The Faster I Write, the Better the Book?

Sign at the New York Public Library (my pic)So a while back I talked about being a Slow Writer Reformed. After being a slow writer for years, I had a deadline that ended up being crazy tight because my editor and I changed the concept of the book at the last minute (a few times). Well, it resulted in me writing 97k in 55 working days and revising in 5 days. So basically, 60 days from start to finish (minus weekends since I don't work on weekends.) It was definitely a revelation to me that I could write that fast. But there was one LOOMING question. Was it any good? 

When you write that quickly under that intense of a deadline, you can't stop and think or analyze. You lose perspective and can't really tell if something rocks or sucks. You're too close. (And it's not like I had time to send it to beta readers to get feedback before I sent it to my editor.) So I was happy that I'd accomplished the goal of writing faster. But I was scared that the whole thing was a pile of crap and that my editor would hate it or require a total rewrite.

Well, this past week I went to NYC to meet with my editor and guess what? She loved CAUGHT UP IN YOU and said it was her favorite thing I've ever written. AND, get this, no big edits--she didn't even send it back to me, just sent it straight to copyedits (which for those of you who don't know, the copy editor is the person who doesn't change content but checks for grammar, spelling, and logic mistakes.) SO, the fastest book I've ever written and the one I was most insecure about turns out to be her favorite. (!!!)

And to give you an idea of what a crazed, fugue state I wrote it in, when my editor told me her favorite scene of the book, I couldn't even remember what scene that was, lol. I had to look it up later and was like--oh yeah, I DID write a scene with a such and such. o.0  Seriously.

And this isn't a one time occurence. Previous to this, I talked about losing perspective because with FALL INTO YOU (the book that's out now), a couple of major revisions had to be made on that book in a very short amount of time. It made me super insecure about the book because I had to just fix it ASAP and didn't have time to think over the changes. But then it came out and got the highest rating you can get in Romantic Times magazine (higher than my previous two books) AND it's by far, gotten the strongest response/reviews from readers--many declaring it their favorite of the series.

So what I'm coming to realize about my process is that my internal editor is a dangerous bitch. When I write slower, I over analyze, I overthink, and I suck out some of the magic of the creativity. When I don't have a choice but to keep writing, writing, writing, and not look back, then something wonderful happens and my right brain truly takes over. (And for the record, at the time, it doesn't *feel* like that. Even when I'm writing fast, it's always hard work. Rarely do words just fly from my fingertips with abandon. It's a very deliberate process of "must hit xxxx word count today" but it cuts out my inclination to go back and rework previous stuff to death. I have to keep moving forward to hit that daily number.)

Now, this doesn't mean that I'm going to wait until a deadline is close to start working (let's not talk crazy), but I am going to give myself my own self-imposed tighter deadline so that I work faster. And I'm going to stop worrying about if I don't feel super-confident about a book before sending it to my editor. I almost never feel confident about a book, and that's okay. I'm going to embrace that writer insecurity. It seems to mean that I've pushed myself and the story to a good (and maybe out of my comfort zone) place. It means I've taken risks. They might not always work--and that's what editors are for--but it's easier to dial back after the fact than it is to add.

So does this mean that writing faster is BETTER? For me, maybe. However, everyone's writing process is different. Some people write super fast but then have a mess on their hands and edits are overwhelming. Let's face it, most NaNoWriMo novels are not ready for primetime for a long while, if ever. Some people write slower and need that time to get the story the way they want it. If it's your first or second novel you've ever written, I can almost guarantee that a quickly written book is not ready. I know I needed my time with Crash Into You to get it right. But as you write more, you learn more and get better at craft. (Caught Up In You is the 8th book I've written.)

And most of all, realize that your current process isn't sacred or set in stone. Be open to trying new schedules or methods. If you had asked me two years ago, I would've said I was a slow writer who needed a minimum of 6 months to write a book (and that'd be pushing it.) I'd tell you that I was a pantser who could never do any pre-planning. I'd tell you I couldn't write a synopsis before writing a book. Now I'm writing 3-4 books a year, and though I'm still a pantser, I now pre-plan using the Save the Cat Beat Sheet and the Michael Hauge character profiles, which has been a tremendous help. And I write synopses to sell my books before they books are written (and kind of like writing them now).

Always, always be open to trying things a new way. If you write slowly and want to see if you can write faster, give yourself a do-or-die deadline, no cheating, and hold yourself to a daily word count. Train up like I talked about in the previous post. And don't let writer insecurity or that relentless internal editor stop you from writing. Just keep going. If you have a mess at the end, so be it--you can fix it in revisions. But maybe pushing yourself past your normal limits will inspire that one, shining scene that never would've come to you if you'd been painstakingly looking back at previous chapters deciding if her dress should be red or purple.

Anyone else discover interesting things about their own process? Do you feel like you're stuck being a "slow writer"? 

Slow Writer Reformed: It Can Be Done!

Image by Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr (cc)Fridays are usually reserved for the links round-up post. But since I only have a short list of links this week, I'm going to save them for next week. Instead, I thought I'd feature one of the links more in depth since it spoke to something I've recently experienced.

As many of you who have been following me for a while know, I call myself a slow writer. I'm one of those people who has trouble turning the inner editor off when drafting, which results in drafting being a painstaking process for me. (I much prefer revising.) However, with my last few books, I've had to deal with the new issue of writing under a deadline. 

Last November I tackled this slow writer issue head on because I had the deadline for FALL INTO YOU (the book coming out this January) coming up quickly. So I wrote a post called Slow Writer Reform School with my plan. I did finish that book, though I think I was a week or two over deadline.

But then this summer, I had some major issues with the concept of my fourth book. The original concept ended up not being a go (mutual decision between me and my editor) so I had to restart it not once but basically two and half times until I nailed the plot and the hero (*snort*). One of those times, I was 20k in. So that led to having TWO months to get from page one to done on a 90k novel. And that wasn't flexible because the e-serial was waiting behind it, so needed to get to work on that immediately afterward.

I was near panic. My last deadline crunch that I was worried about was a four month one, now that was cut in half. *envision me breathing into a paper bag* The thought of not meeting a deadline freaks me out. I'm that obsessive straight-A student at my core, so I just decided that I was going to have to figure out a way to do this. And I did. But how?

Well, I think this article, Changing Your Process by author Ann Aguirre on Writer Unboxed, pinpointed what I'd done without realizing it. I'd trained up. Her advice:

Whatever pace you’re currently writing at, make sure it’s comfortable. Then, over a long period of time, months, not weeks, train up. 

When I set up my "Slow Writer Reform School" for myself a year ago, here were a few of my goals (click link to see the rest of them):

• I'm holding myself to a 1k a day minimum goal

• I'm writing in pockets of time I usually wasted doing something unimportant

• I'm am not tying my ability to write to a certain time of the day

• And when I want to make a major change in the story, I just make a note and don't rewrite the whole thing right then.

So these points when I looked back at them today kind of made me laugh because I'm thinking--really, my stretch goal was 1k a day? o.0 (That's not to say 1k isn't an excellent goal for a writer, but it gives me perspective of how much can change in a year.)

With this last book, I wrote and revised 97,000 words in 60 working days (which was actually 9 weeks because I don't work on weekends.) So that breaks down to roughly 1600 words a day--but of course revisions were worked into that time frame so it was more like 2k a day for drafting days. That wasn't the stretch goal that was the--DO THIS OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE EFFING LATE goal. Funny how motivating panic can be. :)

And as for not writing only at a certain time of day, that changed too. Besides weekends, which I reserved for family time, I wrote whenever I could. When I couldn't write anymore or was running out of steam, I'd read for a while to refill my brain with words. 

And to my own shock, I did it. I remember looking back at the calendar where I marked page one/word one in amazement. I'd written a freaking novel in two months. I'd done NaNo word count two months back to back. For a fast writer, maybe that wouldn't be so amazing, but for me, it was a really big deal. (Now, a caveat, I have not gotten the book back from my editor yet so it may be a heaping pile of crap that needs major rewrites, but let's hope not.)

The thing I want to make clear about this experience, however, is that it wasn't some magical, transcendent thing. I've heard fast writers and Nano-ers say that once you start this kind of marathon, the words just spill out and the process takes on a life of its own. That was NOT how it was for me. My internal editor was still banging around in my brain. There were days the words flowed more easily than others, and on those days I'd exceed my word count--even having a few 4k days. But most days it was a matter of Scrivener* saying "Your daily goal is xxxx" and me typing no less than that amount. Period. 

It's a commitment to not let the day end without meeting that goal. I didn't have room to get behind. And you know what? I think it formed a new habit. I trained up.

Ann Aguirre mentions in her post that research shows a habit is actually formed at more like 66 days instead of the 21 we've heard. And I'm starting to believe that's true. That's the amount of time I did this marathon. And now that I'm done, it feels "normal" to sit down each down and pound out words. I feel...changed. I told my hubs after I turned in my manuscript that I didn't know what to do with myself for the few days I didn't write afterward. It was like--I remember there were other things I used to do but what were those again? Oh yeah, look, TV shows. Lol.

So now that I'm embarking on this e-serial, which has another tight deadline (though a little better than the last one), I don't feel nearly as panicked. I know I can do this now. I've trained up and created a new normal. Now the key will be keeping myself in check and now letting myself slide back into old habits.

NOTE: If you want to get tips on training up, I totally recommend Candace Havens' Fast Draft Class that Ann mentions in the post. I've taken it twice. And though I have no intention of writing a book in two weeks. The tips themselves are really great for picking up your speed regardless of your goal.

So how about you? Do you feel like you have this daily word count barrier you find impossible to break through? Are you a fast writer or a slow one? Any NaNo-ers discovering new things about their process?

*By the way, that word count feature in Scrivener is the BEST THING EVER. You can put in your ultimate word count goal, the day of your deadline, and what days of the week you write. Then it will give you a daily word count every morning. And it adjusts each day if you write more or less than your goal the day before. I credit that simple feature with much of my success with reaching my goal. I liked seeing exactly how much I needed each day.

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Links of the Week

I may or may not have done this dance when I turned in my book. :)

Hey there. Hope everyone has had a fantastic week. I turned in my latest book to my editor yesterday so I'm in celebration mode. : ) Now I get a few days to clear my head before I get to work on the E-serial, NOT UNTIL YOU, on Monday. 

Here are the best links I've come across in the last two weeks. Since I've been in serious writing/editing mode, my surfing time has been scarce so this is a little shorter than normal, but I still wanted to pass them along.

On Writing/Publishing:

• Campbell, Vogler, the Hero's Journey, The Writer's Journey and Narrative Structure Cheat Sheet  — Readability
• 35 Synonyms for “Look” via Daily Writing Tips  <--this is a favorite overused word of mine so I found this very helpful
• There Is No Time For Despair - Rachelle Gardner
• Why Ebooks Are Inspiring A New Age Of Print via Huffington Post

On Social Media/Promotion:

• Social Media Hangover? via Elana Johnson
• Is it Time to Change Your Blog? « August McLaughlin's Blog
• Are Writers Too Insulated from Their Readers? | Rachelle Gardner
• 3 Social Media Myths that Can Cripple Our Author Platform via Kristen Lamb
• 10 Marketing Techniques That Annoy Potential Readers | Nathan Bransford, Author
• High Concept Blogging: Achieving Bloggy Goodness in Record Time via Jenny Hansen

Bright, Shiny Randomness:

• Smexy New Pics of David Beckham via Huffington Post
• BDSM DIY: The acronym-free guide to home pervertables | Offbeat Home (guest post from author Joey Hill) - I'll never look at a Bowflex the same way again. :)
• NoHomophobes.com <--This was really interesting. This website keeps a live total of how often homophobic slurs (things like "you're so gay") are used on Twitter. Shocking how constant it is and how hateful language can become so casual for us. 

What You May Have Missed Here:

• New Music Page: The Loving on the Edge Playlists
• Chilling Reads: A Few Books That Will Make You Leave the Lights On
• Books That Left Me Breathless: The Darker Side of Erotica & A Giveaway <--LAST DAY to enter to win a signed copy of Tiffany Reisz's THE SIREN.
• Losing Perspective on Your Writing: Does This Sing or Suck?
• And if you missed my radio interview on Bring Back Desire After Dark radio and are just DYING to listen to me talk about my books, my hubs, and romance, then you can listen here. (My portion starts around the 30 min mark.)

All right, that's all I have for you this week. Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Writing Links of the Week

The Loving on the Edge series brought to you by copious amounts of Iced Tea

So guess what? I finished my draft of CAUGHT UP IN YOU! Woot! 55 Days - 85,000 words and enough Iced Tea to hydrate a Paula Deen convention.  

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A slow writer can learn new tricks apparently.

It was kind of like doing NaNoWriMo two months back to back. (I do not recommend it.) But after multiple false starts with this book and a complete change in concept (twice), which put me under the gun, I made my deadline! Now I have to do some revisions, then onto the next project which is due Feb. 1.  *gets back on hamster wheel*

But I hope to at least be sane enough to get back to some regular blogging now. And since it's Friday, I figured I'd get back to my normal round up post. This is two weeks worth of links.

On Writing/Publishing:

• 9 Tips for Creating a Compelling Novel via Jody Hedlund
• some hard numbers by Janet Reid (on what you would need to sell as a self-pubbed author to get noticed by NY)
• Ladysplaining the Value of A Literary Culture for Commercial Fiction via Dear Author
• If You Remember One Thing, It Should Be This: Never Sign An Unnegotiated Boilerplate Contract With Any Publisher - via Kristin Nelson
• Kindle user claims Amazon deleted whole library without explanation - Boing Boing
• Structure Part 7–Genre Matters via Kristen Lamb
• Baloney Advice Writers Should Ignore via The Kill Zone
• NaNo Prep: Should Pantsers Be Plotters? | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author
• You Need More Scoundrels in Your Life: How to Write a Han Solo Hero in Six Easy Steps! Guest Tiffany Reisz at Janie Hardy's Blog
• How to increase Dropbox space for free via Smart Media Tips
• The Way We Learn About Books is Changing | Nathan Bransford, Author
• Ugh, What Do I Write About? The Struggle for Ideas via Janice Hardy
• How to Write a Novel in a Month via Kill Zone
• ADD, Word Count & Why Dead Bodies are Good for the Living via Kristen Lamb

On Social Networking/Promotion:

• Dangerous Minds | FACEBOOK: I WANT MY FRIENDS BACK
• Is Your Author Website Doing Its Job? 6 Things to Check | Jane Friedman
• Is Blogging Important for Novelists Considering Self-Publishing? via Jody Hedlund
• Should All Authors Blog? | Rachelle Gardner <--lots of rumblings about blogging fading in importance these days
• These are Top 25 Book Reviewers on Goodreads (infographic) - Forbes 

Bright, Shiny Randomness: 

• Cassandra Clare, October is anti-Bullying month: on hiatuses and hate blogs <--really important post from Cassandra Clare on the nastiness of internet bullies
• ‘Born This Way’: LGBT adults reflect on the moment they knew they were gay — PHOTOS via Shelf Life
• The 32 Greatest Unscripted Movie Scenes via Screen Rant (saw this on Twitter today and couldn't remember from who, so sorry whoever that was. :) )
• Reading Rainbow is back with an App! (found via Nathan Bransford)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Writing Links of the Week

Photo via Ben Salter (Flickr cc)Is it Friday already? Wow, weeks fly when there's a deadline looming. : )  Today will be a pretty short list since my web surfing time has been limited lately, but I wanted to pass along a few links of awesomeness I came across this week.

But first, an announcement. :) My NEW covers with their new look for my series will be revealed on Tuesday on the USA Today Happily Ever After blog! Yay! Can't wait to share them with y'all. That also means I'm going to need to find some time to update my website and the header because I've got a brand new...uh brand. :)

Alright, on to the links...

On Writing/Publishing:

Screenwriting Tricks for Authors - FREE this week! <-- love this book, go get it

What's New in YA? Mashups via Publisher's Weekly

Author Image | Annie Neugebauer <--should your author photo match the vibe of your books? (I know mine doesn't. But I've got no shot of being dark and sexy in a photo. My non-smiling expression in photos always look like a frog is peeing on my foot.)

NA Alley: Entangled Publishing Announcement <--more news on the New Adult front

On Social Networking/Marketing:

The Bookshelf Muse: The Path To 10K In Sales: Strategy, Luck & Mistakes

Who Needs a Platform? | Rachelle Gardner

Author, Jody Hedlund: Is Blogging a Time-Suck for Writers? <--really interesting discussion and points from James Scott Bell on both Rachelle's and Jody's post.

For Gits and Shiggles:

This Risotto Gonna F**k You Up, Son via Chuck Wendig - so, so funny. He needs his own cooking show.

EXCLUSIVE Cover Reveal: Maya Banks’s Breathless Trilogy! <--so purty

What You May Have Missed Here:

Is Reading the Genre You're Currently Writing Dangerous?

That's what I've got for this week. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I think I'm going to head out to the TX State Fair for all things deep-fried (cinnamon rolls, grilled cheese, jambalaya, the list goes on.)  :)