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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!
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