Is There a Wrong Pace for Writing? | Dear Writer # 16
101 Writer Questions Answered!
How much do you usually manage to write in a day?
I'm wondering because I tend to write in short sessions and I'm wondering if that means I enjoy writing less than someone who can write thousands of words per day.
I tend to write a few paragraphs at a time. It also depends on how inspired I'm feeling at the particular moment. I tend to write what I can and then let it sit for awhile until I figured it where to take the story next.
Dear Writer,
Implicit in your question is a broader appeal to the matter of "art vs. craft;" the inspiration or native interest a person feels for a given activity vs. the time and energy they've devoted toward growing in technical mastery of that activity.
Bob Ross said, "Talent is interest applied. Whatever you're willing to practice, you can do."
Craft comes from inspiration. You care to craft because you were inspired in the first place, but unrefined talent will only carry a person so far. No novel has been published on raw talent alone, because sometimes work must be done regardless of interest.
This is a common discussion amongst authors and other artists alike.
It’s often said that the arts can’t be taught, only learned.
John Gardner said novel writing is about "catching on." George R. R. Martin once asked Stephen King how he could write so many books. Martin evidently hadn't read On Writing, because King said in that book that he writes two-thousand words per day every day, which he essentially repeated when asked by Martin.
It's the difference between behaving like an artist and behaving like a professional artist. Jack London said that if you want to find inspiration, go after it with a club.
This is a matter of mentality. For me, the question is whether or not I'm satisfied with my current output given the broader context of what’s going on in my life. We should all think along these lines and cut ourselves a break when life is hard and push ourselves hard when life is giving us a break.
On to your specific questions—
"Is there a wrong pace for writing?"
That depends on your goals and on what you're writing. I assume you're asking about short stories or novel-length prose works, not a school paper.
While there’s probably some correlation between writing frequency and writing enjoyment, it's not quantifiable, and volume doesn't necessarily correlate to enjoyment.
I reckon there are plenty of people working as professional writers in marketing, copywriting, or technical writing who write voluminously and don't enjoy their jobs.
On the other hand, a retiree who composes one poem per week may take immense joy from doing so. Does Stephen King like writing? He must, because he's one of the wealthiest authors in the world and never needs to write again, yet he continues to do so.
How much do I write in a day? When I worked as a copywriter and editor, lots. For novel writing, it depends. I've found that having a sense of focus and direction helps me connect the narrative dots better. But I’m also ruled by "the tyranny of the new," which is a great habit for short story writers but a bad one for novelists.
When I first started novel writing I wrote whenever I was in my room, but I also was unmarried and in school. The frequency and density of your writing will change as your life does. Cut yourself some slack.
Best,
DRM
DANIEL RODRIGUES-MARTIN is the author of books, articles, essays, poems, reviews, and countless rants since 2004. His debut novel, GODDESS FROM THE MACHINE, earned a Kirkus Star and is available from most major carriers.