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There is so much advice for writers out there, it can be hard to decide what an individual should listen to.
I'm a knowledge sponge and soak it up whenever I can. To that end, I've read countless books on writing as well as listening to all kinds of audio series, videos and live lectures on how I should write. I also now have four books so I have a little experience in writing and have settled into my own routine.
One of the big recommendations from many pros is to write something every day on your novel/work in progress. Even if it is just a few hundred words. Or if you can write 1000 words a day, you'll have a novel finished in a few months. I've struggled with this before. I tried it and just failed and ended up feeling guilty because I hadn't written anything on the latest book.
I find I'm more like a binge writer. I like to let the urge build up and then I schedule time to let it all out onto the page. I also have a day job and cannot be creative after a full days work so my best writing day is at the weekend when I can immerse myself into the writing process. I know Stephen King wrote every day when he had a day job but most pros don't have that to worry about anymore – but they all started like us so there's no excuse. It's just how we can shape our lives to fit in the writing. I want to write fast, I want to be prolific but right now, binge writing suits my lifestyle.
I'm currently planning my next novel, Prophecy. I'm in composting phase which means I'm gathering ideas, writing mind maps with initial thoughts, reading books around the topic and then letting my brain create new ideas from this raw material. I'm not writing anything on it at all. But I am writing blog posts, doing interviews and writing other things – just not my next book.
I need at least a month of composting before I want to write. Some of the scenes are starting to emerge already but this time around I will be outlining more thoroughly anyway. I'll start writing when the urge gets overwhelming. Then I will have the first draft binge writing phase. I'll get up at 5am and write before work and will write every weekend. I'll be aiming for 5000-8000 words per week. The blog, podcast and other things will go on the backburner. So I can happily oscillate from one extreme to another.
On this topic and writing fast, have a listen to this round-table with Dan Sawyer, Mur Lafferty, Gail Carriger and Nathan Lowell. Gail writes 2000 words per day, no excuses. Nathan is a binge writer who doesn't write for months and then can write 10,000 – 20,000 words a day.
How about you? Do you write every day or are you a binge writer?
Image: Flickr CC Parker from DigitalNative
Richard says
The two books I wouldn’t ever have produced a manuscript without are No Plot? No Problem by Chris Baty, the NaNoWriMo handbook (though I never entered the competition), and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield.
The first is full of practical steps like setting targets, monitoring workrate, and just getting on with it whatever you are feeling. The second is like a no-nonsense self-help book, based on the premise that if you are reading it then you have something you have always wanted to do and aren’t doing, and secondly – and I can’t believe how important this idea has become to me – that sometimes every fibre of your body will try and stop you doing that thing. He calls it Resistance, and once you recognise you can deal with it. Like you Joanna, I can’t write after work, so do so every weekend day, and that is what works for me, leaves me tired and happy and knowing I am “doing my work”.
Praverb says
I try to write everyday as well. When I was working on finishing my album I simplified my writing process. I wrote 4 lines an hour this added up to about 10 minutes an hour.
The result was speedier writing and songs with more focus. Blog writing is different though, when I start an interesting blog I have to finish it…hence binge writing.
Thank you for this post…
Peter D. Mallett says
Hello Joanna, I just found your site through Write to Done. I have been writing for several years and I don’t always write everyday either. I do have slower times of writing, and I do binge write too. I just started my own blog on writing in Sept. My desire is to help writers too. I am going to post approximately once a week to help me write more often. I am trying to keep the posts to right at 500 words. This challenges me to write well. I like the wealth of information on this site. I have bookmarked it and will return as I have time to read more. Have a great day, thanks for a great site. Peter
Kelly Leiter says
I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciated this post and recommended it on my blog for beginning writers.
Linda Maye Adams, Soldier, Storyteller says
I’m both, I think, depending. When I’m at the start of the story, I focus more on getting a scene a day while I get settled into the story (I’m a pantser, so I don’t know where the book is going). I also do this during the winter. In Washington, DC, the barometric pressure goes up and down, along with my sinuses, so sometimes I really don’t feel well. One scene is an accomplishable goal with a sinus headache. When the weather’s better or I’m further into the story, then I can start writing and suddenly realize I’ve gotten quite a bit done.
Victor Moreau says
I’m naturally a binge writer, but lately I had to settle to writing everyday even when I was exhausted in order to finish my book without further delay. I must say it worked mighty fine. For the future I think that besides the period I have to do some research and when I have to edit the book once it’s finished, I’ll have an every-day-writing discipline, with the exception of maybe one day a week to fully rest if I need, and the occasional unforeseen consequences when you can’t write at that moment.