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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.
“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.
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!
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1 2 3 4 Next »I agree with you, i don't know how people create several novels a year. For me it's a long term thing that takes months and months, if not years
Matt (Turndog Millionaire)
It's definitely dependent on genre and a series. If you have a series, the main character development is done and you work within a certain set of themes. If the books are stand-alone, there's a lot more work.
Right? Good luck to you, Matt!
I get the same questions from people I know, and after more than four years it's becoming embarrassing. Thanks for your reassuring words, Ollin! That said, I have introduced some deadlines for my WIP this year -- I fear I might never finish it otherwise!
Deadlines are critical Wendy. I have a large deadline of my birthday (March) every year to have a new book done. That constrains me somewhat!
I agree with you Wendy. I think after a while a deadline is good. By four years I think you've dedicated a suitable amount of time to it. Good luck to you!
I think that there are benefits to both. Writing fast can get the words out and sometimes help a writer get past their fear. Writing slowly can allow an author to think deeper about their work, layer meaning and dig into the subconscious a bit, figure out hidden meanings they may not have seen before. The key is to know when your work requires a quick dash or a slow ride.
I think layering is the key too. For me, the first draft has to be as fast as possible so I can get the bare bones down. Then I will go back and redo each scene adding the detail and the layers before the editing process.
Totally agree, Joanna! I write fast. I can write a short novel or lengthy novella in a few weeks to a month or so if the muse is there and the plot and conflicts roll out for me. I get it out on paper and then go back and add in details for a couple weeks. Then my editor helps me along even more for my self published works and the others. By the time it's all done, I'm quite happy with what I have. I must say, too, though, that I'm a short story, serial fiction, novelette, novella writer at heart. I have three novels at 50K words or more. The rest are shorter than that, but I write gothic romance, so that's fine.
I write fast. The muse demands it, and I'm happy with it. It's allowed me to get a lot of work out there in a short time and learn a lot about writing as a business and a craft. And it's helping me chuck one of my part time jobs that I don't enjoy, hopefully by next year. ;)
Hey Lori,
I also think that different writers are... well different. Some of us certainly need to WRITE FAST. I'm that way with short stories. Don't like to take time with those. They come out in a few weeks. They come out better that way. But I am finding novels require time for me. But I think everyone is different. Which is cool. How boring would it be if we were all the same?
You make some good points. I think it depends on the individual writer. I enjoy writing for myself but at the same time it's gratifying if others enjoy my writings as well. I've written three novels in the last year but I don't consider them to be actually finished... I keep seeing how I can improve them. I read somewhere that Leonardo da Vinci carried the Mona Lisa around with him for forty years working on it whenever he had the chance. I'm a big believer in not just cranking out the words but constantly improving them as well. There must be a way of marrying quality and quantity. I have personal goals on how many words I write each day but I also make sure I have time to do some marketing as well as improvement on what I've already written. I keep telling myself I need to market myself better... perhaps one of these days I'll listen...
I love your approach Dan!
You are seeking a middle ground--and maybe you are right and I'm wrong, haha. Maybe there can be a marriage between writing slowly and quickly.
I wonder what is the average time a writer takes to work on a novel. Maybe that average should be our goal. Who knows? Good luck to you!
Thank you, Ollin! I don't think you're wrong or that I am right, however. I think we each find our own voice, if we are fortunate. What is average? And who wants to be average? Not me!
A friend of mine worked on his novel for four years while teaching at college... he'd rise at 2 in the morning and go to a rented room in a flophouse to work undisturbed for four hours before going home and getting ready to go to work.
I am luckier in that I only work part time and can devote six to eight hours a day to my writing, although lately I've been doing more marketing, trying to get my books out there in front of people. Anyway, good luck to you and I look forward to reading your finished novel one of these fine days!
Thanks again,
Dan
I agree with you for the most part, but I think it depends on who you are. For me,I can work slowly, but I know if I work too slow, I'll just get lazy, complacent, or worse, stuck and end up dropping the project. I'm trying to work with a little more speed, just to say that I have something done, then move slowly from there. I feel that if I can finish one project, I can finish them all. Thanks for this post, it came right on time for me.
Finishing a book is a great feeling! you definitely feel a real sense of achievement. So all the best Najela.
Ah, I think it isn't a problem when you have an idea you are truly passionate about. I think having the right idea at the beginning is really CRUCIAL. You have to be truly in love with idea. It is kinda like a marriage--so you have to know that your "partner" is not only willing but committed to you through all the hard times and the good times. That's a tough idea to find, but I recommend waiting until you get that kind of idea. Then finishing the novel won't ever be a problem.
Horses for courses. 5 benefits of writing fast;
1. Faster writing suggests a more professional approach and that you are treating it seriously as a business and not a part-time hobby.
2. In my case the longer I spend on a book the more likely I am to change my story, characters etc. and therefore I will spend even longer on it.
3. I have so many ideas and so many stories I want to write I couldn't possibly take 2 years to write a book.
4. Marketing theory states more books = more marketing = more sales. Current theory suggests that blogging & tweeting etc will gain fewer sales than writing more books.
5. The quicker a book is written, the more likely the writing is original and fresh and not stale and bland. It is easy to overwork writing and edit the freshness and originality out of it.
It depends on what your writing intentions are. Mine are simple; I wish to make a full time living out of writing and I believe at the moment my route to this is to write fast. I am self publishing 3 novels this year and 2 or 3 next year. But although I am treating writing as a business, I really enjoy writing and I do my utmost to write the best I possibly can. In my case I believe if I took 2 or more years to write a book it would be stale and lose its freshness.
Chris, I'm with you on this one. This is my stance as well at the moment. I am writing 2 novels and (hopefully) a novella this year, and it is my intent to be a pro-writer.
More books do indeed make more sales, and the rest of marketing is a backup to that. But I think our books would be considered genre fiction and those people writing more deep and meaningful stuff will need longer. I do have another book idea on my backburner that is the type of book that may take a while...
What great points!
You are correct, sir.
But that's because your intention is different than mine. You want to make a living out of your writing quickly. So of course, you must write quickly. My intention is to simply create a great work. The quality of the work is more important to me. That's not to say you can't create quality in a short amount of time--of course not.
It's to say that I cannot create quality in a short amount of time.
So it depends on the person I guess. As Ana Karenina said (paraphrased): "so many different hearts, so many different kinds of love."
"So many different writers, so many different approaches to the craft."
Good luck to you!
I agree with you for the most part, and I think all of your reasons are valid for you. For some of your points though (and others have pointed this out), it can swing both ways.
Taking your time might mean you get sick of the thing for example. Nothing kills a writing project off like boredom.
As always, it depends what you think you need to do to get your novel done. And make sure that your reasons are true, and not excuses for putting off writing or not getting your work out there. We've always got to second-guess ourselves like that as writers.
Yes, if you take too long it can become more and more scary in terms of getting feedback. It's important to 'ship' as Seth Godin says.
Ah, but I know when something is done and when something is not.
I have a bullseye I'm aiming for. And although I'll never hit the bullseye, it's clear to me how close I am getting. I don't fear "putting it off" or "getting sick of it." I love it too much to be ever sick of it. I'm married to it. Sure, there are rough spots. But I have no fear that we'll get through it.
But this was just my take on it, of course not everyone will agree with me.
I struggle with this, daily. I started my first novel almost 2 years ago, and am still working on it. I am afraid I'll never finish it, and that I'll give up on it. I'm just so ambitious. I recently decided I want to illustrate the novel, which will take me another year of hard, daily work, and I just don't know if I'm up to the task. When I think about it in terms of the work I need to do to finish the book, I get overwhelmed and want to quit. But when I think about it in terms of setting aside a certain number of hours a day, and it takes me as long as it takes me, the fun comes back. I think you just need to be as clear as you can be about why you are writing, and what your goals are. If your first priority is income, you might need to write faster. If your first priority is fun, then take as long as you like, write as often as you like. If your first priority is personal growth, or finding yourself, then you'll want to take your time, but also challenge yourself too.
Hi Steven,
Why don't you publish the book as text only now and then work on the illustrations as a 2nd project?
Wow,
Perfection Steven! You got it right. I agree with everything you said. Good luck to you!
You make some interesting points but I strongly disagree about WRITING slowly. The biggest downside of doing so is that you are far more likely to start editing while you write and madness that way lies. IF you are conflating the separate processes of writing and editing then perhaps we can agree. I think we all should write as quickly as we possibly can and then edit as slowly as we can possibly bear. Here are some tips on how to stop editing while you write: http://www.publicationcoach.com/free-articles/writing_with_no_editing.php
Good point Daphne but it's also important to remember that some writers do edit while they write and that may be their process. There are no rules...
I'm not sure what you mean.
I plan on having an editor go over the work sometime in the future. That's what I call "editing."
If you're talking copy editing and line editing, that is not what I'm talking about.
If your'e talking developmental editing, than yes, I am doing that. But I suppose most writers do that themselves. But I know some get help with that part. So that's normal.
I think Daphne means editing as you go along. For example, when I write a scene in first draft, I just write it and then go onto another scene. Only when I have all the scenes do I then go back and start editing. Some people take a long time because they edit everything they wrote yesterday ad infinitum.
Hi guys. I have to butt in here.
I am not a quick writer. At all. When I write fast, I make errors, mispell words, etc, and it grates on me until I go back and correct it. I do like to edit while I write. Sometimes I wish I didn't - but hey. I have written quickly in the past, and it was utter tosh that ended up being re-writing from scratch.
I also love dialogue. Whether I'm writing scripts or novels, dialogue cannot be rushed; not if you truly want your characters to be 'real'.
So, after months of research, plotting, and creating characters, I slowly write my novels (not necessarily two years slowly I might add), and edit as I go. This doesn't mean I don't do a full edit once the novel is finished, because I do. I just have to 'fix' the errors as I see them :)
Great post and fabulous comments!
I can't imagine forcing myself to push through a book within a few months, let alone weeks. I agree that taking your time lets you enjoy the book much, much more--I personally enjoy the love affair I have with my books, and I'd hate to rush through them and not savor the enjoyment of seeing them elongate and grow as I go.
Right, Hiroko! People don't know what they're missing. That's what I say. ;)