Secrets Of A Prolific Writer With J.D.Sawyer

In this interview, author and polymath J.D.Sawyer talks about taking his word count to 4000-5000 per day as well as working with a writing partner and while on a treadmill Dan is the author of sci-fi books The Antithesis Progression as well as hard-boiled mysteries in the Clarke Lantham mysteries as well as being a prolific podcaster.

The video gets out of synch with our discussion which makes this a funny, as well as informative, video interview! (Check out Dan's ninja moment at 06:20 and me cracking up)

In the video we discuss:

• A bit about Dan and what he gets up to. He has written The Antithesis Progression, the first of which is Predestination (and other games of chance). He has also written the Clarke Lantham series. Dan has also podcasted a number of his books and also does photography and design.

• How Dan used to be a sporadic writer, in fits and starts with a lot of staring at the screen. Last June, he ended up doing a couple of book projects and wrote 150,000 words in 50 days. Since then, he has focused on writing that hard every day and it gets easier every day. The quality of the work is higher, it needs less revision and has fewer continuity errors. The art part comes more dependably if you write every day as if you're mowing the lawn or doing something habitual. Dan is between a planner and discovery writer.

• How Dan writes non-fiction, outlining and notes on the treadmill and how writing can be bad for you physically. Based on the idea of Google's walking desks. We also talk about carpal tunnel and RSI and methods for reducing this type of pain.

• On writing with a partner. Dan writes with Gail Carriger, author of the Parasol Protectorate books. They have races, competitions and mutual ridicule if they don't meet their goals. It's a good spur to keep going and great when you can share industry news, especially when you are a pro. Some tips for finding a writing partner.

• Podcasting has shown Dan that he has an audience. He tends to write cross-genre novels and gained an audience quickly which was a surprise at first. Dan also enjoys producing full scale radio dramas, he has scores for his books and voice actors. It's a full scale production. On whether podcasting is good for marketing. It's great for audience recruitment and participation.
• On being a polymath and what ideas inspire Dan to write.

You can find Dan and his books at JDSawyer.net and on twitter @dsawyer