Have you ever been in the middle of a writing project that took all you had and you don't mind, because it's all you can think about? Well that's what my life has been like lately. If I'm not working on my book, I'm thinking about it, and if I'm not thinking about it, I'm wishing I had more time in my day to think about it. Most books take me about a year to write, Blackbird was the exception; I finished that in about four months, but the book I'm working on right now, Erron, looks like it will be done in the middle of August. That's three months, start to finish. If you know me personally, you know how unbelievable that is. And I think I've figured out the reason. Ever since I can remember, I've imagined stories in my head. Most of them start from a dream that I want to finish, not all, but most do, but all are extremely personal and extremely emotionally charging for me. I've lost days on end finishing these stories in my mind, but I've never written any of them. They're just too personal. They were mine and mine alone. But after having published four books, I must've gotten over that, because for the first time I started jotting one of them down. And the difference is palpable. Not that I'm not or wasn't emotionally attached to my other books, I am. But this feels different and I think that difference is what's speeding up the process.
How about you--has any of your books been 'easier' to write than the others? And if your not a writer--what draws you in with a book--what is that difference for you?
Glad your current one has moved along so quickly. I think my second and third books were the easiest to write. Definitely not my current one though!
ReplyDeleteI usually spend time thinking about a book and jotting down notes before I start it. The more things I jot down the faster it goes. Your post and mine could be hand in hand today.
ReplyDeleteMy non-fiction books too just a couple months, but my fiction took much longer. Once I get my butt in gear, the non-fiction just flows.
ReplyDelete4 months . . . three months? You're a writing warrior. I wish I could complete a book in that amount of time, but no matter how sucked in I am, no matter how much I think about it and work on it, it takes close to a year to finish.
ReplyDeleteMost of my story ideas come from dreams, too.
I do this ALL the time. I find myself thinking about pieces of a potential book while I'm driving. Totally helpful. No way to write it down. I get my best ideas in traffic jams. :)
ReplyDeleteExcited to hear that you have another novel in the works. Three months is terribly impressive. Well done!!
Wow, I'm impressed that you're able to get the books done in that time frame; I'm a slower writer, though I wish I could write faster. I wish I had more time too; I would much rather write fiction than grade papers, though I guess I'm not supposed to say that.
ReplyDeleteExperience has been the biggest boon to my writing. My most recent book came along faster than any of the prior ones because I had done it so much that I knew my process and got around my own shortcomings more often. Self-knowledge is huge in my process.
ReplyDeleteBut also, writing lighthearted scenes and banter between people who love each other goes much easier for me, because it's a mental space I like being in. Action scenes are also coming along easier and easier these days as I figure out more of the structure of success and get more comfortable with including ridiculous perils.
I take awhile to write a whole book, but it used to take me longer. From two years down to around 8 months these days. That would be incredible to experience such a flourish, though.
ReplyDelete