04 Aug 2007, Posted by Cat in News, 3 Comments. Tagged writing
The challenge: day 2 score
OK, clocking in at 3053 words today plus two hours of thoughtful plotting. I realised I’d written my protagonist into a ridiculous corner where the only way she could get from A to B was by making really stupid choices. I think I’ve solved it, but it required a good hard THINK on my part. So yeah, I might have written more, but I’m still on schedule so no worries.
My poor little eyes are hanging out on stalks though. It is way possible to write 10K in 3 days… but I’m not sure its all that healthy.
3 Comments
August 4, 2007 12:04 pm
karenmiller
Keep up the good work!
August 4, 2007 1:16 pm
chrisbarnes
Bravo! 10K in 3 days is a great effort.
However – and I’m not belittling your work here – I can’t help thinking of this anecdote from “Some Of My Best Friends Are Writers, But I Wouldn’t Want My Daughter To Marry One!” by Robert Turner (yes, it’s a real book, published in 1970; he was a pulp writer in the 40s, 50s and 60s).
He was broke, it was just before Christmas, no money for Xmas presents for the wife and kids. So in desperation he wrote two 10,000 word novelettes in 24 hours. On a typewriter. One was a crime story, the other a baseball story. (He sold both in time to get Xmas money.)
He says: “I am not bragging about this. It was tremendously exhausting, and I’d been stupid to let myself get into a financial spot where it was necessary. Looking back at it, I’m a little awed. I don’t believe I could do it today. Perhaps the point is that there is little that is impossible in the writing profession, once you have learned it.”
August 04 2007 21:40 pm
Cat @
Perhaps the point is that there is little that is impossible in the writing profession, once you have learned it
I utterly agree. I remember a few years back when I thought 500 words was a big achievement. And it is, if you're a poet. But for the sort of stuff I'm writing, 3k in a day shouldn't be such a big deal. I know Ian Irvine routinely writes 4k a day. I've learned how to let the internal editor go, and just spew forth the raw stuff.
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