In Defense of the Slower Writer by Misa Buckley

I've been reading a lot lately about how some writers have managed to increase their daily word count, including this article by Rachel Aaron. While I'm definitely not going to negate such achievements, I'm aware that reading articles like this can depress slower writers. I know that because I'm a slower writer and it depressed me.

Some people can take the things that writers like Ms Aaron talks about and make them work. Some try and find it doesn't work. What I want to say is that this is okay too. Writing slowly is still writing. It might take longer to reach your destination, but you get to see more of the scenery that way.

I tend to write between 2 and 3 thousand words a day. Most of the time I only have the vaguest idea of what I'm going to write, though some times I will have a scene in my head. And yes, the latter situation does equal more words. Like I said, I'm not negating that writers can learn to produce more words, but rather whether they should.

Now I suppose you're expecting a lecture on how, if one is writing 10K in five hours, that the writing is going to be garbage. Well, maybe it is. But then again, maybe my 2K over a day is also garbage. First drafts tend to be full of errors, adjectives and clumsy word choices. That doesn't matter. What does matter is getting the story written - worry about how good it is in the edit.

So what is the problem with writing large word counts then? In a word, burnout.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an attack of the muse and managed two 5K days followed by a 4K one. But the following day I was exhausted, physically and mentally. I couldn't write. I could barely even read. My problem was I'd done the mental equivalent of going from a gentle stroll to running 400 metres. I wasn't mentally fit enough, and so suffered a mental strain.

After that happened, I reread that article. I thought about writing 10K a day. And I wondered why on Earth I wanted to put myself through all that effort. What was the point? At 2K a day, I can write a 30K novella in 15 days. In 10 if I'm writing 3K a day. That's not too shabby, is it? Giving wriggle room for Real Life to butt in as it tends to, I can have a story written and edited in a month. If I did that every month, I'd end up with twelve novellas by the end of the year.

I won't, because I let myself get distracted. That's my problem to sort out and the subject of a different post. What I want to address is how YOU come to terms with being a slow writer.

Well first off, the number of words you produce matters a whole lot less than producing them consistently. If you can write even 500 words a day, that's 500 a day more than if you sit wringing your hands about not being able to write 5k. Use something like 750words to get into the habit of writing, but don't feel too bad if you don't get it straight away. To quote the advert of a certain supermarket chain - every little helps. It all adds up.

Start small and build up. Find your pace. If it's slow, don't worry. Just keep writing. Comparing yourself to other writers is the worst thing you can do, because we never compare ourselves favourably. We take the most perfect example we can find and of course were going to fall short of that "perfection". Don't worry about what others are doing but concentrate on what you are achieving.

Look at why you write slowly. Some things can be taken out of the equation like a lack of preparedness or letting the internet distract you. Getting out of the habit of checking Twitter is my bone of contention. Deciding on a set number of words before I allow myself back online helps. If you can't bring yourself to turn off the modem, try Write or Die in a few blocks a day. Or turn Twitter to your advantage and search the #1K1hr hashtag. A little word war is great for getting words on the page.

But you can only eliminate the regular distractions. That's life and you have to deal with that in between getting writing done. That's the same for everyone, whether they're writing 1k a day or 10K. You'll get frustrated by those things, at your lack of progress, at seeing other writers publishing book after book. Fine, feel frustrated - Lord knows that I do. But what I try not to do is let that frustration lock me up. I don't always succeed and some days I do give up. Some days I need to walk away and do something else.

It never lasts, though. The words call me back and I start over. Again, if you do that then don't worry about the time lost, because it wasn't. Whether you recognised it or not, you needed a break. Don't allow guilt to creep in. Slow and steady can win the race, but only if you stay in it. Keep writing. Don't stop until you hit The End, no matter how long that takes, and then reward yourself for finishing.

For me, right now, I'm happy being a Slow Writer. My pace is comfortable and I'm getting stories done. What you need to decide if whether the slow road suits or if you want to write quicker. There's certainly no harm in trying that. There's no harm in failing, either. The slow road reaches the same destination as the fast one, but just takes longer. I'm here to assure you that's not a bad thing, just different.