This
November I’m participating in NaNo* again, which has given me all sorts of good
material for this month’s IWSG, the biggest one being that I just can’t seem to
write fast. No matter how much I prepare, I crawl along at about 750 words an
hour, and that’s on a good day. Don’t even get me started on when I’m having a
bad one. You’d think after four years in this writing thing I’d pick up the
pace a bit, but I haven’t. Actually, I think I’ve slowed down a little. I use
to write like crazy then go back and spend the next year editing and fixing.
Now I go slower, which for me means a lot less time later on. So I prod on, but
it does make it hard for NaNo when you see yourself falling further and further
behind every day. Are there any other
slow writers out there who feel my pain?
*NaNo
is short for National Writing Month, which happens to be November. If you’re
not involved I highly recommend it. It’s a wonderful accountability tool, not
to mention a lot of fun. You can find out more at http://www.nanowrimo.org
On the plus side, you won't have such a mess when you finish.
ReplyDeleteI think 750 is pretty good. Yep, I'm a snail speed writer. But the speed isn't important. Writing isn't a race - thank heavens!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be a fast writer as well but it just doesn't happen that way for me.
ReplyDeleteI write slowly as well, which I think is part of the reason why I've never won NaNo. I decided not to do it this year because I'm sure I won't finish again. Good luck with yours!
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy with that many words an hour! On a good day, I can do 350, tops. I'm a slow writer and that's all there is to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to miss out on the camaraderie, but the idea of NaNo makes me break out in hives. Doesn't fit my process and is discouraging rather than encouraging. I keep thinking there ought to be a NaNo alternative developed for folks like us whose process is slower. Slow writers, unite! :-)
ReplyDeleteEach year I follow the NaNo writers and wonder how in the world they manage to do this. I know I won't participate, but I admire those who do. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou call that crawling? lol That's great in my opinion! ;)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo!!!!
S.K. Anthony: My Writing Quirks—IWSG (16)
I've never done NaNo, but I would love to try it one year. Good luck to you with your WIP!
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow writer too, and not a plotter. I doubt I'd succeed at NaNo if I tried it. Good luck Melanie.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a successful NaNo!
ReplyDeleteYou still write a lot more quickly than I do. And in my case, most of those 750 words would be thrown out anyway. That's one reason why I only tried NaNo once. Good luck with your story.
ReplyDelete750 an hour seems pretty fast to me. I think writing well at you own pace is more important than speed.
ReplyDelete750 words an hour is a good rate, although it may not get you to where you want to be during NaNo. I also have a tendency to write my first draft really fast, because I don't want to lose momentum. But you're right, a little time taken in the beginning will be a lot of time saved later.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck with NaNoWriMo!
This is my first NaNo and I'm loving it. Although it's great to try and keep up with the pace to meet the goal, I think getting anything accomplished and getting yourself to write every day is still super progress. I'm not quite meeting my daily goals, but it's still amazing to me how quickly the work grows. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I am beyond slow when it comes to writing ;-)
ReplyDelete