McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Bread & Butter Writing
prophet224:
I've read 4 pages a day.
I've also read (in the same book, as it happens) that the important thing is to set a goal for YOUR life and YOUR commitments and then stick to it. If it's 3 pages, fine. If it's 8, fine.
By the 250 words/page formula, 2000 words would be 8 pages. Four pages is 1000 words.
Now if I could only stick with that... we'll see. :)
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: prophet224 on July 30, 2008, 01:51:16 PM ---I've read 4 pages a day.
I've also read (in the same book, as it happens) that the important thing is to set a goal for YOUR life and YOUR commitments and then stick to it. If it's 3 pages, fine. If it's 8, fine.
By the 250 words/page formula, 2000 words would be 8 pages. Four pages is 1000 words.
Now if I could only stick with that... we'll see. :)
--- End quote ---
If you call one novel a year 100,000 words, that's 2,000 words a week plus revision time, and two weeks off for good behaviour. Putting in a good solid session most Friday nights - unless there is a reason to do it Saturday instead, as there happens to be this coming weekend - works a lot better for me to get to that than trying to get into the right mindset for writing every single evening. Forcing a story that's not ready can kill it
blgarver:
--- Quote from: neurovore on July 30, 2008, 02:35:26 PM ---If you call one novel a year 100,000 words, that's 2,000 words a week plus revision time, and two weeks off for good behaviour. Putting in a good solid session most Friday nights - unless there is a reason to do it Saturday instead, as there happens to be this coming weekend - works a lot better for me to get to that than trying to get into the right mindset for writing every single evening. Forcing a story that's not ready can kill it
--- End quote ---
Wow, I like that angle. I REALLy like that angle. 2000 a week is cake. Don't know why I've never thought about it that way before. I may just try to do that. Though I might shoot for 500 words a day, to add up to 3500 each week. I like to write SOMETHING every day, it keeps me in a good mood.
Thanks for that perspective, neurovore. Yesterday I did 980 words in about an hour and a half. I only stopped because the ex showed up at my writing spot and I had to make a speedy exit.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: blgarver on July 30, 2008, 03:46:49 PM ---Wow, I like that angle. I REALLy like that angle. 2000 a week is cake. Don't know why I've never thought about it that way before. I may just try to do that.
--- End quote ---
It doesn't work if you are Jim Butcher or Charlie Stross and trying to deliver two or three books a year, but then by the point in your career where you're Jim Butcher or Charlie Stross you generally don't have a day job to worry about.
--- Quote ---Though I might shoot for 500 words a day, to add up to 3500 each week. I like to write SOMETHING every day, it keeps me in a good mood.
--- End quote ---
If that works for you, sure; I'm not pushing the method that works for me, specifically; just concerned that anyone looking at writing advice, even good writing advice, is reasonably aware of people's working styles varying and that being a legitimate thing.
--- Quote ---Yesterday I did 980 words in about an hour and a half. I only stopped because the ex showed up at my writing spot and I had to make a speedy exit.
--- End quote ---
I don't think I have any exes that would prompt that reaction, which is probably for the best. (Last time I worked it out, I was still on close and friendly terms with almost exactly three-quarters of the people I have ever been involved with; getting those numbers to come out absolutely even would be a damned stupid reason to seek out one more new sweetie, I think.)
blgarver:
Well I usually end up with passionate/unstable women for some reason, so I've only had one relationship end gracefully. Just the most recent ex being there threw me off and I couldn't concentrate any more. Crappy deal is that I live in a small town, so unless I want to lock myself in my apartment I will inevitabley run into her.
The ex in question is also a member of these boards. Awesome, right?
But anyway, I can usually get 500 words in after work with little difficulty before Real Life swoops in and clouds my thinking.
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