Dispelling Some Myths About Writing Speeds
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| Original Image by Andrew Czap |
Camp NaNoWriMo is an amazing time of year. Writers from
around the world form groups to support each other as they write their novels.
Having a virtual cabin full of people to cheer your on is one of the most motivating
things ever. But at the same time, sharing a cabin with someone who reaches
fifty thousand words on the second day can be less than fun. In the years I’ve
been doing Camp NaNo, I’ve been the quick writer, and I’ve also been the
envious slow writer wishing I could churn out more words. Today I’d like to
dispel a few of the myths surrounding writing speeds by sharing some of the truths I've learned.
Speed Does Not Make
You a Better Writer
It’s just a fact. Just because a person can write a million
words in a month, doesn’t mean that their million words are better than your ten
thousand. Their million words might well be amazing prose that is pretty much
ready for publication. But it’s far more likely that their first draft is just
as bad as yours. The truth is, no matter how fast you type, everyone’s first
drafts are bad. And in some cases, though not all, writing faster actually
means that you have less time to think about the quality of your writing. But just
because someone can churn out thousands of words an hour doesn’t mean that
their ideas are better than yours, or that characters are more real, or their
books more interesting. Writing speed is merely a measure of how fast a person
can type words onto a screen. Nothing more, nothing less.
People Who Write Slow
Are Not Bad Writers
Just because you might struggle to write one hundred words
in twenty minutes doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. Are you working on your
book? Are you dedicating time to writing? Are you striving to write better? If
so, then you are a good writer. A good writer works on their book, it’s as
simple as that. It doesn’t matter how fast you write, as long as you are
writing. Don’t measure your worth as a writer by how quickly you write.
People Who Write Fast
Don’t Cheat
I hate to say it, but sometimes, people who write quickly
are accused of cheating. If you’ve been accused of this, then I’m sorry. I
really am. People who write fifty thousand words in a day don’t always cheat.
There are writers out there who dedicate hours and hours of their time to
writing, and who set themselves a goal to hit. It’s not impossible to write
lots of words in a day. It’s just hard work.
All Writers Have Bad
Days
Whether you write quickly or slowly, all writers have bad
days. The amount of progress you make doesn’t always reflect how difficult it
was to actually write those words. You might have written a load of words, but
every word felt like you were cutting it into your own skin. Writing can be
hard work, no matter what your typing speed is.
Every Writer, No
Matter What Their Writing Speed, Is Amazing
Are you doing Camp NaNoWriMo? You’re amazing. No? You’re
still amazing. Whether you can write five thousand words in an hour or five
hundred, you are still awesome. Your typing speed doesn’t dictate how good a
writer you are. Typing speed is just a number. What matters is that you pour
your heart and soul into writing the stories that mean something to you, and
that you are willing to work to become better at your craft. That is what makes
you a good writer, not some arbitrary number that indicates how many characters
you can dump on a page.
What myths about
writing speeds do you wish people would understand? Do you consider yourself a
fast or a slow writer?
Also, don’t forget, my blogoversary giveaway is still
running. Hop over and enter for your chance to win a full manuscript critique,
a 10 page critique or a custom blog header like mine! More details are
available HERE.
18 comments
YES. OMG YES.
ReplyDeletepersonally, I'm the " i could ride a bike while typing" person. i'm very familiar with my keyboard, which says a lot about how much time I spend on my computer... whoops. I don't think typing speed matters... AT ALL. There are some authors who don't even use the computer because of preference. So be it. What makes an author are the WORDS not the time it takes for them to come out.
Exactly right! I'm on the faster end of the typing spectrum myself, but I've always told my slower typing friends that just because I type faster doesn't mean that the words coming out are any better than theirs. It just means I'm really good at pressing buttons quickly.
DeleteI consider myself a slow writer. During NaNoWriMo if I somehow manage to pull of a NOW I write, at the most, 4,000. It may seem like a lot, but for a 50,000 word novel that's only a tiny chunk. Plus, since I write on a notebook (rather than a computer directly, which takes away my writing vibe) it takes me twice as long.
ReplyDeletexoxo Morning
The good thing though, is that you understand how to find your writing vibe, and that you do write. And really, all that matters is that you write. Thanks for stopping by Morning!
DeleteThis is a great post. I think one of the things that lead to misconceptions about writing speed is that it's the easiest quantifier of the writing process, and it's much easier to say "I'll learn to write 50K a day" instead of "I'll write a good book no matter how long or short it takes".
ReplyDeleteBesides, writing speed is not very important when you end up deleting most of what you wrote in revisions XD
You are totally right Alyssa. It's so easy to measure progress by the amount of words a person has written. It's like saying "I'll write 1k a day, no matter what." Which is an admirable resolution. But if the words are any old rubbish, then that 1k isn't going to do you any good. Exactly. When the editing is over, how many of those original words are left? Thanks for your thoughts Alyssa. They've provoked an interesting train of thought for me.
DeleteYou have no idea how much I needed this post right now. :P I'm a slow writer, and it's hard for me to focus on doing my best and writing a good story, not on getting the words down as fast as everyone else seems to. Thanks for the amazing post!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this post found you at the right moment Gemma. It's very hard to focus on 'running your own race' isn't it? Keep putting one word after another. You're doing amazing work, no matter what your writing speed.
DeleteI have to agree with Gemma on this, this post came at the perfect time. *looks at Aimee and her 75k*
ReplyDeleteI'm only doing 10k and to be perfectly honest I'm only barely hitting 4k of my meager 10k goal. This is a good reminder that word count doesn't really matter that much. Thanks for posting!
I'm glad this post came at the right time for you Micah. Considering were not even halfway through the month yet, to be so lose to half your goal is actually amazing. Congratulations on doing so well!
DeleteSurprisingly, Camp NaNo has been going fairly quick for me and I already have 22k down. However, school has picked up again so I expect writing to go pretty slow now. I definitely agree that writing speed does not directly correlate with writing quality. Someone that writes quickly may be both a fast typer and detailed plotter, but just because they write fast does not mean their writing is horrible. Similarly, someone that writes slowly does not necessarily have poor writing quality. Quality is just completely independent of speed.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Ana. It's a sad truth that a lot of people don't seem to understand, especially in NaNo circles though. Congratulations on your amazing start to Camp NaNo. Hopefully you'll be able to find enough time to carry on for an awesome win. I'm sure you'll do great!
DeleteThanks for this! I'm a very slow writer. It can be frustrating sometimes when 30 minutes had gone by and I've written, like, 200 words. That's probably why I'm not the best conversationalist. I need time to form coherent sentences, haha!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your frustration. At one point I was only able to type using one hand and it was so frustrating being so slow. But at the same time, there is an advantage to considering the sentences before typing them. The quality of the writing often turns out so much better.
DeleteI really enjoyed this post! I used to write /incredibly/ slowly. Fortunately, my speed has improved the more I've written. I definitely agree that it's the content, not the speed, that determines the quality of writing.
ReplyDeletePractice really does help when it comes to writing speed, doesn't it? There comes a time when the speed doesn't help, I have to say. At one point I was writing flat out and when I read back what I had written, I honestly couldn't see where I'd been going with anything. Sometimes it's good to slow down and think about the content.
DeleteThis is hugely, hugely true. HUGELY TRUE. I think I don't necessarily feel it in the speed speed of my writing—I can write pretty fast when I put my mind to it. What the problem is, though, is that it's incredibly hard for me to finish drafts because the speed of my ideas doesn't come at the same speed as everyone else. Knowing that my own writing brand doesn't make me better or worse than other writers is greatly encouraging. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI think most people wonder about the speed their ideas come at one point or another. I know I often wonder about myself as a writer when I hear all the amazingly creative ideas that other people are writing and my book looks so bland and boring in comparison. But it really is all about how you and your writing brand work. The hard part I think, is not so much knowing how you work, but not comparing how you work unfavourably against how everyone else works. It can be difficult sometimes, can't it?
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