Hello! This is the latest in a series about common writing anxieties — because I want people to worry less and enjoy writing more! I’ve been meaning to write about this topic for a while, because it comes up a lot.
If you’re a writer, it’s easy to feel like everyone can write faster than you.
Your friend may have hit his 50,000 word goal on Nov. 20 during National Novel Writing Month, while you barely made it to 20,000 and gave up…just like you did the year before and the year before that.
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In your Facebook writing group, you may know a writer who self-publishes a novel every six months…or every month.
You may come across the first draft of your work in progress…dated four years ago.
Things like this can make you ask yourself, “How can I write faster?” “How do I know if I’m creative?” “What if I’m not cut out for writing?”
Let’s look at this from a few different angles.
There are a lot of reasons why other people may write faster than you can.
They may have less complicated lives.
I used to always compare myself to people who didn’t have day jobs. That was lunacy. You can write a novel when you have a day job, but it does take longer!
If you have children at home, or you’re a caregiver, writing gets all the more difficult. Acknowledge the challenges you face. Give yourself a break.
They may have less complicated stories.
If someone else is writing contemporary romance and you’re writing science fiction or historical fiction, for instance, you’re spending a lot more time than they are on research and working out the details of your story’s setting.
They may be more experienced.
Some people who have written a lot of novels find that it gets easier and easier, which only makes sense.
Honestly? Some may be using ghostwriters.
Some people who approach self-publishing as a business use ghostwriters to crank out a lot of material. It’s good to know this so you don’t set unrealistic standards for yourself and get discouraged as a result.
Finally, keep in mind that it’s more typical to take a long time to write something. Naturally, the fast writers talk more about their pace than the slower writers do. That can give us the false impression that fast writing is the norm. It isn’t.
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I’m a big believer in the saying “Comparison is the thief of joy.” In fact, comparison is poisonous to creativity.
You’re not competing with anyone. They can’t take your rewards from you.
There are probably ways you could write faster.
If you want to pick up the pace, I’d recommend trying any of the following:
Limit your TV, internet, or videogaming time.
If any of these are a time suck for you, limit it to an hour–or heck, two hours–a day. Set a timer. You can even use a website blocker to block the internet while you’re working.
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Set goals and deadlines.
Plan to finish a draft of a novel by the end of the year, or a draft of your short story by the end of the month.
Don’t rewrite so much.
There’s no point in making every sentence perfect early on in your story (or screenplay, or whatever). After you have a complete draft, you may change some of the material in the beginning, anyway.
Change your beliefs about your writing.
If you procrastinate a lot, you might also examine your subconscious attitudes and feelings toward your writing. If part of you is always thinking, “I’ll never be good enough,” “I’ll never get published,” or “this will never be worth the time,” you’re fighting yourself. Change those thoughts to, “I enjoy writing” and “time spent being creative is always time well-spent,” and you’ll have more success.
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Celebrate your progress, no matter the pace.
As long as you’re learning and creating, you should feel good about that. You’re on your own path, and your own rewards are waiting for you.
Have you ever worried about writing too slowly, or are you a speed demon? Have you learned ways to write faster, or ways to get out of the mindset of comparing yourself to others? Let us know in the comments!
And no matter how busy you are, you can plot, write, and edit a novel—and get to a shiny, polished final version—with my book Blank Page to Final Draft. Check it out!
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Thank you! I’m 1-1/2 years into my first WIP. I understand I’m a slower writer, but I also know that when an idea hits me I can write with the best of them.
Great comment! You can be a slower writer and be a really inspired writer.
I’m almost finished with a third revision of a novel I started 11 years ago. My writing was interrupted by a long and serious illness. After recovery, I got back to writing but it took a bit for me to start working pthe novel again.
I don’t worry about being slow to get this novel finished. Along the way, I picked up tidbits of life to incorporate into my characters. I think my work is stronger now than it would have been 11years ago. At that time, I only thought about the one novel. Now, I realize it is the first in a series and have the second one started. I have notes and beginning outlines for the other two. I feel these will go faster, since I have the foundation already set and characters introduced in the first one. Slow or fast, completion is the key.
I’m so sorry to hear that you went through such a serious illness–and so glad to hear of your recovery. I absolutely think stories can get richer and stronger sometimes with time. It’s great that you can think more now in therms of series and the big picture. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for this post! I’ve learned that I’m an editorial writer. I work best if I take the time to go over what I’ve written the day before, tweak, polish a bit, before moving on. So my first drafts take a long time but on the plus side, I can celebrate that when I type ‘the end’ it’s not a steaming pile of mess!
And also, thank you for pointing out that there is a difference between writing contemporary vs sci-fi/fantasy. At RWA this year I met many women who can churn out a book every month or two and it blew my mind. But after reading this post, I realized that they are writing contemporary romance. Whew! I’m done comparing!
My last book was my first contemporary, and it really did go more quickly than my paranormal romances or the first book I wrote, which was a Victorian romance. And it sounds like you have a process that really works for you! Thanks for commenting!
I still find that so interesting, the genre writing difference. You’ve got a great range of skills! Contemporary, paranormal and historical!
Ha, thanks Alexia, I never really thought about that! I’ve written children’s books, too (under my real name. 🙂 )
Thank you for this information. I’ve been in awe at the speed which some authors chug out books, and I’ve wondered why I can’t do the same. Now I can just relax and write at my own pace without feeling guilty. Since typing “The End,” to my own book, I can invest my time in the editing process and getting my second book underway.
Hi, June! Absolutely. They’re your stories and you can write and edit them at your pace! Good luck on all of your projects!
I really enjoyed this blog post about a writer’s pace. As a new mom, I write way slower that I want to due to limited time and fatigue. This article made me feel better and has some good tips. Thanks!
Hey, thanks for stopping by, and I’m so glad you liked it! I think being a new mom must be exhausting at times. Getting any writing done is a triumph, in my opinion. 🙂
Very good of you to point these things out. Indeed, some stories are more difficult and take more time. Writing about my 35th century relationship with my alien slime mold neighbor who turns to dust when the weather becomes dry, and making it believable, warm, fun, romantic (?) is more difficult than my wife writing about family get togethers. My characters also pester me in my sleep if I don’t do them justice, and I have to rewrite their scenes ;~)
That sounds like an interesting project! And I do think it would take a lot of time to get it right. I know what you mean about characters pestering you in your sleep. 🙂 Good luck on the story!
Thank you. I acknowledge that I write slow. There is a lot going on in my life to where I can’t get to my computer and bust out so many words a session. I fall into the trap of comparing myself to others in terms of speed.
I’m working on being okay with my progress. I’m working on getting rid this nagging feeling of comparing myself to others. It’s a trap meant to get you to stop writing and doubt yourself. I remind myself that everyone’s journey is different; that everyone’s goals are different. I’m working on wrapping my head around the concept.
Hi George! You’re totally right…those comparisons really can be a trap. I like the way you put that!
This is such a needed post for me. I’m such a slow writer. I have days where I can churn out 1,000 words easily, but that’s few and far between. I always thought it was a muse/inspiration issue, which it very well could be, but also I’m writing stories that involve research (or I’m being nitpicky about details that really don’t matter to the reader, but matter to me). It’s hard for me to not look down on myself for writing so slowly, when I know others can churn out stories one right after another. I just need to learn that it’s alright to take 5+ years to write a story because life happens and that everyone writes at differing paces.
Hi Leah! Yeah, when stories take a lot of research, that can make things slow. I really think it’s worth it to get the details right! Life does happen and sometimes gets in the way, and it’s totally fine to take time on a story.
I FIND THAT I CAN GO A WEEK AND GET NOTHING AND THEN WAKE IN THE EARLY HOURS AND HAVE ALL OF THE THEME AND EVEN THE NAMES OF THE CAST, I STRUGGLE TO WRITE IT ALL DOWN, TRY GOING TO BED EARLIER BRYN OR JUST LYING IN A DARK ROOM AND THIK OF SLOWLY DRIFTING CLOUDS, CHINA
Hi China! Yeah, I go through creative and not-so-creative periods, too…and early morning hours can be great for inspiration! Thanks for commenting!
Hi Bryn,
Thanks for this! I’m in editing mode and had a teary talk with my spouse last night about being a shitty writer, etc etc and why did I have to edit when I really just want to write, etc etc. I’m not writing, I’m just editing, etc etc.
I’m a rookie! yoshimi miyazaki
Oh Yoshimi, sorry to hear you were feeling down! Editing is actually my favorite part — and I consider it part of writing! It’s where you really make it great. But I know what it’s like to get frustrated, too!
It didn’t bother me one bit to take three weeks short of three years to write my first novel: I wrote what I wanted to write, when I wanted to write it; eventually all the plot holes zipped themselves shut, and I never suffered from writer’s block. Another reason it took so long is that I had to do cultural immersion research, and some of what I needed to know about one character’s background didn’t even make it into the news in that country until very late in the writing of the novel: before that happened, I’d had no idea why that character acted the way he did, but after that story broke, everything fell into place.
Your mission, for people to “worry less and enjoy writing more!” resonates with me, because in the more than fifty preceding years of my life, I’d never had so much fun as I did writing that first novel. It’s taking me a whole lot longer to write the second one (like another person who commented, a couple of years of serious illness intervened), but I’m enjoying the research and jotting down those bits and pieces of the story that are coming to me. It’ll happen, all in its own good time.
Hi, Christine! It sounds like writing this book was a wonderful experience. Yeah, cultural research can take a long time, and I think it’s so important. Isn’t it something when you get a sudden insight into one of your own characters? Sorry to hear about the experience with a serious illness, and I hope you are doing well now! Thanks for commenting!
This is EXACTLY what I need to read right at this very minute. You have no idea! How funny.
Hi there! Oh, I’m so glad it came just at the right time. Thanks for reading!
Hi Bryn! I think you’ve succeeded in addressing all the points I’d make, succinctly and might I say, reassuringly too.
I agree that having more experience helps and I concur with your points about plot and genre complexity.
You mentioned that more research is likely to be required for some genres other than, for example, romance. I have found myself doing a fair bit of research even for my contemporary romance, mainly because it tends to be set in a different culture to my own. This takes time, of course, but I like it to be right even if the reader is never consciously aware of what I’ve woven in to the story. It is not wasted time and I learn a lot in the process too.
Thank you for a great article that addresses one of the biggest worries that writers find themselves dogged by.
Shona.
Hi, Shona! Oh, yeah, a contemporary romance can also take a long time if you’re researching another culture or another line of work! It’s funny — a lot of the research will never make it into the story, but it still makes such a difference for making the story feel authentic and on track. I would never skimp on it, myself. Good luck on the story!
Thank you so much for this, Bryn. I really needed to read this at the moment. Thank you.
You bet, hon. I really do think most writers are slow. We just don’t talk about it as much… 🙂
Great advice and perfect timing.
Aw thanks Deb! Glad you liked it!
Hey! Great article. This is exactly what I needed to read this morning. I personally believe that good writing takes time. I could never sacrifice a good story because I’m in a rush. But I do need to go back to my college days and being a creative writing student forced me to churn out several stories a week. I’d like to pick up the pace but struggle to find a formula that works. Any reccomendations?
Hi Kristen, it’s great to hear from you! You bring up such a great point: it’s a real balance to be productive without rushing things. Setting aside an hour a day to write might help, or it might feel more comfortable to set a weekly word count target that’s not too high. Good luck on your writing! Have a great week!
This writing advice really spoke to me! It’s so easy to get into the comparison game and what matters most is knowing what works for you to get your writing done.
OH MY GOSH. MIND BLOWN. I don’t know why (it’s kinda niëve now that I think about it) but I thought I was the only one. While I have never met someone who produces books on a monthly or no-monthly basis, I have a friend that is really doing great at fast writing amd consistency. So jealous. I never stopped to realize the difference in complexity and plot though. Thanks for all of this amazing advice!!!!
Hi Bryn, I thought this post was valuable—so needed in this era of go-go-go when we writers can feel like we’re never fast enough + we have too much going on to get more writing done. I’ve linked to it in my recent post on developing a good writing lifestyle. Here it is, if you’re interested: https://www.fictionalchemy.com/fiction-alchemy-lifestyle/
Hi Holly! I’m so glad you liked the post. Your blog looks great! I love the title, too!