First, let me thank all of my new blogger friends who have found me even after just one day of being on-line! I’ve tried to say hi and thanks to you all — have I done it correctly? Under your comments I posted again on my own site, but if I should have responded by posting on yours, do let me know. I’m still a novice — or am I a “tyro” (there’s a word I haven’t used, maybe, ever)? But, in any event, hello to all and thanks!
But now for the task at hand. Every Sunday in some paper or other there’s some writer talking about his/her daily routine, and inevitably they make themselves sound like modern day Trollopes: up at 5, sitting at the desk after a quick bowl of porridge at 5.20, writing away for three hours that go by in a flash, and producing 7/8000 words a day. Now, I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that I work pretty hard at this writing business and have managed to complete quite a bit of work between raising kids, doing laundry, ignoring housework etc etc. But come on! Does anybody really do all that writing all at once, and seven days a week? This morning for example, after getting everyone out of the house, doing some reading, emails, shower etc etc, I was at my desk and writing my new novel for about 2 hours, producing about 7o0 words. It looked like a lot; it felt like a lot. But it doesn’t sound like a lot. So, I ask you: is it enough?
Of course, if someone else was asking me the question, I know my response would be, “Of course it’s enough, silly. There’s a natural rhythm of these things, and if you feel like your session is compete, then it is so.” I am so wise, aren’t I? Then why can’t I take my own advice? And what about those days when I haven’t written anything at all, but I’ve researched and read and ruminated? Shouldn’t they count, too? When is enough enough?
Crumbs, this is sooo reassuring… I thought it was just me who thought mangling out 700 – 1000 words is quite an achievement.
I read that Lisa Jewell rattled out a zillion words or so each morning, plus an extra 1000 if her baby had a nap in the afternoon. Gawd. Scary.
(Yes, found you via Caroline. Yes, you’re doing it right!)
Phew – 700 is alot to me too.
Of course it would be nice to have a routine set in stone with great big blocks of scheduled time but for me that just doesn’t happen. Some days it’s more, some days it’s way less, some days zilch. And yes, I think ruminating does count. Rumination is essential in fact:-)
700 is a LOT.
In an ideal week – once a month – I aim for two hours in which I try and write between 500 – 1000.
If I had done this faithfully, I would have written my novel in six months instead of three years but next time…
They (although I am not quite sure who ‘they’ are in this context) reckon that 1,000 words is as much as can be expected from a professional writer (or amateur?) in one day.
Occasionally, I have write 3,000-words in three hours, but I can count such occasions on one hand. Mostly I fail to reach the thousand.
I’ve heard the Lisa Jewell anecdote before, and can’t help wondering what kind of domestic assistance she receives!
IMHO enough is when you are happy with what you have written, Sue. It doesn’t matter how many words or pages or chapters. YOU have to feel satisfied with what you have created. Needless to say you will tear it apart when you start revising, but for now: it’s like making love … somewhat 🙂
700 is fantastic. I know Stephen King writes a squillion but he has a wife. Also he even writes on Christmas day – ‘perfection of the life or of the work’ but that’s ridiculous. I write about 500-1000 most days but some days nothing I call those days ‘composting’
Im afraid that I tend to concentrate on quality rather than quantity. I am usually happy with 300+ words at any session. My problem at the moment is finding time to fit in enough writing.