It’s not normal to sit alone and write 100,000 words. So let’s get that out of the way. You aren’t normal. You aren’t in the bell curve and you aren’t necessarily on the good side of the curve. You’re cursed. You write because you have to. You will have to go the therapy. Sorry. That’s the reality of being a writer. It’s that simple.
If you desire to write a novel because you want to have a bestseller and make a bundle of money, my advice for you is to play the lottery; it will take much less time and your odds will be about the same, if not better, and I can guarantee that the work involved will be much less. The publishing business makes little sense and it’s changing faster than ever before. However, I do believe that the more you know, the greater your chances of success. The vast majority of writers are flailing away at the craft and the business blindly. Armed with knowledge, you greatly increase your ability to rise above the rest.
You write for you. You write because you have a story in you that has to come out. This is the core of the art of writing. Pearl Buck said:
“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: a human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create– so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out his creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency, he is not really alive unless he is creating.”
I believe that passion, which fuels long-term perseverance to be the single most important factor. I also believe that too much discussion on the topic of creativity can actually stifle the drive in some people. They start thinking that they have to do and think exactly like everyone else in order to succeed and that is not true. That is why I say that there are no absolutes, no hard and fast rules in writing. Follow your path.
I have listened to many writers speak, read many books on writing, and while much of what they say is the same, there is often something that is very different. Usually that different thing is part of their creative expression, the way they approach their writing. However, on a core level, I think most creative people operate in a similar manner.
I see people who do #nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) where they try to write a certain number of words each day, every day and I have two views of that: it’s good they are getting words down. But are they the type of writer who works that way? I know writers who don’t write every day, but work in creative bursts. They might not write for a week, then knock out 20,000 words in three days. #nanowrimo doesn’t work for them. Stephen King says he write 10 pages a day. That’s great for him. Does it work for you?
Additionally, that is what he says. Does he actually do it? Probably, but maybe not. He’s the only one who knows the truth. Most writers feel a subliminal degree of guilt over getting paid to sit at home and create stories. So sometimes we says things to make it more apparent that we ‘work’. Because it’s hard to explain how hard it is to simply be sitting still, doing nothing, while we develop blinding headaches trying to work our way through our plot while remaining true to our characters. So we use things like word count and page count instead, even if they aren’t true.
When I discuss how to write a novel in The Novel Writers Toolkit, I talk a lot about the craft of novel writing. The art is woven into the craft with deeper insights and when you take craft and twist it by breaking rules. But the first rule of rule breaking is to know the rule. Thus we must learn craft before we look to art.
Craft is the intellectual aspect of writing. The art is the emotional aspect. A great writer engages both the reader’s thoughts and emotions, thus being both a good craftsmen and a good artist.
One of the paradoxes of writing, and something to keep in mind when listening to people talk about writing: They present techniques, ideas and formats that are the “accepted” way of doing things; yet the “accepted” way makes you the same as everyone else who can read a writing book and follow instructions, and your work has to stand out from everyone else’s. So how do you do that? How do you do things the “right” way yet be different?
Everything is a template; do not allow anything to stifle your creativity. Remember the paradox. The best analogy I can come up with is that if you were a painter I am telling you about the paint and the canvas and lighting and perspective, but ultimately you are the one who has to decide what you are going to paint and how to paint it.
Another thing is to understand the techniques and methods, and then use your brilliance to figure out a way to change the technique or method to overcome problems and roadblocks. To be original– an artist– with something that’s already been done. Also to mix techniques and methods in innovative ways.
The Basics
- Write a lot.
- Before writing a lot, be a voracious reader.
- I also am a big fan of watching a lot of movies and TV specials and series. There are writers who dismiss the television, but there are great writers putting out excellent product in that medium. And we all can learn from any artistic medium. Watching a different medium can also allow you to see new ways of looking at your writing.
- Learn the proper way to do business things in the world of publishing such as having a strategic plan for your career, which is covered under my Write It Forward program and book.
How do you approach writing? Do you do a daily word count like Nanowrimo or do you write in bursts? Do you think watching TV is good or bad for you as a writer?
Agreed on all points. Write your way. Be yourself. Accept it–you are unique. Keep growing.
Wow, Bob! I read this blog regularly, and I believe this the best post of all. So true, all of it. I love that Pearl S. Buck quote so much that I may get some stencils and paint it in big letters on my office wall–hell, my living room wall. It explains so much about me. . . .
Thanks for a great read.
P.S. NaNo doesn’t work for me.
Exactly what I needed to read today. Thanks.
I have daily word counts because it pushes me to write fast, which, for me, produces better work. It also keeps me in the story in a consistent way. Regarding TV, I think some is helpful (and enjoyable!). I’ve learned a lot from studying TV characters that engage me, and possibly even more comparing shows I love (Dexter, The Shield, Mad Men) with shows that are ho hum to understand what makes the good ones so great.
Excellent post – I am trying Nano this year for the first time and so far it has been good for me – not exactly the way I see myself writing all the time, but a good exercise to try.
As for TV, I would agree that seeing a well-written TV show (or movie) can be beneficial, even if it is in a different medium – a great plot is still a great plot whether it in a novel or on TV.
I tend to choose a bit from column A and column B. I find writing every day lets me asses where I’m going with a story, and keeps me focussed. I like the discipline of making time, no matter how short, to add a little more to my fictional world. However, this isn’t always possible with life and its distractions so I love those bursts of creativity that seem to come out of nowhere.
I set out to take on the NaNowriMo challenge this year, not to keep a daily word count or hit that 50k, but because of a story I’d been thinking about for a couple of years, but had been putting off in favour of other writing projects. Reaching 50k words in 30 days isn’t that much of a challenge, so it’s the collective spirit of writers all around the world that makes this an exciting time for me.
On the subject of writers watching TV, I think it’s a good thing. You can find inspiration even in the most mundane of TV programs, anything from a characters facial expression to a method of putting action in new ways, take 24 for example.
Having said that, TV isn’t the be all and end all, inspiration can strike at any time, and I’d scratch words on a rock if that was all I had because the need to write is who I am not a reaction to media.
Enjoyable post!
I tend to write in bursts, which is why I love NaNoWriMo. It’s the one time of the year when I’m compelled to stick with it and get it done. I keep trying to carry that through the rest of the year, and it works for a while. But nature always wins (if I can blame nature), and I go back to writing in bursts. NaNo is the only time I pay a lot of attention to word count. I do use it as a spur sometimes when the writing is going slow at other times of the year, but I don’t consider it a mark of accomplishment.
I no longer watch TV and never found that it contributed to my creativity. Movies are a different thing altogether, and can be inspiring. But I’m first and foremost a book person.
I accept that people have all sorts of reasons for joining in during November, but I don’t understand why so many agonize and complain when it has to be as obvious to themselves as to everybody else who reads the forums that they aren’t writers and have no interest in becoming writers. Less than 20% of the hundreds of thousands who join, cross the finish line. I’d be willing to bet that less than half of those write anything else.
From The Big Chill … “Does a bear shit in the woods?” “I can shit in the woods but I can’t get it up.” Oops, I may have flubbed those. Okay, try again: “Why does that sound like a mass of rationalizations?” “Don’t knock rationalizations, there more important than sex.” “Nothing is more important than sex.” “Oh yeah, you ever gone more than one day without a juicy rationalization?” Want more? Go watch the movie. NaNo? Is that what Robin Williams said on Mork and Mindy? Maybe not.
You offer up the tried old stereotype of a writer here. i know many successful writers who are not the psychotic, hyper sensitive emotional wrecks you make all good writers out to be. they are normal, even boring, people who eat, drink, work, bicycle, drive, ski….Am I making my point?
You made your point, but you missed a couple that need to be included in a writer’s toolbox: sense of humor, and ability to recognize sarcasm.
Somewhere between productivity and sloth, I have to stake my claim. And I can only effectively do that if I have concrete goals. I work several projects at any given time. One progresses at 3,000 words per week, another at 1000 words per week, and I have to finish one short short each week. That’s not a lot of words if you count up, but life can easily intrude. If I don’t meet these goals, I will get terribly nervous, because things could be falling apart. So I keep writing little by little in hopes for a breather come Saturday night.
William Doonan
http://www.williamdoonan.com
I like your message – that you’ve said often enough – but it’s always good to hear it again. Everyone needs to find their own path as a writer. Emphasis on path. For some, Nano is a way to start on the path, maybe, for others it’s a change of pace. I used it this year to spur me to actually finish a book – that was my Nano goal even though I only did an informal Nano-thing with fellow writers – and it worked. May not do it again.
I’m still on the path, though, and that’s what counts.
“Do you do a daily word count like Nanowrimo or do you write in bursts?”
I do a bit of both, I guess. I’ve adapted to the NaNo style, of sorts. it’s more of making time to write than worrying about word count though. If I make my time then I can use it to write or edit or research or whatever I need to do outside my day job and family. NaNo just gives me the chance to write that novel Idea I’ve been sitting on, and getting the encouragement to do so.
“Do you think watching TV is good or bad for you as a writer?”
I think it can be good, if done in moderation. I know watching Firefly hit home with my sci-fi characters. This topic is interesting because my husband (who watches way more tv than me) was talking about the writing between different shows and stating how one was better than another, though the themes were similar. I’d never really thought of tv in that way before.
Boy did I need your words today! The Pearl Buck quote has me teary eyed, and you have me determined. Thank you. Right words, right time. Hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving!
It’s always a challenge for me to balance the passion of the artist with the discipline of a craftsman and then add in a healthy heap of professionalism. It’s not easy, but I work at each equally and try to improve every day as they all are critical to my success.
Thanks. Sometimes all the noise, and “shoulds” and “don’ts” get me down. One fallout of the age of technology with the world at our fingertips, I suppose.
I am not a very professional writer. Without my blog, (which I have been fairly well devoted to), and my recently finished and published memoir, I seldom write anything until I have a burst that must be written down at once, sometimes on a napkin that I scrambled for from the floor of the passenger seat in my car as I madly swerved to a stop in a rest area, a gas station, alongside a curb. I hope I get one of those soon, because I would really like to get my next work-in-progress, actually in progress.
We haven’t had a television in our house since 1995, but the internet has opened up the world of visual media that I was missing and I find it very helpful for my writing. Television, movies, books, all teach something about the art of crafting a good story. Anywhere there is a good storytelling is a great place for a writer to be.
I do think, also, that newer authors don’t necessarily know what kind of writer they are until they try a range of techniques. NaNoWriMo works for some people and not others, but you might not know if it works for you unless you try. I find that its once-a-year push for word count sparks a creativity that I value, even if I get it in other ways throughout the rest of the year.
Do you do a daily word count like Nanowrimo or do you write in bursts?
Daily word counts make me very nervous. Years ago I seriously burned myself out (as in, writer’s block for TWO YEARS) by writing a script a week, trying to break into Hollywood. What if I don’t make the word count through no fault of mine? (i.e., power outage).
I like James Scott Bell’s idea of a weekly word count because that means that I can have a day where I put in 2K, and another day where I put in 400 and still get it done. I also clearly get more done on my days off then trying to write in the evening.
But.
It doesn’t work when it comes to revision. I’ve had days when I end up with a negative word count because I had to remove scenes or parts of scenes. So I’ve been experimenting with assigning a scene as a task (this has a lot to do with something I’m trying at work to corral the nightmare of things being thrown at me), but with a date to start it, not a date it’s due.
>> Do you think watching TV is good or bad for you as a writer?>>
A little bit of both, I think. TV — and film — take a lot of shortcuts because of the time limitations. They also plainly get things wrong. And I won’t even discuss the unrealistic action sequences! I keep running into writers who want to use TV shows as research instead of doing actual research. Honestly, is watching NCIS going to tell someone what Washington, DC is like? They do a better job than other shows, but they’ve also gotten some things really, really wrong. (It’s not filmed in DC, by the way. All stock footage).
But it is good for showing that turning point where suddenly the story changes. The characters return, thinking they’ve got their suspect, and then their suspect turns up dead.
I’m finding that NaNoWriMo is asking more of me than I can (currently) provide. I’ve made a decent fist of it twice now and can’t produce the 1667 words a day. I’m just not that fast a writer. But it’s teaching me other things: like what is needed to think up a novel-sized story. And how to associate with other writers. And what good writing looks like.
Maybe I’ll get faster in time. I’m wondering whether I’ll head more into short stories. Certainly I’m learning about structure and planning! And the tools I need to use are gradually becoming clearer to enable me to write more and more often. It’s a process.
Even if you don’t make to the 50,000 (or 100,000!) mark, you can win a cash prize for just your first line in the unofficial NaNoWriMo Best First Line Contest. There’s no entry fee and nothing to buy. The prizes: –$100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd, $25 for 3rd, and a copy of the book “Your Writing Coach” for seven honorable mentions.
What makes a first line great?
“The most basic thing is that it should make you want to read the second line,” Jurgen Wolff says (he’s the one sponsoring the contest). “If every sentence makes you want to read the next one, you’ll suddenly realize it’s four in the morning and you’ve read the whole book. That’s what every writer hopes will happen with his or her book.”
The first line can be funny, dramatic, scary, or anything else, as long as it’s interesting.
“I’d suggest not starting with the weather unless you have a particularly intriguing way of describing it,” he advises. “Also don’t have your character look into the mirror and describe what he or she looks like. That’s clumsy exposition. Other than that, anything goes.”
Jurgen will create a short list but the top three winners will be chosen by agent Julian Friedmann, of London’s Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, and an editor to be confirmed.
The deadline for entries is midnight Sunday, December 4, 2011 and the winners will be announced on December. 15.
Full details and the entry form are at http://www.NaNoWriMoContest.com.
I’ve gotten a lot of value from your posts, Bob, but this one truly touched me in a personal way. The Pearl Buck quotation alone is pure gold. Thanks so much.
Bob, maybe #2 and #3 need to be combined into simply “Consume stories.” It really doesn’t matter if you’re reading Batman: The Killing Joke or The Iliad, watching The Big Bang Theory or Dexter. Writers need to learn what works, to learn what doesn’t, to understand what works for them may not work for others, and to know that in the end, it doesn’t matter to anyone but themselves.
Bob! I agree with all you have said in this post and agree with others that this is one of your best post yet!
Writer have a gift– or is it a curse– and it comes from within. One can learn all there is to know about technique and style and words and not be a writer. Many have this gift but not all take the time to learn the craft. You do much for us in leading, teaching and showing us the way. Thank you.
NaNoWriMo is more than a contest and yes it’s not for every writer. For many of us the pressure to complete and compete drives us to our best. But what it is really all about is what The Office of Letters and Light does all through the year. They teach and show young writers what to do to turn dreams and daydreams into stories and how to use words. And they do it through the donations they receive.
Can there be anything greater than offering knowledge to children to carry on and make this world a better place?
Thank you, Bob, for saying this in a way that we all understand. Great job!
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I so agree with you about TV being a valued medium–even “dumb” shows like the Real Housewives. Just to sit down and see the drama and know that millions of women (that I want to reach) are transfixed on that drama makes me think, “Okay. How do I get level of melodrama in my stories?” Same with old episodes of Roseanne (pre-lottery). My husband hates me watching that show (especially on Netflix streaming because he feels we pay $7.99 a month to “watch better”), but I tell him that the comic timing and the realistic dialogue that delivers that comedy is pure gold.
As far as writing habits, when I have a project that’s finally nailed down (no more wondering “What exactly is this about?”), I try to do a realistic schedule of 1000 words on work days and 2500 on nonwork days, followed by a week of revision after each Act so that it’s not a horrific mess by the time I read The End. Before I had a child, I liked to write a first draft in three weeks, sometimes writing 40 pages a day. Those days–and that energy level–are now long gone.
Great post. Thanks for taking the time to write them!
Best,
Susan
Television writers can teach us a good deal about tension and cliffhangers, as well as how to redeem a character. How in the world can a character go from being a rapist in jail to being a beloved town mayor? It’s happened in soap operas. That’s the kind of lesson I find invaluable for my writing.
I’ve done NaNoWriMo several times, but I find I’m happier and more focused if I just write every day at my own pace. No word wars, no writing sprints, just sit in my chair and make a regular schedule of writing each day. But I’m a schedule kind of person. It works for me, because I also work full time and I have to make every minute count.
Thanks for your blog posts. They’re informative, inspiring, and thoughtful. I look forward to seeing them in my reader.
Thanks for providing some balance on the subject of word counts and having to “write every day”. Not everybody works this way and there is a real benefit in taking a break (whether it is days or even weeks off) instead of running at a burnout pace all the time.
“Hi, I’m Judith and I am a procrastinator . . .”
Yes that is my biggest writing sin. If I am not writing to some deadline, I tend to put things off. To me, this is where my critique group is the biggest help out there. Knowing that I need to have new words in a line every month pushes me to sit most evenings and at least get 30-60 minutes of writing time.
I find now when watching TV and movies, that I pay much more attention to how they portray motivation and conflict. (If I have to, so do they darn it.) Recent example: on the new Hawaii 5-0. When Kono is “booted off” the force, I knew she was acting undercover due to the lack of reaction of the rest of the team. If those guys thought she was being wrongly accused, they would be jumping on desks all over HPD and barely anything is said about it. Dead up give away as far as I was concerned.
Bob,
This is outstanding advice. I’m not big on daily word counts. I write in creative bursts but I do set a goal of producing a novel each year. Nanowrimo teaches discipline and good habits. I’m at 42300 words with 8 days left. Thanks again for sharing your wisdom.
Thanks for writing this. While I find the word count in NaNo intimidating, I find the deadline appealing, and forces productivity. Not sure how to do one without the other, especially when writing is my 2nd (non-paying at the moment) job. I’m finding the NaNo challenge this year particularly exhausting.
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Personally, I don’t watch a lot of TV and that’s because I’d rather be writing or reading in my spare time, spare time being relative raising 4 children! But when I do watch TV, I like to laugh. And you’re right – there are some great writer’s in that medium. I don’t do NaNoWriMo – I write as much as I can at once. Sometimes life prevents me from writing every day, but I don’t sweat it. I do what I can when I can and don’t give up.
I really wish other writers would share your view point on this and refrain from being nasty when you dare to disagree. Once again, fabulous post!
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As I’ve said many times, there are many paths to Oz. We all have to find our own one, but the more information and options we have, the better.
So I really am a Martian!
Excellent post. I love to study the craft and I sincerely believe that has allowed me to be more creative, to find my artistic voice.
Pearl Buck had it right: “By some strange, unknown, inward urgency, he is not really alive unless he is creating.” I could survive if I didn’t write, but I’d rather live.
Agreed on all points. At the last convention i went to, an author was asked by an audience member what he thought of the ending of the TV show Lost. He hadn’t seen it, and he said, “That’s TV, who cares?” I thought that was unfairly biased and pretentious statement. There’s a lot of crap of TV, but there’s some good stuff too. I think TV in moderation is good and there’s a lot in it that can help a writer.
Love every single point, and that doesn’t often happen, LOL.
Sam
Great post, Bob. I’m one of those who writes in creative bursts. And it *does* make me feel guilty! Believe me, if I could write every single day, I’d do it. Just wrote 8K words yesterday alone.
NanNo has worked wonderfully for me. I am very close to completing my first novel length MS (70k, short novel), and am ecstatic about it. This breaks the streak of the last three unfinished MS, the longest of which was only 15k. In fact, I plan on doing something similar the next novel.
Even more so than NaNo, I attribute my success to my intention to write professionally, full-time, whatever that takes. I’m a newbie that only started writing this year, but I’ve already finished 24 short stories and novelettes. Still working on actually selling any, though
But, because I treat writing as a serious second job, albeit unpaid for now, I’m getting a lot done.
I write in bursts – but having a deadline helps me to gain focus. I agree that any artistic medium that is supported by great writing is valid. I have witnessed some of the best writing I have ever seen in the TV series “Breaking Bad”. Whether you love it, hate it, or the theme isn’t your thing – the writing is phenomenolly woven, intense and engaging. As a novel and short story writer, it inspires me to want to elevate my writing to that level.
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I write in bursts, but I try to schedule time for a burst of writing each day whenever possible. As a fiction writer, I have found watching movies and television shows to be helpful in learning to craft characters and master dialogue and plotting strategies. My husband doesn’t watch many shows with actual “plots,” just a LOT of reality programs. They don’t hold my interest because I need a more traditional approach to storytelling. I wonder if watching the reality programs could inform nonfiction book projects more?
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