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| Trevor Rickard [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons |
That is not my subtle way of saying I have writer's block. I don't. In fact, I have plenty I want to clack out on the computer and finish up this WIP. The goal was to have the draft done by the end of September. I'm not sure that's going to happen. Exhaustion is high in this part of the world, if you hadn't gathered that by Monday's post with the same name. It's the two with illnesses—of which The Girl has strep throat and croup—and exercise and other obligations.
Anyway, the spirit is willing, as is the brain, but my eyes are tired.
I am reminded of a conversation I had during NaNo last year. I read a blog post on NaNo Day 8 where the guy had already written 80K+ and taken the first draft to completion. I asked for an explanation, thinking it highly improbable. His explanation, while condescending, made sense.
Coming up with an idea and outlining prior to November is allowed. Okay, I get that. Hit the ground running and all that. By his count, he averaged 700–750 words per hour over the course of 8 days. And that's where I understood his math.
See, I could, perhaps, write for 14 hours a day if I didn't have a job and wife and kids and a myriad of other things.
Do you think you could you write at that rate (or about) for 8–10 days if you were in his position?
If you're more in my position, would you really want to give up what you have for that kind of lonely time? Because as much as all the illness and commitments drive me to the edge of crazy or exhaustion, and sometimes both at the same time, I'll keep it, thank you very much.
Word to the Nerd
21 comments:
I write about 500 words a day but could, if I didn't have to work, easily write three times that.
But for how long? :-)
Pearl
p.s. Love the title of this one.
If I didn't mind not paying rent or having human interaction at all, then sure, I could keep up that kind of pace. Though the last couple of chapters would also be the ramblings of an insane person as my brain would scramble spending that much time each day in a fictional land of my own creation.
I TOTALLY think I could write 8-10 hours a day without everything... it's crazy what happens when I even have 30 min of silence... I get more done in that half hour than I do all day...
You have small children. I can't even imagine what it would have been like to try to be a writer back when my kids were little.
I don't know about 14 hours. 10, sure (for me, anyway), but then it would be great to do nothing but write all day. :)
Way to put it all in perspective! Good for you for plugging away, and I hope the little ones feel better soon! No fun when our kiddos are sick.
I think I would go a little crazy trying to live in my head for that long everyday. I prefer to write in sprints split up over the course of the day. It's the only way I can get things done. And that picture is awesome!
Maybe I could write like that if I didn't have any of those distractions called life...but then I wonder if I'd have anything interesting to write about.
I think six hours is my limit and I'm at 350 words per minute at best.
I know someone who beat NaNo in less than five days. She said she types ninety words a minute and worked on it all day. I can't even imagine...
well if those are "little" messages :P
I would go absolutely mental if I wrote that much. When Branden gets really going on his PhD work, he can put in a lot of hours but I make sure he breaks it up and does other little, insignificant things to keep him sane and his mind fresh. I think it helps him from hitting the wall.
It would be wonderful to have that much time to write, but I also think it would be too much writing. Although it's hard to write while I have my job, it's nice to have the break, and I get a lot of thinking time at work, and therefore a lot of ideas come to me then.
Back to correct my typo - 350 words per HOUR. I'd need clones to do 350 words per minute...
Hey Joshua! I'm hoping to dedicate a few months to doing this in the near future, so I'll let you know. Tho in my cse I'll be adapting and reworking existing material into a broader narrative. So, cheating. Yeah. Roth
It's a very romantic thought... isn't it? Part of me is very interested in what writing for 14 hours straight would feel like.
No. I might be able to manage that rate for a couple of days, but I expect I'd go insane if I devoted all my time to writing for longer than that.
I just had this conversation tonight about 15 minutes ago.
As crazy as my life is right now, I'm happier than I've ever been. Even if I'm really cranky and yelling at everyone.
I'd have to completely clear my schedule for November (no reading, no blogging, no nothing) in order to get NaNo done. I don't know if I could do that. I'm going to work on a 3k word short story piece for a contest instead, so it'l ease me in :)
Jamie @ Mithril Wisdom
There is NO WAY that I could write at that pace. I couldn't even write at a slug's pace for that much time per day. Having a life is good, my friend, so don't you dare feel bad that you have one. :-)
Hey! I've been meaning to ask you, will you be picking up JK Rowling's new book today? *can't wait!*
I call bullshit on that guy. Writing for any long period of time, whether you love it or not, WIPES A BODY OUT.
So unless he was the superhero of writing, I think he lied.
Just me though. Not sure why that made me so angry either haha!
:)
I have lots of time, but I can't write for hours on end. It's emotionally draining and my eyes give out.
Love,
Janie
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