, the writers who make the most money these days are writers who can write books quickly–preferably in a series.
So yeah, writing fast is great…if you can do it well.
I don’t want to get into a literary vs genre argument here, because it’s not relevant. Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 6 weeks, and some terrible genre books took decades. Some writers can write 10K words a day and have no problem finding readers.
But if I wrote 10K words a day and didn’t edit them, I guarantee the whole thing would be gibberish. I would also end up in the hospital. And I don’t think I’m alone in this.
2) Self Publishing:
Many self-publishers are also traditionally published, and hybrid authors are the best paid in the business, so these “either/or” arguments should be long over.
Unfortunately they persist, as shown in this piece from the Guardian last month, where author Ros Barber said, “Now, I understand that “indie publishing” is all the rage, but you might as well be telling Luke Skywalker to go to the dark side. Despite royalty rates of 70%, I think self-publishing is a terrible idea for serious novelists. (by which I mean, novelists who take writing seriously, and love to write).”
Ros sweetie, 2009 called. They want their snark back. This is an old, dead issue.
Back in 2014, Donald Maass’s own hybrid client Delilah Marvelle wrote an eloquent rebuttal to this kind of arrogance (specifically Mr. Maass’s three-classes piece).
“I have to say, Freight Class is awesome. The seats are bouncy and let me swivel any way I want so I can write and deliver the books in any way I want. And the conductor isn’t sticking his nose in on my business telling me what I can and can’t write. It’s soooo nice. I guess what you’re not seeing is that I learned to appreciate the wonders and the joys of Freight Class after being stuck in Coach Class for so long. I’m loving it back here and I kinda wish you’d actually rename all the classes. Because the people in Freight Class deserve more respect.”
So it’s a non-issue. Some great authors self-publish and some lousy authors do too. Some great authors are trad-published but some lousy authors are too. Indies and Trad-Pubbers are both supposed to write fast.
The only constant is that slow writers are $&!# out of luck–or are they?
3) The Need to Edit:
When he told writers not to bother with revisions, Dean Wesley Smith sounded as elitist as Donald Maass. His statements reminded me of a quote sometimes attributed to Oscar Wilde:
“I never rewrite my own work. Who am I to tamper with genius?”
(Although Wilde actually edited his work meticulously.)
Maybe DWS himself can write a perfectly crafted novel in a weekend that doesn’t need a bit of editing. He’s had a lifetime of experience cranking out those puppies, so I can believe him when he says he does it.
Some people can jump off mountains with wooden planks strapped to their feet, do somersaults in the air and glide effortlessly to safety and Olympic glory.
But it’s ridiculous to say that everybody can.
Or should.
Especially newbies. Newbies need editors. And time.
Expertise: The Thing Nobody Talks About
Here’s the thing: a beginner can’t do the same thing–at the same speed–as a seasoned professional, no matter what skill set you’re talking about.
I’m pretty sure Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t vroom into a NASCAR race the day he got his learner’s permit. Any music lover can tell you the notes produced by a first-year cello student won’t fall as delightfully upon the ear as those of Yo-Yo Ma. And nobody wants to wear a pair of socks created by a first-time knitter.
Why do people think it’s different with writing? Telling beginning writers they should be able to do the same thing as seasoned professionals is not helpful. It can hurt the fledgling writer as well as the reader (who should factor into the equation somewhere, I think.)
And as to the argument that writing lots of pages makes you a better writer—that’s only true if you get feedback. And learn from it.
Making the same mistake two hundred times is not an improvement over making it once.
Getting Back to the Speed Question:
In spite of my undying admiration for Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that not all bestselling authors write fast. Not even in the e-age.
Donna Tartt, whose brilliant novel The Goldfinch topped everybody’s lists for the best book of 2013, had only written three novels since her first in 1992.
Lots of professional writers create slowly and edit as they go.
I do.
Okay, I’ve learned to compose a little faster than I could a few years ago. I’ve moved from a snail’s pace to that of an arthritic penguin, but I still can’t write much more than 2000 words a day on a WIP, combined with an average of maybe 500-1000 words of nonfic for blogs and social media, another 1000-3000 on email and replying to requests, comments, and questions, plus a few hours editing or proofreading.
Am I a failure? I don’t feel like one. I’m mostly published by small presses, which makes me one of Maass’s pathetic mid-listers in “Coach” class.
I’m certainly not keeping the publishing industry afloat like those Duck Dynasty guys or the adult coloring book craze, but I have 10 published books, several of which have made bestseller lists. I’ve got several books in translation and audiobooks, and I’m being read all over the world.
Hey, I even have haters, which might be the real mark of success in today’s snarky Internet culture.
The Power of SLOW:
I remain a believer in doing things slowly.
- This “slow blog” continues to earn major awards usually reserved for the dailies.
- I read slowly, too—I hate to barrel through a book reading only for plot–and missing the wit, nuances of character, and moments of insight that might expand my own mind.
- I eat slow food: I cook everything from scratch, buy from the local farmer’s market, and never eat fast food unless I’m on the road (and it’s an In-N-Out burger. 🙂 )
- Hey, I even live in a place called SLO-town, which Oprah named the “happiest town in America.”
And I’m going to tell you it’s okay to be a slow writer.
Especially if you’re a beginner. Write a little each day. Get joy from it. Feel pride when you get a really good scene finished.
Because a writing career is not a race or a contest.
Writing has to be a source of joy; it doesn’t pay well enough to be anything else.
I’m not saying you can’t be successful popping out a first draft at NaNoWriMo speed. In fact I encourage new writers to try NaNo at least once. It can help you overcome inhibitions and let your muse loose on the page.
But afterward, you’ll need to put in a lot of time editing, especially if you’re a new writer.
No matter what Robert Heinlein said, I’m pretty sure no reader wants to pay money for your “sh***y first draft.” As an editor, I had to read a lot of them, and I can tell you I wouldn’t have finished 90% if I hadn’t been paid.
If you properly edit your NaNo book, the bottom line of time spent is probably going to be about the same as if you wrote it slowly.
It’s Also Wise to Consider:
1) Many editors dislike working with people who write to a high daily word count.
Speed writers tend to fall in love with the very bulkiness of their own product. That high number of words feels valuable, so they can’t let go.
2) Your mental health.
It’s also important to be aware that for some people, writing more than a certain number of hours a day can be dangerous to your mental health.
The New York Times reported a few years ago that scientists have discovered the part of the brain stimulated by deep thought is the same part activated in clinical depression. The reason so many writers suffer from depression isn’t because we all started out miserable.
Writing for long periods without a break can actually trigger the illness in some people. It can also cause stress and burnout, as Ruth Harris told us last week.
3) Your physical health.
Sitting too long at a desk can be hazardous to your health. A Canadian study in 2015 proved that too much sitting can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and premature death.
4) The ever-changing marketplace.
Back in the heady days of the Kindle Gold Rush, I was selling 1000s of ebooks a week on Amazon. I even had some days when I sold 1000 in a day. If I’d been able to write faster, no doubt I’d have sold a whole lot more.
But Amazon is no longer the indie’s playground. Unless you’re with an Amazon imprint, you’ll get no sales help from the Zon. (Data collectors still call Amazon imprints “indie” publishing, but they are traditional publishing in everything but name.)
In fact, more of my income came from audiobooks and print than ebooks in the last quarter of 2016. The hours it took to record those audiobooks kept me from my WIP, but that investment is paying off. As is the time spent putting out better print books with my new publisher.
There is a Role for Slow Writers in Today’s Publishing World.
In fact, I believe working slowly and mindfully is the best way to build a career. It’s worked for me. And I’m not the only one.
Most writers who become “overnight successes” have actually been at it for years, maybe decades.
My friend and mentor Catherine Ryan Hyde, who became a publishing star with Pay it Forward in 2000,has become an even bigger success (#1 seller on Amazon) since she went hybrid a couple of years ago. But she collected 1000s of rejections before her first novel, Funerals for Horses was accepted by a small press.
She had a decade to hone her craft and create a body of work at her own pace before she needed to start producing books on a regular schedule. That is how most writers build their careers: Cut your teeth on short fiction, get it published and work on the novels. Don’t rush to publish the novels until you’ve got inventory. Then you can be an “overnight success.” 🙂
And these days, they usually generate multiple income streams from the same titles by producing audio, paper, and ebooks as well as speaking engagements and courses.
Successful “Slow Writers”
My friend Jay Asher, a fellow member of Nightwriters here in San Luis Obispo, CA has only published three books over the last ten years.
So he must be a complete failure, right?
Not exactly. His first novel Thirteen Reasons Why was on the NYT bestseller list for over three years. His second novel, The Future of Us, which he co-wrote with Carolyn Mackler, didn’t make as big a splash, but his third novel What Light, which came out recently is doing very well. And he is working on a graphic novel, Piper, which is already generating buzz.
Besides those, he has a major Netflix series based on his book Thirteen Reasons Why, which debuted on Friday, with a huge red-carpet opening night in LA. (It’s brilliant! Watch it.)
So here’s a guy who has NOT spent every waking minute churning out copy-cat versions of his big hit.
Instead, he’s gone all over the world speaking to schools about bullying (the subject of Thirteen Reasons Why.) He’s been helping people and doing a lot of good in the world instead of simply grinding out more books.
And yet it would be hard to say the guy isn’t a success, wouldn’t it?
***
I’ve also loved watching the career of sci-fi author Alex J. Cavanaugh. He’s not a particularly fast writer either. He’s a prolific blogger, but he only puts out one book a year. His career started out slow and he’s still in “Coach class” with a small press. But his books are bestsellers.
Here’s what he says:
“I am a slow writer. (Slow typist as well. Thirty words per minute if I’m lucky.) Since I also play in a band, I have to devote time to practicing my guitar every night. Plus spend time with my wife. I’m also juggling a busy blog schedule, not only with my own, but with the IWSG site and the A to Z Challenge. And yes, I work full time. So, cranking out a book or two a year just isn’t going to happen. Despite the fact my books aren’t very long. I know authors who can turn out quality books quickly, but I just don’t have that kind of time. I’d spend all my time writing and I don’t want to do that.”
OMG, the man has a life. And he doesn’t sound doomed to me.
These wonderful authors are producing art at their own pace, and giving something to their communities. (Something more than mass-produced, speed-written novels.)
Do you need to write fast to be a success in this business? I say learn to write at your own pace, then if you’re unhappy about your speed, work at getting faster. Here’s a post from Ruth Harris on learning to write faster without going bonkers.
If you can do that and keep your quality up–fantastic. But remember there are other ways to make money from your books that don’t involve churning out 12 books a year. Go wide, get translations and audiobooks (You can find translators and narrators for no money up front at Bablecube and Audible.) And most of all–live a healthy, balanced life, remembering that you are part of a community, not simply a book-generating machine.
The truth is there are as many roads to becoming a successful writer as there are successful writers. And if you’re a slow writer, don’t despair. Some day you may be walking the red carpet when a film or TV series is made of your slow-written book, like Jay Asher.
***
posted by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) April 2, 2017
What about you, scriveners? Are any of you slow writers? Have you been feeling pressure to write faster? Have you attempted NaNoWriMo? Did it improve your writing? How do you feel about being advised not to edit your work?
This week on her book blog, Anne takes a detour from her poison series to talk about poisonous relationships.
A Tech Problem Note
This blog used to be on Blogger, which I loved, but we had a hacker problem, so I had a friend move us to WordPress in December 2015. He cleverly installed a redirect that automatically directed any link for annerallen.blogspot.com to annerallen.com. But apparently Blogger doesn’t like redirects and they just discovered ours. Now it’s blocked with a “403 Forbidden” notice. So if you’ve got one of our posts bookmarked at blogspot.com, just go to annerallen.com and put the title of the post into the search window. Tech sure can make our lives complicated!
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Great stuff. I count m myself in the Tortoise Squared category. Why on earth write something without giving it full editing & revising attention? There is an embarrassing amount of tripe getting published (both in self- & trad-publishing). “Just getting it out there” only contributes to the steaming heap of tripe. If we hope to write books that will actually be read & appreciated, we have to do everything we can & take all the time necessary to make the work the best it can be.
CS–My thoughts exactly. The world doesn’t need more books. It needs new, innovative, thoughtful books. And most of us need time to produce those. .
Guess I’m going to be in the crowd that disagrees. Please, first, don’t use the phrasing “cranking out.” That’s insulting to anyone who spends a lot of time writing. It implies that somehow because the writer spends more time writing that it’s poor writing. Speed has nothing … nothing at all to do with quality.
When I was struggling to produce a novel, I had no idea that the things I was doing in the first draft were causing the requirement to revise. My Civil War thriller, co written took at least 5 years to write because of this. I remember saying to myself, “This is hard to do. I’ll fix it on the revision.” That single change affected everything after it, so when I fixed it revising, I had twenty revisions because every change I made broke something else.
In fact, when I was first saw DWS on revising, I disagreed with it myself. But after a nightmare with the novel and multiple revisions that turned the story from a two car pileup to a jet crashing into a major city, I was ready to listen, though not entirely at first. I couldn’t quite give up on the work I’d done with the story, but I finished trashed it and started it from scratch. Seven months, concurrently with a memoir that accidentally happened. My next two have taken six months. My process is rather messy at the moment, something I hope to improve on. I do somewhere between 700-1000 words an hour. If I spend one hour a day, I get around 7,000 words in a week. If I do more than that, it bounces up to 10K a week. And I don’t consider that word count all that much because it’s an hour a day with a few extra on the weekend.
BTW, my first drafts are sh—. That’s a negative the writing community has adapted to keep people in their place, and everyone’s bought into it.
Linda–It sounds as if you’re definitely in the “hare” category with DWS. An Olympian. Congratulations! But don’t assume everybody can do what you do. My first drafts are awful, unfortunately.
Why? That’s a question you need to ask yourself. They don’t have be.
Everybody has a different writing process. I first write the dialogue and then fill in the rest. But the dialogue would be a bad book if I didn’t fill it in. The point is–there are as many ways to write as there are writers. That’s mine, because I started in the theater writing plays. I don’t consider it wrong. I’m known for my witty dialogue. I wouldn’t give that up for speed.
Thank you for this! I’ve gotten comments from other indie authors when they find out I’ve been working on a book for 2 years, “OMG are you still writing that??” I say more power to you if you can crank out a book a month, but I can’t. Nor do I want to. This mindset of needing to have tons of books out annoys me.
D.D. I agree. We all have our own goals and writing process. Harper Lee wrote one great book that has had a huge impact on our culture. Publishing her first draft didn’t add to the impact. But it would be silly to say she was a failure because all she ever wrote was to Kill a Mockingbird.
Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of the best selling All the Light We Cannot See took ten years to write it. This is the best book I’ve read in a very long time and the prose is such that I’d want to reread it over and over for how beautiful it sounds. The plotlines and characters are also quite engaging and it’s a book that deserves to be a classic.
I guess if you don’t want your book to be a door-stopper after a reader has read it quickly, you may have to work at it like Mr. Doerr did on his bestseller.
BTW, Ms. Allen, this is a great article. Thanks!
Evy–I have heard so many great things about that book! It’s on my TBR list. And yes, a literary novel needs to be written slowly. And it needs to be read slowly too. The prose will be richer and need more time to comprehend.
Anthony Doerr’s story is an inspiration to all new writers.
A lot of “breakthrough novels” both literary and genre, took a long time to write. This is why I keep hammering new writers about not trying to publish too soon. Polish your books and your skills before you have to become a marketer and business owner. Pre-publication is a luxurious time.
Hi, Anne. Loved this post. First, congrats on The Gatsby Game being the featured book for only 99 cents. I loved that one and if I remember correctly, I bought a Kindle because it was out as an ebook only and I couldn’t wait to read it. That said, I’m a pretty slow writer in terms of daily output. As I’ve mentioned in my posts here, I do a short outline using screenwriting techniques before I start writing. I don’t completely stick to it, but I’m just not the kind of writer who can jump right in and write. Right now I’m struggling with a new story. I have the structure (epistolary) and the theme, but just can’t get the plot yet. And I won’t feel good about starting until I have a pretty good idea of what I’ll write. Once I get going, I do write quite a bit faster and don’t edit till I’m done with the first draft. I did NANO once. I don’t think it improved my writing but it got me my first novel after days of rewriting. I used characters from my short stories, ones I knew well, and just plopped them into a new situation. That was fun to do but I don’t think I’ll do NANO again. It just isn’t how I write. Not editing your work is a nonstarter with me. I always try to edit and submit as clean a copy as I can to my publisher, who then assigns an individual editor to go over my work again in detail. I could sing the praises of J. M. Snyder at JMS Books all day. She’s wonderful to her writers. Also Jessica Bell at Vine Leaves Press is terrific to work with. And I’m a Coach writer too I think. Happy as a clam to be one. Paul
Paul–You’re a pretty prolific writer, so I think your screenplay-outline sounds like a winner. I haven’t tried that yet, and maybe I should for the next one.
Having an editor you trust is worth so much! My editor is fantastic, and he “gets” my humor. That’s why I prefer staying with a small press, too.
Wow, wasn’t expecting that at the end! Thanks. Crap, I guess I need to write something soon. Slowly, of course.
No, this coach rider doesn’t feel it. I’ve enjoyed my journey, slow and all, and still produced more than I ever thought I would. The greatest of which is still the IWSG. So I’ll just keep on keeping on.
Alex–I hope you don’t mind that I used you as an example, but I think you’re a great role model for new writers. You help the writing community, write bestselling books, and have a family and job in the mundane world. That’s balance. We don’t value balance enough in today’s turbo-charged world.
Congrats to the IWSG form making the Writer’s Digest Best 101 Websites for 2017!
Thanks, Anne.
I’ll speak as a person who stopped reading because of deteriorating quality in an author’s work.
I enjoyed Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons, devouring every word and wanting to get through the novel as quickly as possible.
Then I progressed to The Da Vinci Code. It contained a couple of recycled ideas from the first book, but I still enjoyed the read even though it wasn’t as engaging as Angels & Demons.
The Lost Symbol came next–riddled with typos and formatting errors. I stuck with the book until the end, but decided not to invest any more money in the series.
Mr. Brown’s assembly-line approach lost me as a reader.
“Lots of professional writers create slowly and edit as they go.” Yes! Quality trumps quantity every time, self published or not.
Kathy–I think what happened with Dan Brown happens with a lot of trad pubbed writers. They spend years trying to get an agent, and in that time keep rewriting and improving their book. So the first book that makes it into the marketplace is the result of many years of writing and revision. But then they sign a multiple book contract and have to come up with new material at the same time that they’re promoting the first book. So there’s just not enough time to write the subsequent books as well as the first.
Anne—So someone wrote 1000 words a day. Or 5,000. ~shrugs~ What matters is: are they words anyone wants to read? Words worth keeping? Or are they words that need to be cut/revised/deleted/edited? As to speed, it has its purposes. Speed is great for getting out a first draft, merde or otherwise. My own first drafts, like yours, usually require hours of effort to get the results I’m looking for.
BTW, Day Of The Jackal, one of the great thrillers, was written in 35 days by an author desperate for money.
Ruth–That’s exactly it isn’t it? Are these words that anybody will want to read?
Some people do get it right the first time. I used the example of Dickens with A Christmas Carol. But I didn’t know that about Day of the Jackal! 35 days! Sometimes necessity is indeed the mother of invention.
This was so great. I’m a newbie and it took me 3 years to do my first book and I was thinking I could do the next one faster. But your post reminded me that it’s not a race and that having a life is important too. Thanks
Mary–Three years is probably about average for a first novel. Even though lots of people write first novels during NaNoWriMo, most take the three years to make it into anything readable. Your next one will probably be easier. But don’t feel it’s “wrong” if it doesn’t all come together in 6 months.
I do think that having a life is vital to being a good writer. “Life” is where we get our ideas. It’s amazing how much better I write when I take time off to do other things. When I come back to the keyboard, all this stuff magically appears. I think while I’m doing all that other stuff, my subconscious is working out the problems in the story.
Hah! Anne your posts are always great but now I have to wonder if you’ve been hanging around in my house all week or something. Really just walking the same path in my brain, it’s spooky!
I am of course a slow writer (a word which certainly describes the pace and may also modify the noun in another way). Day-job dilettante as you’ve described some others here, and happy with the pace I can manage. If I won the Powerball I could certainly write MORE, but I don’t think it would be much faster. On the other hand, because I’m carrying the thoughts so long between chances to write, it tends to come out fairly polished.
I think a lot of the urging to write fast comes from folks who see the entire profession as a zero-sum game. At any rate many are people who ignore the indie path and that’s a clue, for me, that they believe there are a limited number of slots, etc.
The goal for slow-writing is the slow-burn, to grow steadily over time as more and more books compile. I’ve been thinking about this as my publisher re-launches two of my series-tales with new covers. I wrote them back at the beginning, then turned to other tales in the canon of my world, and now I’m finally back with the third in the series done. Someone who discovers me today, as opposed to five years ago when they came out, has four other titles they could turn to, plus the third in the series coming soon. It’s taken years and it’s quite exciting.
Will–Haha! And you thought it was a poltergeist! It’s been fun to watch your career over the past few years. It’s so great to have a publisher who really gets you and can bring out your earlier work in a way that provides what your present audience expects. That’s why spending some time building inventory before you publish makes life so much easier. Congrats on all you’ve done in the past 5 years!
Late thought but along the lines of your remark that trad-pub is no guarantee of quality. Once a month on the Writers Unboxed group site they run “Flog a Pro” where they give you the first page of an unnamed recent bestseller and everyone votes on whether they’d read any further! And you might expect some of these first-rank names to issue a clunker once in a while but I think most of us would be stunned just how often and how sincerely bad. You think indies would get mercy for a slow open like some of these, HAH!
Will–I wish I’d been in on that. I’m so amazed at the bad writing in a lot of bestsellers. If an author has a big name, I think the editors don’t bother to give it much more than a half-hearted proofread. The info-dumping, boring descriptions and 10-page flashbacks are things nobody else could get away with.
As a newbie who recently decided to try this whole writing thing, I am often confronted with new questions to consider. It is more than a little timely that you asked, “Are Slow Writers Doomed to Fail in the Digital Age?” as I was contemplating a similar question just last weekend.
As I was “writing” diligently trying to get to the daily word count that I had promised myself I would reach my wife asked how the whole writing thing was going. This made me question if I was writing fast enough. After some thought, the question became twofold. First, what is the minimum number of words per day that I should strive for? Second, is writing a certain number of words per day really that helpful?
Then today I read, “Are Slow Writers Doomed to Fail in the Digital Age?” which I found both very helpful and perplexing. It is helpful as I found “Here’s the thing: a beginner can’t do the same thing–at the same speed–as a seasoned professional, no matter what skill set you’re talking about.” very comforting. However, as someone who tries to hit the 2000 words a day threshold with some success (to be honest having set word count does at times make me feel as if I am writing a term paper), I find that there are those that write 10 thousand words a day little perplexing. While I know I am not anywhere near the level where I can write with such speed, I do see that my daily schedule is slowly improving my writing. So I am left wondering if my 2000 words a day is too much or too little.
I hope that as I gain more experience as a writer this question (as well as the numerous others that I have) will work themselves out as I discover what works for me.
RT–If writing 2000 words a day is working for you, and you’re pleased with the results, then that’s what you should be doing. Every writer has their own process and pace. I find if I write too fast, I get off on tangents that end up getting deleted. So I aim to write scenes rather than keep to a word count. So my goal will be “let’s write the jail scene today. The scene might be a few pages long or it might be 25 and need to be broken up into chapters.
But that’s what works for me. It might not work for everybody. Try different techniques and see what works to produce the best product.
Thank you. I will give that a try ! 🙂
“So I aim to write scenes rather than keep to a word count.”
Love this approach! I switched to this method a while ago and find I’m more satisfied with what I put out now (and enjoy the process more) because I’m no longer focused on an arbitrary number’s game and I can just focus on the story itself. 🙂
Great article, btw!
T. M. Thanks! It sure works for me.
What I hate is the ‘series’ mentality. “Oh you have to release a new book in your series every 53 days or you’ll lose readers”. We’re writers, not Netflix.
Icy–You’re right. I see that all the time: because of Netflix, we all have to create a binge-worthy series. But that analogy doesn’t work because a novel IS a series. Look, they’re taking 13 episodes to tell the story of Jay Asher’s novel 13 Reasons Why. And it’s not that long a book.
I’m definitely a writer in the slow camp. I do other creative things slowly, too. I’ve tried going faster, but it just doesn’t work for me. I’m happier with the process and the output if I work at my own pace. Maybe that’s why I like the rewriting phase — a chance to play with language and get things right. I’d hate to skip it. 🙂
Michelle–That’s interesting. I love the editing phase too. That’s when I get in all my fun jokes and quirky things. Maybe slower writers tend to like editing more?
Hey Anne,
I was medium, then I was fast and lately I’ve been slow. Not sure what airline class that puts me in – maybe the Travelocity category?
But for me, the speed is dictated by the story/book. My first book took a while and honestly, I wasn’t in a hurry to write it, although I spent a lot of time in the chair doing so. I was engaged in the process and enjoyed it, but didn’t forego my life to write it. The next book(s) were pretty fast – although I started out writing one book, it quickly turned into a series and I ended up writing all three at the same time. But I believe the quick writing time is due to the fact that those books, the characters, etc were in me (possibly had been for years) and really just dying to come out – in great gobs of words. The current series (I’m now writing lots of 3 – don’t ask me why because I really don’t know) has been on again, off again, taking much more time than I expected and will probably take a lot more time to finish. It’s actually a trilogy more than a series and so the books are much more interconnected and that could be part of it. Probably. But also, I have different goals for these books, I want to go so much deeper into story and character than I have before in other stories. And I think that’s a good thing.
Sure, there are times I feel impatient and want to hurry up and finish but that’s just my inner brat giving me grief.
So slow writing, fast writing, medium speed writing, I think is only relevant on a writer by writer basis. I believe there are writers out there who can write with lightning speed and turn out awesome books. Just as there are writers out there who move slowly, torture over every word, and turn out awesome books. And writers who just have a nice even pace that falls somewhere in between the slow and the fast. The important thing is to turn out work you can be proud of and that a reader will want to read.
I’m a bit weary of writers who have found their method and then insist that other writers use it as the only method to write. No disrespect to Donald Maas or DWS, but they found their method and good for them but that doesn’t mean their way is the best way, the right way or the only way. It’s just how they’ve done it. Right?
I’m all for authors sharing tips, tricks and what’s worked for them. If nothing else, it’s an interesting case study from which you could glean some ideas in improving your own process. But none of it is gospel and I think more than anything else, that is the pitfall that writers, especially new writers, fall into. Because they believe that somebody else knows better than they do about how they should develop their own process. And then they hit a wall and have no idea why.
I’m a lot like you, I’m into the dialogue and that is what comes first. Then the subsequent drafts fill in the missing details, the finer points, etc. We all have to write to our strengths and maybe that comes faster than the problem areas where taking the time makes the difference between a good story and a great one.
Great post. Obviously, it got me thinking.
Have a good one.
Annie
Annie–Thanks for all the good thoughts. I agree 100% with what you say about Maass and DWS and other”writers who have found their method and then insist that other writers use it as the only method to write.”
Each writer has her own challenges and strengths. Also each genre has unique challenges. I think a lot of the super-fast writers write thrillers. And they may indeed have found a personal template that they can plug new characters into and they get into the groove and take off running.
And books in a series are much easier to write fast because you know all the characters already. But if you’re in brand new territory, with new characters and a new kind of plot, it’s going to take longer. Just does.
I grapple with this issue constantly–esp. because I write romance. Romance writers are very prolific. Perhaps if one has a “formula” one consistently uses, the words flow faster? But for me, characterization takes longer to formulate than plot. The many nuances of a character take a while to evolve. The characters accompany me everywhere I go and eventually, these traits come out on the page. Maybe it’s not so much I’m a slow writer, but a slow thinker. After a bit, my brain shuts off for the day.
I’ll never be able to wrap my mind around the concept of no editing. Granted I write pretty clean first drafts where I’m not changing major elements, but there’s still many errors I catch that I would be horrified to have go to press.
Tiffany–A formula helps, I think, but you’re right–if your books are character-driven, that’s going to take longer, even within the standard formula of a romance. Mysteries are the same way. Readers are turning the pages to find out whodunnit, but if the characters aren’t vivid, they won’t want to visit that world again.
I think my ideas come at their own pace, too. They can’t be rushed. (Or the muse will totally give me the silent treatment.. Haha.)
I think it’s unfair to the reader to skip the editing phase. Readers matter.
I write primarily for myself, not caring about trends or movements, because they all change. I’m on book 6 of an 8-book series, releasing one a year, which I want to be a quality, in-depth work. Fortunately, that’s what my readers want, too.
As for the rest of the world, I just ignore it. Life’s so much easier when we quit worrying about what everyone else wants.
Trish–When you’ve got a loyal fan base and you know what they want, you don’t have to listen to anybody, I agree.
I think it’s newbies especially who turn to the big name gurus, but they’re the ones who can be hurt by this kind of advice, since it’s not really meant for them.
Totally agree with you, Anne. My books involve so much research (forensics, police procedures, anatomy, etc) that some books take me forever to write. Add that to my pub’s schedule, and I’m lucky to release two or three a year. If I were to churn out five or six books a year, I doubt my readers would be happy. For example, I just had an ARC reader ask when the next book in the series would be out. Seriously? The ARC she’d read doesn’t even release till May and already she wants another. I responded with, “Do you want them fast, or do you want the quality you’re used to reading? You can’t have both.” She agreed to wait. Imagine that.
What incredible timing you have. Yesterday, I stumbled across a series of marketing videos from an erotica author. In her videos she said all authors must release at least four novels a year to be successful. If we could release one every two months, that’d be perfect. Her remark got me so fired up, I decided to go look on FB to see if she was as popular as she’d claimed, and I ran across this conversation between two readers…
“OMG, I love this series.”
“Really? But I hear the writing isn’t that great.”
“Who cares? They’re hot.”
If that’s her definition of success, more power to her. For me, writing isn’t all about money. Granted, we need to make a living, but the satisfaction of hearing how much someone enjoyed my work is not something I’m willing to sacrifice in order to crank out more books. Which bears the question: do you think fans in some genres take quantity over quality?
Sue–I’d say 2-3 books a year is pretty fast. Congrats!
You bring up some interesting points. I do think some genres can be written more quickly than others. Cozy mysteries and Category Romance tend to be in the 60K word range. And these days a lot of Regency writers have been writing novella-length books. Much easier to turn out quickly. They also have set formulas, so you can plug in new characters into a storyline you already know.
And those writers are keeping up with their fans’ needs. I remember a friend who used to buy romances by the grocery bagful. She could go through three a day. She said she never remembered them afterward. So she was definitely a fan of quantity over quality.
And some genres aren’t sold in terms of good writing. All those women bought 50 Shades of Grey and I don’t think it was for the brilliant prose. 🙂
But big historical novels, family sagas and intricately researched crime fiction can’t be rushed.
Some writers, like me, make things hard for themselves. The last book had chapter titles that were all quotes from Richard III, and in my current one, the chapter titles are all cards from the classic Tarot deck. I’ve had to do a huge amount of research about the Tarot. Is that going to make me more money than if I’d written three books in this amount of time? Probably not. But I’m creating something unique. That’s important to me.
I must be a Freight Class outlier – a slow writer of 120k word Regency Romances. [pause to allow folks to scoff and skip to the next comment] However, my goal is to write ‘keepers’ that folks will want to reread, rather than consumables that get tossed. It might not make a living wage, but it’s the legacy I choose.
I took 3yrs to write my first novel and 2yrs to write my second. I do a ferocious amount of research for historical accuracy, and spend hours pondering to develop meaningful character arcs, which can be a challenge when my characters are deeper than I am. This may be lost on readers who want a quick fix, but has earned me a small coterie of really lovely folks who do care about those things.
Though slow, I labour over finding just the right turn of phrase or word, so my first draft is pretty close to the finished article. The first time I did Nano, I won but threw away half of what I’d written; but the second time, I set myself a ‘good’ wordcount of 35k, which I reached. It helped me to prioritise writing over other distractions, and get my second novel back on track and published in March.
Just a word on rewriting … When my agent touted my first novel, publishers like Simon and Schuster said nice things that ended with ‘no, thanks’. At that point, the novel was a weighty 180k words. They said ‘It’s too long’, which was like saying ‘Your kid is too tall, can you cut him down a bit’. But much of their advice was valid. After a few years, I did a hard edit, cut out about 40k words and self-published on Amazon KDP in June 2015. For my second novel, I defined a clear structure, even down to the number of pages per scene. It didn’t make me write faster, but it kept the novel in shape … no hard edit needed this time, thank God!
The first novel has sold around 8,000 copies (ebooks and KU equivalents) and still sells around 30-80 a month. My KU earnings are higher than ebook sales, not least because a completed read in KU earns almost double the e-book price. Even in the difficult Zon environment of today, competing with 6 million ebooks, the second novel is doing nicely, though not as meteoric a take-off as the first. Not sure that info is relevant, but as a newbie writer, I would have found that insight useful.
We are all different, and though we have an inherent tendency towards creating tribes and getting tribal about them, diversity is a strength. Just as new blood is vital to the health of any tribe, new ideas can benefit folks from different camps. There’s no one right answer here.
I guess the best advice is to do what feels right for you, and keep an open mind.
Kate–I just found your comment in the spam folder. I have no idea why WordPress dumps some excellent comments into spam.
It’s great to hear that you are so successful writing big, historical novels. Obviously that’s working for you and the great thing about self-publishing is you can publish a 100+ word novel and write for the niche who love big books (and they cannot lie. 🙂 ) .
Here’s the thing: it’s really hard to come up with ‘fresh’ plots, if you are a mystery writer. Something where the reader goes, “wow! That’s clever” at the end. I see some writers churning out 3 books a year, and I shake my head. A professional reviewer friend of mine uses the term “cookie-cutter.”
Invariably, the books I think are wonderful didn’t happen in four months. The ideas had to percolate, waiting for the brew to be just right. The book I’m writing right now (Goddaughter #6) was exactly like that.
Thanks for this post, Anne! Particularly for the reminder about joy.
Melodie–I recently heard the term “cupcake cozies” to describe those cookie-cutter mysteries. In the end, we need to write what we like. And one cupcake cozy is enough for me. Then I want something completely different. Well-researched. With some percolated ideas. 🙂
This is a wonderful post, Anne. I feel much better after reading it. It tells me the story of what it’s like to be a good writer. I have to do what I have to do to produce a good book…….and to hell with how long it takes! I can write a book in about a month but then I take months to edit the book and then have I it professionally edited which takes awhile and then the cover and on and on. Which adds up to maybe a year or more? And I thought that was fast until, like you, I saw how many books are being published by top authors every year now. WHAT? Why why why does everything have to be “right now”? I find it depressing but refuse to acquiesce.
Patricia–I think we have to give our books the attention they need. If it takes a year (or two) that’s what it takes. We want to put our best work out there, not something we’ll be ashamed of later.
What a relief to read a post like this. I began my debut novel 14 years ago. I was dipping in and out of writing it over that time and wrote (and had published) three children’s books too. For ages I felt ashamed to say how long it took me, but now I just come out with it and people are really interested in the slow process. I’m starting my second novel and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to take me quite so long – I feel I’ve learned a lot from writing my first one the slow way. And the points you make about health are really pertinent. Thanks, Anne.
Sara–A lot of famous writers took that long with a first novel. Or even a second. I read that it took Donna Tartt that long to write the Goldfinch. I think you’re doing it right. Learn your craft BEFORE you publish. The next one will probably take a lot less time.
Anne:
As usual, I loved your Blog. I’m recovering from a minor Illness, (but then I’ll be 92 soon.) and am both moving and trying to get my latest novel “out there.” Thanks for all your help.
Phyllis
Phyllis–I’m so glad to hear from you!! Sorry to hear you’ve been sick. 92 years old and still writing!! I’ll bet all these super-speedy writers won’t beat you at the game that really matters. Congratulations!
Anne, it’s a great post – and again, something I wish publishers were reading. In the factory production line that’s decimating certain genres, there’s no room for fleshing things out when the brief is formulaic repeats of one initial success. I think fast releases are killing good writers. There are authors out there who could have been amazing if they’d been left alone to do what they do best – think up stories and wait for them to become the best version of that story they could be.
I’m a fan of book series where characterisations have been so stunning that I can’t let go of them, but even those will always have weak points. I recently read an 8-book series, all 8 of which had been (traditionally) published between 2012 and 2015. The author is someone I like so much I’d be tempted to ask could I read her shopping lists if nothing else was available, but books 2, 3, 6 and 7 were obviously filler, and that’s a tough admission coming from a fan like me. I have to admit I didn’t care, though, because they were better than nothing, even if she was being forced to crank them out. The characters were so strong they could carry the weaker plot, although if books 4, 5 and 8 hadn’t been as good as they were, she might have lost me as a reader permanently. All the risk has been shifted on to the author, as publishers chase the easy buck and leave authors to suffer the consequences.
Tara–Your last post on those copycat novels is actually what inspired this post. Everybody assumes the fast-book vs slow-book argument is about indies vs. trad pub, but plenty of trad pub books are thrown together too. And as you said, they’ve often been shoehorned into a genre where they don’t really fit.
I’ve been disappointed in many, too. And I’m surprised at the slap-dash editing that sometimes comes out of New York publishing.
It’s going to be up to indies and small presses to bring innovation to the industry. We’ve been under the tyranny of the “Girl” books (what you call “Grip-lit” ) for a decade now. Time for something new.
Agreed. It will be up to the small guys to bring life back into a moribund machine. And I was thrilled to be mentioned in your post! It’s always a pleasant surprise to hear I might have inspired anything which didn’t include offence, violence or riotous screaming…
I’m not published. I did three November NaNo’s in a row and burned out BUT going and rereading these unfinished novels was surprising. Overall, they’re much better than the more recent novel I wrote. Going at breakneck speed for me meant my subconscious was able to hang things together while sidestepping my overbearing internal editor.
I’m currently in the throes of revising the first novel in a series and am writing the second novel in a different series while percolating ideas for the third novel in the first series … in other words, I have a lot of balls in the air.
NaNo’s method works if you frontload and do an outline sketch and know where you want to take the story. I’ve written anything from 500 to 10,000 words in a day, depending on what was happening in the story. It depends. You can go only as fast your mind lets you. That said, there’s nothing wrong with pumping out the words and getting your work out there. Fast writing isn’t a virtue in itself, but neither is slow writing.
It’d be great for an ordinary writer to be able to make a living writing mid-list books. It used to be that way, I guess. And it’d be awesome to be a writer like the one in your article who hit it big and had his book turned into a TV series (or be Hugh Howie). But that’s rare. Good for him, slow writing and getting his story bought up by a studio for development. But if you have a lot of stories you want to output, slow writing is not going to get those stories out fast enough, unless your purpose is to have a backlog in a trunk for your children or grandchildren to publish.
I always wanted to be Stephen King when I grew up, LOL.
Sade–It sounds as if you’re born a “hare” rather than a tortoise. I’m not making a quality judgement on either. I’m just saying that both types of writing are valid. If you’re going the traditional route, your agent will be happy you have different series to shop around, and if you go indie, you can debut the books in quick succession and build momentum very quickly.
Briliant, Anne. I’ve blogged about this very topic – and even used a picture of hares and tortoises. I’ve done both fast writing and slow – as a ghostwriter I once cranked out four novels in one year. I can rip out a writing book quite fast too.
But my novels take a lot longer because of factors like paid consultancy and normal life, and because the ideas take a lot of maturing time. That’s a feature of the kind of novel I want to write – for it to work, it has to simmer and settle. Once it’s out, though, it’s around for ever – which for me is another incentive to get it as perfect as possible.
And whaddya know, I’m also a slow reader! Let’s have a high-five. I’d never thought before that the two might be related, but I love this discovery. Perhaps it’s a symptom of a person who takes great care with the written word.
I’m off to tweet.
Roz–Thanks for stopping by–and yes, high five. I’m a super slow reader. I was forced to take a speed reading course when I was in Jr. High School and it made me furious. I loved to read more than anything, so forcing yourself to get through a book as fast as possible seemed as silly as those food-eating contests where people shove dozens of hot dogs down their throats without even tasting them.
I think your piece on fast and slow writing may have been one of the first I saw on the subject. That was a time when I was trying to do everything all at once and listening to all the gurus with the boot-camp mentality, and it was driving me bonkers.
I like your phrase “maturing time.” That’s what my ideas need too. They just have to take some time to process and if I push them, I get something mediocre and inauthentic. If I know it’s not my best work, I hate to put it out there.
Good article.
I agree that sitting down all day is not healthy. I’ve recently been reading about treadmill desks. I like walking, and I think it would be fine to walk slowly as I write. Has anyone here used one?
Mark–I do have a friend who uses a standing desk. She’s written three books using it. But a treadmill would be way too distracting for me. Maybe other people feel differently.
I am in the slow category. I write, then read, then edit, then write, then read, then edit. It is slow, but it is how I do it. And how I enjoy doing it. And, I agree with you, if the writer is not having fun, it shows.
I work in a book store and notice that some of the more famous, prolific writers these days (none of which I read) are writing with partners. A good way to get those novels out quickly I guess. It feels like cheating to me. I wonder if their readers feel cheated.
Thanks for another great Sunday read!
Christine–I think a lot of serious writers write this way. It’s not right or wrong, but it’s a natural way to work. It’s like an embroidery stitch. Because it doubles back on itself, it’s much stronger.
Partner writing is all the rage right now with the big name authors. They have a “brand” and then hire people to provide product. It depends on how good they are at providing that product, I guess.
Put me in the slow column, Anne. I do not understand people who talk about how many words they have written on any given day. It’s the content that counts for me. But maybe that’s because I’m in revision mood. There was a time when I wrote straight through, but that book would never sell. Now I’m rewriting and my book is so much better. Maybe it does depend on where you are in the process. Oh and I’ve taken workshops with Donald Maass and I think he’s awesome. For a fiction writer his latest book THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION it great. I also recommend Lisa Cron’s STORY GENIUS. Thanks for this great post. Beth
Beth–I have a couple of Donald Maass’s books and I find them very valuable. I haven’t read the latest though. I also didn’t know about Lisa Cron’s book. I’ll check it out.
It does depend on what hat you’re wearing on any given day. When I’m in editor mode, of course all I want to do is slash and burn all those unnecessary words. But there is a sense of accomplishment in reaching a word count goal. I understand why people do it.
Thanks, Anne, for this pro-tortoise post! I’m a one-novel per year writer of 100K+ word mysteries with a strong women’s fiction subplot and strong historical elements, as well. No way I could write more than one of those babies per year and still stay sane. I admire those who write faster. I’ve tried to write shorter and lighter and simpler stories, but my brain just doesn’t work that way. So be it. My readers still seem to remember me a year after the last book, for which I’m grateful.
Meg–That’s so much of it! A 100K word historical is going to take longer to write than a 65K word cozy in a series. It’s comparing apples and oranges. Or giant papayas. 🙂 Every author has their unique story to tell and we have to tell it in a way that suits that story–not somebody else’s arbitrary ideal.
Excellent article Anne. I’m with you on all counts. I march to the beat of my own drum and as an Indie, have many things to do besides write, which is an unfortunate side effect of self publishing, cutting into writing time. I used to beat myself up to hurry up, now I just set myself reasonable deadlines for each project and if life gets in the way, I’ll just have to ‘do it tomorrow’. I’m still frazzled, but I know my limitations, and as Ruth’s article pointed out last week, we have to find our best methods that work for us to avoid stress and burnout. 🙂
Debby–Getting ourselves in a frazzle doesn’t help anybody. Certainly not our careers.As Ruth told us very eloquently in her last two posts.
The thing about having other duties besides writing is that the downtime often provides exactly what we need to move the story forward–stuff we’d never be exposed to if we were living 24/7 in our writing caves.
No truer words Anne. It is often when I am sidetracked by life that an inspirational idea comes to me. It’s so important we get out of our caves once in awhile. 🙂
This is such an important post, Anne. Thank you for voicing what’s been bothering me in recent days. And thanks to everyone for their comments.
I’m a dedicated pantser — it’s my joy, not knowing where I’m going and finding out as I write. It leads to the unpredictable layers of depth in my mysteries that my readers love. But it’s a slow process, as other authors have commented — to allow the work to compost and evolve into something beyond the ‘cookie cutter’.
I’m in several groups of indie authors, many newbies, and the pressure to write multiple works quickly is part of the ‘success formula’ promoted. And there’s rarely mention of an editor — too expensive, ‘just get it proofread’. I’ve downloaded samples of many such works in the mystery genre — looking for quality authors to cross-promote with — and 90% of them hold no interest for me.
There’s also another element that’s part of this ‘get them written and published’ trend, and I don’t think you mentioned it — shorter books. We’re being urged to write shorter books because they’re quicker to write. One mystery author making her first five-figure month has nine books across three series and they’re all about 200 pages, two-thirds the length of my books. Part of the experience for me as a reader is getting immersed for a long weekend in a well-written (and edited) 90,000 word book. As you say, what about the reader?
I even wrote a blog post called Book Too Short! when I realised my latest mystery (just published and now 90,000 words) was only 60,000 words. I’d been writing and not word counting. I didn’t think it was long enough to take my fans on the journey they’d expect so I dived back in and several months later I’d created new characters, extra layers and had a wonderful time taking the story deeper. What a gift that short manuscript was!
Thanks too for the reminder about life balance.
Virginia–The shorter, speedier book is definitely what’s in fashion right now. Some short books are great, but I know some authors who have been writing serial novellas and they get lots of angry reviews from readers who feel cheated. We do need to keep our readers in mind.
Telling indies they don’t need editing is what leads to the bad reputation indies get. It isn’t a good idea for anybody.
Thanks Anne. I agree. To be fair, the newby authors are told that editing is a good idea, but if you can’t afford it, just get a proofreader — as if your book is probably fine as long as the typos are discovered. It’s what’s leading to a plethora of at best ‘meh’ books IMO.
Virginia–I agree about the “meh” books. I have a friend whose Kindle got dropped and it no longer can download new books. But he still has a ton of books on it, and he had downloaded a lot of freebie indie books. He says 2/3 of them are unreadable. A sad fact. That’s such bad advice the new indies are getting!
I am team Tortoise Writer! I work full time, wife, and mother. I have to be mindful of mental and physical healthy. My first book was done for Nanowrimo in 2011…but I spent 3 years polishing it! Since then I’ve had 2 more books published plus an anthology short story. I tend to average 1 book a year unless the book is super complicated (my current book is this way, been on it for 2 years now) but I know that good things come to those who wait and rushing is just not an option. I do get my books pro edited and pro covered. In fact my cover designer is working on the cover for the current work in progress even though the book won’t be out until late this year or early next. Please feel free to check out my website at http://www.cherylsmackey-author.com/ and see what I’ve got going on. Thank you for your insightful, fair post about the subject!
Cheryl–You’re the perfect example of what I’m talking about! NaNoWriMo can be great for letting your muse loose. But the editing often takes so long, that you come to the same timetable before the book is ready for the marketplace.
I’m with you on cover design. I’ve decided to ask the cover designer to start working on the cover for my latest Camilla mystery because it will give me a picture of what I’m going for. But I’m not going to let it push me to publish before it’s ready. (And my editor wouldn’t let me! )
The only time I ever wrote like a hare was with the novel that ultimately became my very first traditionally published novel. Took two months to write the first draft….but 11 months to finish editing/rewrites. While the majority of people who write slow because they have to merge their time writing with other life commitments, some of us write slow due to medical conditions. I have a neuro-muscular disease that has decided to take up most of its residence in my hands. Because of this particular issue, which has gotten worse since I published my first novel in 2012, in the form of getting two plug-in keyboards for my computers and a typing speed somewhere in the neighborhood of the amount of novels you have published, I consider myself lucky if I can churn out 250-300 words per sitting at my computer.
I’m pretty sure that the end result of this will be roughly one original book every two years (last book that came out was a short story collection of previously published short stories). It’s not something I’m overly thrilled about, but I’ve learned to accept the consequences of my modified writing abilities. And yes, even though I’ve tried voice software, I am currently unable to blast through that very huge mental block to use it for writing fiction. At work, yes. Leisurely, no.
GB–I can relate! I have arthritis in my fingers that makes my typing much slower than it used to be. I have to wear compression gloves to get them to work at all on cold mornings. I haven’t tried the voice software, but t some point I may have to give it a try.
Sometimes I feel like telling the people who berate me for being such a slow writer that I’d like them to try to do what I do for ONE DAY with my disabilities. They’d probably run away screaming. Judgemental people are always severely lacking in empathy. .
Screw ’em. (The only part of my response that’s fit to post!)
So very, very true. Also, this little tidbit for Meg, I actually put that particular sentiment you’d expressed in the acknowledgement section of my traditionally published book.
Thank you for this, Anne. I’m a slow foodie and a slow writer, and occasionally beat myself up about the latter. Whenever I hear a writer friend boast that she’s just finished her third book of the year, my first thought is “What am I doing wrong?” Then I remind myself it’s not a race to the finish line but a matter of doing one’s best. I always do my best, which is never as good as I wish I would be but usually better than if I were to do a rush job.
Eileen–Great to see you here! It’s so amazing that these speed demons can shame even a NYT bestseller like you. But speed doesn’t always result in a good product. I think on a scale that has Harper Lee at one end of the spectrum and Barbara Cartland on the other (Ms. Cartland could turn out 23 books a year) we have to decide if we want to be more like Harper Lee or Barbara Cartland. Both paths are valid. But not any one path fits all.
Thank you for this article! It’s especially important for new writers to take the time to learn their craft and also establish their own method and pace. Writing the 10th book in your long-established genre or series is a whole ‘nother ballgame from writing your 1st (2nd, or 3rd.)
But in defense of Plum (P. G. Wodehouse): He spent a year or more planning and plotting each of his books and then was a meticulous reviser. He would pin pages up around the walls of his study, putting the ones that needed work out of line with the rest. I didn’t read that Paris Review article, but as a long-standing devotee Wodehouse’s work, I suspect he meant that one should write that first draft as quickly as possible, to maintain the momentum. That’s not the same as cranking out books to meet some arbitrary standard. That just means getting through the horrible middle stage (between plotting & revising) with dispatch.
Thanks again!
Anna–How great to meet another PG Wodehouse fan! He was amazingly prolific for his day, but that meant one book a year, not 12. I didn’t know he pinned pages around his study. I have an author friend who does that too. It’s a great way to make sure your plot doesn’t have any holes or loose ends. Thanks!
True! In the Paris Review article, Wodehouse says “When I am between books, as I am now, I sit in an armchair and think and make notes. Before I start a book I’ve usually got four hundred pages of notes. ”
That is not exactly speed-crazed writing…
Wodehouse’s pinned-pages technique was noted by Douglas Adams (himself a most excruciatingly slow writer) in a wonderful preface to Wodehouse’s last, unfinished posthumous book; the preface appears as part of a last, unfinished posthumous collection of Adams’s work, and in that context it is a heart-rendering read.
Idanbbidan–I didn’t know that Adams was a fan of Wodehouse, but it makes so much sense. Arthur Dent is a character straight out of Wodehouse! I’ll have to go looking for that Adams collection. Thanks!
HI Anne
This is a brilliantly written post – you’ve summed up all sides of the argument in a very rational and balanced manner. And I agree with the conclusions you’ve drawn.
Although I’m a full-time writer, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can only write and publish two books a year without having a nervous breakdown – three if they are novellas. Having regular time out to recharge my batteries is just so important – I would totally lose the joy of writing if I felt under pressure to write faster. And I’ve accepted the fact that at two books a year (I’m about to publish my 6th) my career will take time to grow.
And like you, 2000 words a day is a very good day for me, Although this might increase with my next book – I’m going to try dictating the first draft. 🙂
Robin–Thanks! I know that a lot of prolific authors use voice software. I guess James Patterson has been doing it for decades. As my arthritic fingers make typing more difficult for me, I may have to. But it will be a steep learning curve. I tend to sort of “think with my fingers.”
I think 2 books a year is reasonable. It’s not fast, but it’s not slow-pokey either. And it gives time for editing and rewrites.
Yes, I expect dictation to be a steep learning curve for me as well, as my creative process is linked to seeing words on a screen or on paper. But like anything, it takes practice, so I’m willing to give it a decent go.
You made some very interesting points here. I mostly agree that fast writing may not be the end-all, be-all. Through much trial and error, I’ve learned to write, self-edit, let someone (not related to me) read it and give me feedback, rewrite, then repeat. This takes time, but without feedback, one only follows one’s own footsteps–usually in a circle, without ever finding a way out of the woods.
I am my own case in point: My self-published debut novel is available on Amazon in paperback and as an eBook 14 years after I had the idea for the story. Obviously, I’m a really slow writer, but there’s a reason for that. As a free-lance garden and environmental science writer, I wrote only researched non-fiction for decades. I hadn’t written fiction since high school. That was a really long time ago, as I’m now retired and in my early 70’s. So, first, I had to learn how to write fiction that anybody might want to read. I rewrote my first draft multiple times, asked lots of “beta” readers, and a few pros to read the MS, and finally felt it was “finished” enough to venture it into the marketplace.
I want to thank you for your helpful advice, essential information, and clear writing. Your Sunday posts are the first ones I read each week, and I have been encouraged, warned, and entertained. Newbies like me need all the help we can get. You give it with an open hand.
Patricia–I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog. Thanks! It sounds as if you discovered what lots of agents complain about: nonfiction writers don’t necessarily know how to write fiction. I heard one agent say she never wanted to read anything by an academic, because they could make any story read like a an academic paper. And I laugh at the newbies who say “I don’t need to take any classes in writing! I got all A’s and B’s in high school English.
Writing fiction is a whole different thing, and good writing experience in another field can sometimes inhibit your ability to write good fiction. There’s so much for you to unlearn! But it sounds as if you put in your unlearning time!
I’m so slow I may not even qualify as a tortoise, maybe more of a snail. Still I found this post very uplifting. I will never be a hare, and that’s okay. If I’m a snail, I will be the best snail I can be, and other snails may one day look to me and think “Hey, it’s not so bad being a snail.”
Thank you, Anne!
Kate–Snails can make it too! Do remember that Harper Lee only wrote one book in her life (I don’t count that rough draft “Watchman” thing they published a couple of years ago.) She’s one of the most respected figures in American Literature. You can’t get snailier than one book a lifetime!
Good food for thought. Saved to Pocket and reblogged for a second read.
I have to say, though, that while Harper Lee is an excellent example of the slow writer, most genres are dominated by prolific writers. Asimov wrote over 500 books. King. Pratchett. Dianna Wynne Jones.
I guess it’s also a function of how people write? Some prefer to polish until perfect. Others seemed to grow by putting stuff out there, taking the feedback, throwing it into the next work and so on – we have this methodology in software development, as well. Waterfall versus agile.
Yudhanjaya–It’s true that you’ve got a better chance of making the Big Time if you’re prolific. But I’m saying that slower writers need not despair.
It’s true that software designers tend to use the “spaghetti” method–throw stuff out there and see what sticks. 🙂 Unfortunately that means the consumer is basically a guinea pig.
If you do that with writing, you risk a lot more, because readers are very unlikely to come back if they read one of your books and hate it. The competition is so fierce, we really need to be putting out our best possible work, not treating readers like guinea pigs. .
Well said, Anne – really useful post! I thought it was just me feeling the pressure to get that next book out!
I’ve managed to write things fast and slow. I’m currently editing the novel I finished in a couple of months – it needed to come out that fast because it’d been in my mind for a year or more. I wrote the first chapter, then wrote a detailed synopsis and timeline and… there we are (although – my brain came up with curveballs while I was writing so it did change a little from the original outline). But I’ve written other things more slowly when I haven’t necessarily had a firm idea of where it was going.
What I would say regarding Ros’ piece in the Guardian – she had horrible abuse off people for her article, and I met her not long afterwards (the piece is actually from March *last* year, not this year) and it had shaken her. She was misinterpreted by a lot of readers and the quote you include above was taken out of context and then she was attacked (sometimes quite viciously and abusively) on social media (for something she hadn’t really said!).
When she says “Despite royalty rates of 70%, I think self-publishing is a terrible idea for serious novelists (by which I mean, novelists who take writing seriously, and love to write)” – she’s saying, she wants to spend her time writing fiction, not, as self-publishers must, spending some time writing fiction and a heck of a lot of time trying to promote it. She was reacting to comments on a blog she had written, when she explained that the rich writer is a myth. Someone replied saying they’ve made pots of dosh from self-publishing, but they only spend 10% of their time writing. And she really didn’t like the sound of that!
Perhaps because some (or a lot? or most?) self-publishers can be quite defensive, which is understandable considering the rudeness that’s about (that piece you mention about freight and coach class for example), they might assume someone’s being critical when it’s not necessarily the case.
Helen–Thanks for providing the context of Ros’s article. My bad for not researching it further. I saw it on The Passive Voice, which I know is rabidly anti-traditional publishing. They’ve raked me over the coals more than once because they saw one snippet of my blogpost, taken out of context.
I was trying to show a balance between the pro- and anti indie publishing factions to show they both tend to oppress writers with demands of writing faster than is possible for most of us.
Sorry to hear Ros has been going through such a tough time because of this. Both sides can be cruel and clueless. The battle should be long over, since so many authors now are hybrids.
Great post Anne, as always! And yes, I’m a super slow writer too (and not in the coach class either, drat!)But so be it. For the moment, I’ve given up, am taking a break by being 100% an editor at the magazine I work for (www.Impakter.com) and would you believe it? I love it! I keep writing articles but I can feel a book brewing (slowly of course) in the background, or rather, the back burner…
Yes, because I feel (at least for me) it’s not just a matter of speed, but a matter of…inspiration. There are moments I feel like I’m crossing a desert. Sand everywhere and not an idea to write about! But I’ve learned not to worry. To take one day at a time and keep writing (even if it’s not fiction). Non fiction is fine, keeps my hand in…And then one day, I know it will come when the time is right, another book will slowly emerge from the sand, shapeless at first, but then I’ll take a scalpel and go at it, carve it into shape, one scratch at a time…Wow, did I mix my metaphor! Ha ha!
Claude–Thanks for weighing in! I think we’re kind of silly to put writing novels above writing nonfiction, as if somehow the world needs more novels more than it needs well written, well researched news and information. I’d say you’re working fast and furiously at your new project And you’re benefiting a lot of people.
Working on something else can also get a novel percolating, so that when you actually sit down to write it, a lot of the work has already been done. .
Thanks, Anne! As someone who writes plain mysteries, which require more than average research because they’re set in the 1940s, I fight the urge to whimper and curl in a fetal position when I read about astronomical daily word counts. Oh, I’ve tried the spew-and-fix-it-later approach. I quickly stumble when I see a patch of dialog that doesn’t zing back and forth the way I know it should, or see a paragraph slopping along where it should be crisp.
Of course I expect do a second draft — but only when I’m satisfied what I’m building on has at least some of the shading I’m after. Your reassuring words have made me feel so much better.
Ruth–I’m sure most of the people who are turning out 12+ books a year aren’t writing historicals, or anything else that requires research. They’re usually shortish books in a series where characters, setting etc is already established. A lot of the super-prolific writers write for hire for a series like Star Trek.
But I agree that slow writers like me tend to be more perfectionist in our approach to writing. Sounds as if you are too. Does it make our books “better”? Maybe not better than anybody else’s books, but better than the first draft–and I need to put out my best work, or I don’t feel happy about it.
Absolutely! It probably comes down to what we as individual writers want, and why we’re in the game in the first place.
Excellent. Thank you for writing this piece. I’m so damn tired of people saying you have to write fast!
Peter–You’re welcome. I feel the same way. 🙂
Wow! This is so well thought out and so well written. I have bookmarked it for repeated consumption.
I’m in the fortunate position of being retired and not reliant on income from book sales. That doesn’t mean I don’t want people to read them. Nor do I want to put out dreck. Given that I am 70 years old, I don’t have forever to write books so I don’t want to be a tortoise, But I will take the time required to write and rewrite my work until it satisfies me. The lure of self-publishing for me is not so much the higher revenue, but the faster time to publication and hence to readers. First the agent, then the publisher. Then all the folderol with them. Once I’m done writing, I want the book out now–not a year or 18 months later.
John–A lof of us Boomers are making writing a second career. I hear you about not wanting to wait forever to find an agent or a publisher. But small publishers are a lot faster than the Big Five. I’ve worked with a number of small presses and they often publish within 3 months of acceptance. But obviously self-publishing moves even faster, if you’re tech savvy and can do it yourself.
Wow. So thoughtful and helpful. Not just a rant. Thank you. I switched to several of the links you mentioned. My issue is not the speed of my writing, it is the time I seize to write. But I decided that life is to be lived. Not that I don’t too often berate myself for not getting my work out sooner. Loved your post so much I bought The Great Gatsby and look forward to becoming an Anne R. Allen fan!
Kathy–Welcome. I’m jazzed that you bought Gatsby! Dean Wesley Smith points out that’s usually the case with “speedy” writers. They don’t necessarily write faster. They write *longer*. They simply log in more hours at the keyboard. But when I do that, my creaky old bones tell me about it the next day. And I have a tendency to fall into depression if I don’t spend time with other humans. But you’ve hit on the secret to “fast” writing–give up the rest of the things in your life.
I am with you on this 100%. One of the reasons I have turned to writing is that I nearly killed myself trying to do too much. I survived only because I lost my college teaching gig at a time when the economy was tanking and nobody was hiring literature professors. Working on my first novel and writing a literature blog proved to me a very healing (if slow) experience, one that I’m loath to give up. Now that I’m trying to get an editing business off the ground, I occasionally find myself at risk of getting overwhelmed again. I still haven’t got that first novel finished (I’ve written several drafts and will probably write at least a couple more), but that’s okay. I don’t want to write the trivial trash that many of those fast writers toss off, so I’m happy to stay in the slow lane. I figure my books will be the better for it in the long run and meanwhile the lack of stress in my life allows me much more creative freedom.
L.A.–I grew up in academia and much of my family are still college professors, so I know the fierce pressure academics face. It can lead to lots of physical and emotional pain. You were wise to get out.
But anything involving tech is going to have the same kind of pressures–I think because tech culture started with very young men setting up shop in garages and giving their all to start a company. But ordinary humans can’t work at the pace of a 20-something with a burning goal. Even they can’t do it indefinitely. Nobody is 22 forever.
So we have to work at our own pace to do our own personal best and shut out the noise.
Great article. Thank you! As another slow writer who edits and rewrites and restructures…it was wonderful to know I’m not alone. Now I can hold my head up without shame. 🙂
acflory–Editing and restructuring can be so satisfying. Those fast writers miss out on all the fun!!
Anne, I, too, am a slow writer (and committed editor and re-editor) and compensate for that with perserverance. I’m always working on something, with at least a notional schedule. But to tell the truth, the more I write, the faster a first draft comes together. Writing is like any other muscle–the more reps with heavy weight, the stronger you get.
P.S. The best P.G. Wodehouse is Code of the Woosters, right? 🙂
Carmen–It’s true that when you get “in the flow” of writing, it comes much faster. That’s why it helps to have big blocks ot time to write, rather than trying to squeeze in 1 hour here and there. I think the speek a person writes at has something to do with how easily you get “in flow.”
Code of the Woosters is up there, yes!
Huzzah. It’s been hard for me lately, this quick trend, because many of my readers want the prequel to my novel that they liked. That’s a huge compliment, but it feels oppressive, sometimes. I’m writing a book about major depressive disorder and it’s really hard to write. It’s been 3 years since I wrote the first dark fantasy, and there’s a reason for that: some books are harder to write than others. I’ve had other books, shorts and novellas out during an okay time frame (about two novellas a year; 3 shorts a year), but that novel is taking it’s time to come out. I don’t want to rush it for my sanity or risk the book’s quality. I love the idea of doing something for the joy of it, and I try to do that in my writing. Maybe it will make me money some day, but it doesn’t get me a lot right now and it’s not because I’m not working hard doing something I’m good at. It becomes less enjoyable when I need to make deadlines for other people, knowing it probably won’t change my bottom line. I’m happily plodding with that prequel. It might get done this year, and I think those who didn’t get bored waiting will be happy in that.
HM–I totally relate. I have been working on the latest book in my mystery series for two years and my fans are probably fed up by now. But life intervenes. I’ve had one health crisis after another, plus a whole lot of blog drama and it all eats into my writing time. You can only do what you can do. We all get the same 24 hour days. If those days are spent dealing with doctors and hospitals and/or other people’s problems, there aren’t as many hours to spend on writing.
And if your subject matter requires more time–for research or just mental health breaks–then it’s going to take longer. I think you’re right that people will thank you for taking your time and doing it right.
I don’t know if I count as a “slow” writer, though I’m certainly not fast. I think that it’s comforting that some other people don’t think DWS’s advice was the best. While he’s certainly brilliant and what he does, he has a hell of a lot more experience than I do. He might be able to bang out a brilliant book on the first try, but I can’t. I’m currently on the 12th(!) draft of the second book in my series, after 6 drafts of the first one.
Also, my characters and storylines change as I write. A LOT. My books, and even the series’ overall story arc, have been radically rewritten since the early days, and that never would have happened if I hadn’t taken my time.
I do sometimes get frustrated with my speed, though. I’m working on the second of nine (planned) books, so I’m gonna be at this series for a while. And I don’t want to write anything else while I’m working on this long series so I don’t get sidetracked. I’m going to be eating, breathing, dreaming, and sleeping this series for the foreseeable future. I love my writing and my stories though, so I’m not complaining too much 🙂
Sarah–It sounds as if you’ve done some great planning for your career and you’re doing it just right. I have the same experiences writing that you do. Characters and storylines change, because something much more interesting springs to mind. But I bet your writing will get faster as you move along with the series. Once you’ve established the world and the characters, stories will be easier to write.
Some of the books DWS writes so quickly are Star Trek books and other write-for-hire books. The characters and setting are all provided for you. Often the outline as well. That’s going to take less time than writing from scratch.
I hope I’ve done enough planning and preparing. I know that my current books aren’t even close to what I had the first time around. I ended up splitting the one main heroine with mixed traits into two very different women, one of whom went from an accountant (what was I thinking?) to a master thief. That’s kind of a big change. But I admit that she’s much cooler now, and thieves are more fun to write than accountants.
No offense to any accountants reading this 🙂
I’m not sure if settings and characters already prepared necessarily shorten writing time. I’m currently working on the second and third books in my series. You’d think that the third book would be coming easy, since the world is pretty much prepped for me by now. Not so. The third book is being the most difficult one to write. It all comes down to the story in particular, but I agree that practice and experience likely help.
“Thieves are much more fun to write than accountants” Haha. So true. Although it would be a fun challenge to write about an assassin who’s a mild mannered accountant. 🙂
Hi, Anne!
I can’t thank you enough for writing this post! 🙂
I’m something of a “serial blogger”. And an author. And a screenwriter!
So … easy does it for me. 🙂
Cheers!
Debbi
Debbi–I think the people who give that “faster, pussycat, faster” advice assume you have one genre and one medium. When you’re out there experimenting with different forms, you need to do things a little slower so you can learn to do them right.
I’m so glad I read this today. Slow is not failure. Speed is not success. Money earned is not the most important consideration for every writer. I crave unique voices, and originality. I try to write what I want to read.
Tammy–I’m glad this post helped you. And remember that some slow writers are wildly successful. If you have Netflix, watch Thirteen Reasons Why. (Or get the book.) Jay Asher has only written three books in a decade. And his is one of the most successful series Netflix has ever had. The book is back on the NYT bestseller list where it spent 3 years! Slow writer success can be the best kind of all!
Thank you for this post! I’ve been grappling with the speed issue, both as a traditionally published and self-published author. After writing for 35 year, and reaching my 60’s, however, I now have little interest in overworking myself. Taking care of me and my family is important. Writing and editing a book to the best of my ability has never stopped being important, and it’s still one of the great pleasures in life. Producing multiple books a year, without adequate editing, would destroy that for me.
Debra– As I said in one of the other comments, one of the slowest artists in the world was a guy named Leonardo Da Vinci. Only15 of his paintings have survived. But isn’t it funny how everybody knows his name now, and can’t name most of his speedy contemporaries.
We need to make our work as good as it can be, or what’s the point?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Just a few weeks ago I wrote about this same topic on my blog, specifically how the rush to publish can lead to a substandard book, whether the author is self- or traditionally published. I am even slower than the slowest author you mention here, and living in Freight as I do, I’ve been struggling with how to reconcile my pace with my ambition to succeed in the world of immediate gratification. All I can do is keep writing and producing the best work I can, regardless of how long it takes or how many books I publish.
Amjustice–I think it’s one of the tragedies of our age. So many writers who might have been great self-publish unreadable, unedited crap. Because they can. And their careers die, drowned in nasty reviews and mediocre sales.
I read this morning that Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the slowest artists of his time. He always wanted to redo everything to make it better and he never considered a work finished. Funny how we know him and his work, and not all those speedy Renaissance guys who beat him out in the speed race.
And Vermeer too, who was famous for being a slow painter and not prolific at all. But he was Vermeer. 🙂
Definitely a tortoise. My debut novel was the result of the July Camp NaNo and took an additional 3 year to perfect and publish as an indie by choice. And that story began as a short I wrote in 2003. If you take it all together that’s 13 years! My 2nd won’t take as long, but it’s like wine… it needs to age. Scenes that began as quick flashes or conversations between characters continue to gain flesh and depth. I would not be able to do that if I were attempting to write fast. Some things just can’t be rushed.
So thank you for writing this article. It takes the pressure off. Now, back to my story and some down time to enjoy a novel from a fellow indie.
Jeanne–You’re not alone. I think I read that Donna Tartt worked on her debut novel The Secret History for 14 years. That’s the luxury of not being published. 🙂
And yes! You brought up an important point. We need to take time to READ when we are writing. Stephen King said half your “writing time” should be spent reading.
Great post.
I’m a turtle. My writing partner (a professional copywriter – lucky me) and I send our chapters back and forth for critiquing through several “rewrites.” We want to produce the best possible work we can.
I agree with the comment: “the sameness of bestsellers these days … nobody’s coming out with anything new.”
I like to think I’ve written something new with my books particularly in “When the Sun was Mine” and continue to strive for uniqueness in my novels.
P.S. Robert Sawyer took two years to research and write “Quantum Night.”
Writing with a partner is supposed to help you put out books more quickly, but it does force some rewriting and editing you might not have done otherwise. (And make your book better.)
The book industry is doing with the film industry does–try to put out an identical clone of last year’s biggest success. This is why so many films are about comic book characters these days, and so many books have “Girl” in the title. 🙂
I’m a tortoise too! One day my legs will go faster. As I learn and write, I am slowly getting faster, but it tastes time.
Southpaw–That’s the most important issue: understanding that it’s a learning curve. New writers keep hearing that they must write fast. But that’s for long-time pros (some of us.) After you put in your 10,000 hours learning to write brilliant prose, then you can start speeding up. 🙂
Finally someone celebrates the slowpokes!
I have the staggering daily goal of ONE word. Just one, that’s all I ask of myself. Of course, that’s just a mental exercise to get myself to write something every day, because if I have thought of the first word to write, that means I have already thought of the first sentence and might as well write it down, and then the ball is rolling.
But I’m still perfectly happy if I write 500 words a day. Luckily I can excuse my slow-ness with having a day job 😉
Michelle–That’s actually a great strategy! I advise what’s basically the same thing: visit the WIP every day. Keep it firm in your mind, so your subconscious can be working on the story, even when you’re doing other things..
These days, most writers have day jobs. And I think that can be a very good thing. Instead of staring at a blank screen trying to push the story forward, you’re out in the world, getting inspiration so that your time at that screen will be better used.
Thank you for such a reassuring post. I am at the snail level, as someone else mentioned, for several reasons: I self edit too much, and received feedback that caused me to completely re-write my current WIP (which I’m three years plus into), AND I don’t use my time wisely. Am not published, so I don’t have anyone other than curious friends and family wondering what the hell I’m doing. I think i do have a streak of perfectionism that is not my friend, because I will read something I wrote previously and say, ” this sucks. YOU suck,” and then all motivation is lost. Writing well is hard, and seems to take eons of time to get it right. And just when I think I do have it right, critique says, no. It’s all a tricky balancing act…and for someone like me, a huge challenge. Thanks again for this, and all the thoughtful replies.
Ellen–You sound as if you’re going through something that’s typical of many new writers. It happened to me. You get into in a cycle of constantly rewriting the same book. You keep seeking critiques and then rewrite after every one.
You’re on the other end of the spectrum from the newbies who self-publish their fledgling effort and put tons of time into marketing something that belongs in a drawer and give indies a bad name.
The truth is that almost every novelist has a “practice novel” that is never going to see the light of day. (I have several.) What you’re working on now may not be that practice novel, but I think you’ll do a lot better if you put it to rest for a while and start something brand new. Maybe not even a novel. It can be a story.
But try something different. Project #2 will probably come much easier, and maybe you’ll even get it published. When that is done, go back and visit the “problem child” novel. Either you’ll see a lovely way to fix it, or you’ll find a part of it that can be the basis of an entire new novel. (A number of bestsellers have started that way.) Or you’ll put it back in he drawer and move on to #3.
But the important thing will be that you’ve got yourself “unstuck.” from the first-novel-go-round. 🙂
I’m so slow, I just got here!
Some of us have very strong reasons – mine has to do with physical health – why they can only learn to write very slowly, and produce their work very slowly. I joke that snails are racing past me.
It’s complicated by the Oscar Wilde problem: meticulous editing. And the standards of devouring everything in English I could get my hands on as a kid.
But people have liked the results – and those don’t come fast. Even now, when my second book in the trilogy will take 2-3 years instead of 15, and I use all the tricks and skills in my writer’s toolbox, the words have to be just right. Eventually, for readers. First, for me. I write what I want to be able to reread time and time again, and if something interferes with that experience, I’ll notice it on the first or the tenth or the hundredth time I go through a scene, and it will niggle, and it will be fixed.
A slow brain doesn’t produce good work quickly, but it can still get there.
Alice–One’s physical body is something to consider no matter who you are. Sitting for as many hours as it takes to write a book–even for a fast writer–is not healthy. We need to take breaks and take care of our bodies.
It’s hard to write books–slow or fast–if you’re dead. 🙂
And as you say, we all have our own standards of what we consider a finished book. Nothing is one-size-fits-all. We humans are quirky creatures. And how boring the world would be if we weren’t!
I started in 2012 and its 2017, but there’s so much to learn that I refuse to skip on anything. Getting feedback from other writers and having several chapters critiqued really helped my writing. That and reading 10 + pages deep in google for writing articles.
It’s nice to find another writer that also edits their chapters as they go along; every 10 or so I’ll back up and edit them. Am doing a heavy revision atm as the whole plit changed so tge ending did too. Man there’s so much to fix! Sending it out like this would be stupid.
I do hope to be a bit faster after this first book, but if book two needs lots of revisions then so be it.
Robin–I’m working on a post for next Sunday, May 21st, explaining why what you’re doing is exactly the right way to plan a career. Yes, you will get faster. But what you’re learning now is what’s going to make all your books stand out in the increasingly competitive marketplace. Slow and steady really does win the race!
I relish taking the time to savour the words I read and play around with the words I write – happy to be a member of that (shrinking) club!
Elizabeth–I’m with you. It’s hard to take joy in something when you have to behave like a robot machine, simply turning out “product.”