On Writing…
So, I’ve been writing this week, which is why I’ve been a bit lax on the posting this week, which I guess is a good thing, right?
Here I am writing away yesterday…it was bit cool so fur was a must along with my vintage desk and typewriter (seriously, I’m finding typewriters now, thanks to Robin Coyle, as well as bicycles…call me a freak…).
So I’m editing and revising the novel I’m writing and it’s going well so far. A good thing. I took a moment to open a book on writing, a thing I try not to do too much, or too often, because then I end up reading more than writing, but I love when I open to a page of inspiration, a page to keep you on track.
Here’s a segment from On Writing by Stephen King. Whether you’re a fan of his work or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s one of the best damn books on writing a writer can read.
I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book – something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh. On some days those ten pages come easily; I’m up and out and doing errands by eleven-thirty in the morning, perky as a rat in liverwurst. More frequently, as I grow older, I find myself eating lunch at my desk and finishing the day’s work around one-thirty in the afternoon. Sometimes, when the words come hard, I’m still fiddling around at teatime. Either way is fine with me, but only under dire circumstances do I allow myself to shut down before I get my 2,000 words.
I don’t know how to apply the 2,000 words a day to revision and editing, but I’ve been sticking with a chapter a day, which is working out fine. But I love SK’s goal of the ten page day. Four to six has always been mine.
What are some of your writing goals? Pages? Word count?
I think in 20 years i want to be her
I’m not a novel writer (OK, so, yes, one in the works) mostly short stories. When I get a rush of ideas for one story, rather than a per-page goal, it is more like, until the inspiration for a segment runs out….perhaps 3-4 hours at most, usually 2ish. At that pace a 5000 word story takes about a week.
Those boots look painful but what’s not to love about fashion.
Thanks for the mention. I thought Steven King’s book was fantastic too. As a coincidence, he was on the morning talk radio program I happened to catch. It is Mark and Brian out of LA. They are syndicated (if that is the right term) so I can hear it in Sacramento. It is not your typical talk radio. They are funny, irreverent, and bring in great guest. It was fun to hear Mr. King.
I read “On Writing” too, very inspirational. I’d like to recommend it to anyone reading these comments
2000 words a day is a nice goal
And if I reach a point where I can live off my writing, I think that’s about the goal I would set for myself.
As it is, I’ve had two weekends recently where my goal was 10,000 words from Saturday morning to Sunday evening, but then I did not get any writing done at all on the weekdays. Also, I haven’t written anything new this past week because of exams…
Hmmm, SK’s plan sounds like a good one – a good amount to accomplish that should still be fairly easily attainable.
But my problem is not how much I can get in a single day, etc.
My problem is writing & not revising & editing so much as I go. How do you break that habit? Or, is this why we set these word goals?
(Only just started writing “a novel”. i.e. Major newbie alert!)