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Writing fast is a necessity for most pro writers. Books mean income to pay the bills. But if you're not a full-time author yet, does it matter how long it takes to write your book? In this guest post, Ollin Morales from Courage to Create explores why longer might just be better.
As I begin my third year of writing my first novel, I'm noticing that some of my friends and family are starting to get antsy.
“So is it finished?” they ask. “How much longer? Can I read it yet? So, what's next the next step? Can you tell us what it's about already?”
When I get asked these types of questions, I just smile and answer:
“Relax. Be patient. I'm just taking it a step at a time.”
But I understand their anxiety. Two years is already a lot of time to work on a novel, and those who haven’t written a novel don’t quite understand just how long the process could end up taking a person.
It’s even true that there are some in the writing community who believe that you should be able to churn out a novel after only a few months, or even after only a few weeks.
But I would say that I respectfully disagree with this approach.
In fact, not only do I disagree with the fast-and-hard approach to novel writing, but I also believe that there are several hidden benefits to writing “slowly”—benefits that people might be overlooking.
Benefit #1: You get to enjoy the process
I can't imagine the stress I'd have to put myself under in order to get a book done in under a few weeks. Or how it would be to have to write with an eye constantly on the bottom line, while another eye is stuck on the increasingly mercurial publishing industry.
Part of the reason I write “slower” than most is because I want to love the writing process.
Oh yeah. I want to have a friggin' romantic affair with my novel. I want champagne and roses and a stunning vista in Paris whenever my novel and me get together. I don't want a long, dreary, cumbersome marriage where both me and my novel have resentment and bitterness packed into our hearts–until it all blows up one day in a shocking revelation of infidelity and a speedy divorce.
Call me crazy, but that's why I opted for Writer and not Lawyer or Doctor or some other career that I didn't love or am passionate about.
Why sacrifice and risk so much for a dream, if I'm going to be miserable the entire time?
Isn't the point of a dream the fact that you get to enjoy it, and can avoid having a panic attack every fifteen minutes?
Listen: I know the book will be done when it gets done. Other than that, I don't have to worry. I will simply allow myself to enjoy the process in the meantime.
And I’m cool with that.
Benefit #2: It sets you up for success
Writing slowly makes it possible for me to make absolutely sure that the book I write is the best it can be before I send it off to be considered for agents and publishers. Rushing through the work, and not being careful, puts me at risk of failure in the end. But by going “slow and steady,” I can make absolutely sure that I've covered all my bases, dotted all my “i's,” crossed all my “t's,” and did everything I could possibly do to make the work whole before it lands in someone else’s hands.
Writing “slowly” means that I’ll feel very confident and at ease when the book is in someone else’s care. Writing “slowly” also means that I’ll have no regrets that I tried my best to make the book a success.
Benefit #3: It releases some of the pressure
I'm very lucky in that this is my first book–not my second or third. So I don't feel any pressure to live up to anyone else’s expectations. Nor do I feel the pressure to write a book that will produce the same amount of income a previous book has made.
The downside to this is that the future is much more open and uncertain for me—and that's already nerve-wracking enough.
So, why add any more pressure to myself by adding a short, speedy deadline when no one else but me is around to give me such a deadline?
No, I'd rather give myself a break by allotting more time to do the work.
Benefit #4: It let's you make sure that life doesn't “pass you by” in the process
I could imagine that if you were rushing to get the work done, you would HAVE to make huge sacrifices in your social life. You might even have to cut off yourself from friends and family for long periods of time.
I guess I could see how this approach might be favorable to a writer who’s incredibly impatient, and who doesn’t mind being a loner, but, for me, I’ve found that isolating myself from the outside world for long periods of time affects my mood, my health–and all of that affects my writing negatively.
My writing suffers if I shut myself off from the world for a long time. My life suffers, too. And forgive me for not giving my life over to complete and utter servitude to my novel. (My novel doesn’t deserve that much of me. Nobody does.) I just don't want life to pass me by while I'm busy trying to rush through the work.
I mean what’s the rush? I’m not dying.
I am a firm believer that you don’t have to choose between living a great life and writing a great novel–you can do both. Simultaneously. Okay, yes, the downside of attempting to do this means that the entire process will last a bit longer.
But, you know, I think it’s worth it. What's more, I think this balanced, holistic approach to writing ends up being reflected in your work: you may be surprised to find that not writing all the time makes your writing better, not worse.
Benefit #5: It let's you honor your purpose
The novel I’m working on features a cast of all-Latino characters. The fantasy world these characters inhabit is based on Mexican-American history, culture and mythology. I hope that this story will help fill a void that exists in mainstream literature.
I know that if I don't make an effort to bring more Latino characters and stories into the mainstream, no one else will. This is why honoring the purpose behind my novel is the prime motivation for me writing the novel—and it’s also the reason I’m taking my “sweet” time with it.
As you can imagine, I feel a great responsibility to do the book justice. I want to make sure I “get it right.” I want the book to be as stellar of a portrait of my community as it can be. Writing “slowly” allows me to honor this purpose.
Fulfilling the purpose of the novel is going to take a lot of time, energy, and patience on my part. But I also think this is exactly what makes sacrificing and working so hard on a dream worth it in the end.
Because, in the end, I would rather work slowly to make a great dream come true than work quickly to make a mediocre come to pass. I'd rather honor the long-term purpose behind my work than sacrifice that purpose for some short-term gain.
Ollin Morales is a writer and a blogger. {Courage 2 Create} chronicles the author’s journey as he writes his first novel. This blog offers writing advice as well as strategies to deal with life's toughest challenges.
Top image: Flickr CC GC Photography
What do you think? Are there hidden benefits to writing slowly? Or do you disagree with me, and think that writing quickly can create quality work as well?
Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Elaine Stock says
February 9, 2012 at 1:59 pmOllin, I read your uplifting piece this morning and have felt so inspired the whole day. Thanks so much for your perspective. It was quite liberating.
I was so impressed that I’m going to Tweet this.
Ollin Morales says
February 9, 2012 at 2:22 pmI’m flattered! Thank you, Elaine!
Matthew Ottewell says
February 10, 2012 at 1:35 amInteresting stuff to read. I am currently writing my first novel.
I am fortunate to have the independence of having a main vocation. I have no deadlines. Nor do I care if the book makes money. I’ll be happy to have it priced in such a manner to encourage a broad audience.
The one thing I am not having trouble with is dealing with the time delays. I work on chapters that interest me, and sometimes I even wait for that epiphany to smack me before I revisit stalled story lines.
To each their own.
Ollin Morales says
February 10, 2012 at 2:56 pm“To each his own.”
Exactly, Matthew!
Cyd Madsen says
February 10, 2012 at 6:13 amFantastic post with a lot of good points and comments. I see fast v. slow in the same light as pantsing v. outlining. Different styles for different writers, different modes for different circumstances and material. Recently several of us did a 10,000 word challenge on SuperBowl Sunday, and it worked out surprisingly well. Writing fast doesn’t give you time to censor anything, and there’s nothing better than that lightening bolt going through you when something magical happens in the midst of the race, when you find a story where you thought there was none. I find themes, character, voice, and subject matter I didn’t even know were lurking inside of me. This last challenge gave me my next WIP, and a lot of material I can now shape. I’ve never considered myself a writer. I’m a re-writer, but first I need raw material to work with. (It also keeps me humble and hungry:-)
My experience with NaNo this year, on the flip side, was awful. Again, there was no time for the inner critic to get in the way, and I ended up writing a mess of personal issues that won’t ever take shape as a book. But it did give me a few characters I’d like to explore in more depth, and did clear away some emotional junk that needed decluttering.
There are advantages and disadvantages to every approach, and too often we need approval to explore our own possibilities. Thank you for this post that gives permission to try something different. And good luck with your project.
Ollin Morales says
February 10, 2012 at 2:56 pmThanks! Good luck to you, too Cyd!
Susannah Friis says
February 10, 2012 at 7:10 pmThank you, thank you, thank you!! I can identify soooo well with you and this post. I love the writing process and am in no hurry. I would much rather take time and give more consideration to what I write than constantly be punching some imaginary time clock.
I get so tired of reading all the ‘advice’ that says to just write anything and do it fast, that it doesn’t matter what you write as long as you are writing. Why bother writing words just for the sake of it when you are going to have to edit and re-write a million times. Get it right the first (or second) time by just taking the whole thing a lot slower.
I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to read this post. I am printing it out to pin above my desk for all those times I feel pressure to hurry up 🙂
Ollin Morales says
February 13, 2012 at 11:55 pmI am flattered Susannah that you’d print this post out. Thanks! That’s always a sign that I’ve done an amazing job with a blog post. Good luck to you, and I’m glad I was of help to you.
R.B. Lindberg says
February 12, 2012 at 9:26 amVery wise words Ollin! I’m thrilled to see that I’m not alone in my boat. I understand where you’re coming from: I’ve been struggling to finding time next to my work to finish revising the novel I wrote back in November 2009! Good luck with your novel, something tells me that you WILL make it! 🙂
Ollin Morales says
February 13, 2012 at 11:57 pmThanks R.B.!
Rick Zabel says
February 12, 2012 at 9:01 pmThere has been a discussion in my group about what the difference is between a “slow” writer, a “lazy” writer, and a “careful” writer, and came to the conclusion that lazy writers are those who say they are careful soas to avoid the embarrassment of truly being uncaring about writing in general. Whatever one thinks of himself of being is an individual thing, I suppose. For my own style, after I finish a scene in a book, I have to stay away from it for awhile, as if to let it sink in. Likewise when I get into the next scene, I have to take the time to think about what has happened in the story so far, and what should happen next. As to the time it takes to write a book, the same applies to length in that a story will be as long as it wants to be. If I’m having trouble with what I’m writing, I tell myself to just keep poking, and the words will come. I also remind myself that the longer one stays away from a story, the harder it is to get back into it.
Ollin Morales says
February 13, 2012 at 11:58 pmIt’s all relative I guess. Good luck with your work, Rick!
Dara Beevas says
February 13, 2012 at 10:59 pmGreat tips and so true. I’ve got to become more disciplined about not rushing through my writing. Great post!
Ollin Morales says
February 13, 2012 at 11:58 pmWhy, thank you Dara!
Linda Gartz says
February 18, 2012 at 10:43 amCouldn’t agree more. I too a walk along Lake Michigan this morning (& do several times a week). I take time to connect with friends. I go to writing groups (though less now that I have imposed a deadline to finish this year.) But — it’s been a 10 year process to write about my family when I had literally thousands of pages of letters and diaries to read, digest, and make sense of. I thought I was the slowest around, but it’s been a process that’s helped me understand the arc of the story after MUCH rewriting.
Norma says
March 1, 2012 at 7:36 pmAs a former reporter on a daily newspaper where speed was imperative, and now on aboug my 7th or 8th year of writing a first novel, I enjoy the opportunity to work over each word, scene, page, etc. I agree completely with Olin.Part of the reason my novel has taken so long is that I gave it up a couple of years ago because of the nightmare of trying to get it published through the agent-publisher route. When I learned about Amazon’s program, I began again.
Paula Martin says
March 2, 2012 at 11:34 amI can write a ‘first draft’ chapter in about a week (sometimes less if it’s going well!), but then I’ll spend an equal amount of time revising, editing and polishing. Therefore a 20 chapter novel will take me about 40 weeks – about the same length of time from a baby’s conception to its birth actually!
Kevin O. McLaughlin says
March 2, 2012 at 12:50 pmAgain though, Paula – that’s not a factor of the work. It’s a factor of the hours you put into the work.
Suppose your chapters are about 5000 words long. And you write about an hour a day, five days a week, taking two days off for whatever else. Then yeah, sure, it’s going to take you a week to write that chapter.
Write five hours in one day, with the rest of the week off? Still take you a week.
Write eight hours a day, five days a week? You’re going to finish more like eight chapters per week.
Writing is a little bit like knitting a sweater. It’s going to take you X hours to knit a sweater. Whether you do those X hours in a month or a year depends on how many hours a day you spend knitting – or writing.
Jason Christie says
March 11, 2012 at 5:59 amTry this one: write a chapter in pencil, and a chapter in pen. Preferably chapters about different characters.
Oh, you guys are talking about typing fast…
Kevin O. McLaughlin says
March 11, 2012 at 11:36 amI infinitely prefer pen, when handwriting. Pencils give me that nails on chalkboard feeling when I write! =) I recall one weekend where I was working and powered through about 34 pages of handwritten work a day, which with my scrawl was something like ten thousand words a day for two days. Sore hand. Really good pen though – it was one of those cartridge ink fountain pens, fairly flew across the page.
When you have to change a cartridge more than once in a weekend, you KNOW you are writing! =)
Cephas Mparadzi says
April 1, 2012 at 11:51 pmI agree with you. Writting slowly wil pave way for more options and you wil have room for any slight changes as perfect. To hv less time with others is a disadvantage, because you will be writting about people so its a must to be always within them. This will give you the actual words to describe a person or anything as you will be writting.