possible to become prolific?

Yes.

Look at typing itself. Now, at top speed, I can do around 75 wpm without trying. It used to be...well, a lot fewer.

You can train yourself to do anything faster. Typing's easy. You'll never learn to type as fast as you can think, so the ideas will always be there waiting to be written.

I despise the idea that some people are plodders and others are magically touched by the finger of God to command the muse to inspire them.

There's no such thing as a muse, or writer's block, or anything like that. There are just writers who write, and others who angst about writing.

I have the worst of both worlds. I'm a one-drafter but I do a lot of re-reading and editing after the work has been completed. I can't see any cure for it either. I can see improvements after each update. Why didn't I see that in the first re-read? I don't know. I'm just a slow editor.

scarletpeaches said:

Yes.

Look at typing itself. Now, at top speed, I can do around 75 wpm without trying. It used to be...well, a lot fewer.

You can train yourself to do anything faster. Typing's easy. You'll never learn to type as fast as you can think, so the ideas will always be there waiting to be written.

I despise the idea that some people are plodders and others are magically touched by the finger of God to command the muse to inspire them.

There's no such thing as a muse, or writer's block, or anything like that. There are just writers who write, and others who angst about writing.

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Sure, your way is the only way. Gimme a break.
I don't think there's any such thing as a muse, that much I agree with. But I think writer's block exists, depending on your definition.
In On Writing, Stephen King suggests there's no such thing as writer's block, and then goes on to talk about the fact that being stuck a lot is possible. I don't get the difference. For me, being stuck *is* writer's block. And I get stuck a lot, which makes me something of a plodder.
Tried the organic thing, can't do it. I have to work out the story beforehand, and it often takes a lot of time. Once I have something to work with, I can knock out a few thousand words in next to no time, but without a framework, I'm high and dry.
Still, I'm working on it, and I think I'm becoming better at building the framework. Bit by bit. So, yeah, I'd say you can improve. Just like any other skill.

I don't think writers block exists.

Wayne K said:

I don't think writers block exists.

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Writer's block doesn't think you exist.

JimmyB27 said:

Sure, your way is the only way. Gimme a break.

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Now where did I say that? Must I preface every one of my posts with "This is what works for me, in case anyone else gets offended?"

As if I had to explain it again...talking about muses, inspiration, writer's block, etc...that takes the responsibility for writing out of the hands of the writer and places it firmly with something outside them - God, fate, the universe, whatever.

I'm big on personal responsibility. I refuse to believe writer's block exists and I refuse to believe there's anything I can't do if I put my mind to it.

I don't type fast because I'm blessed by God. I type fast because I trained myself to do just that.

scarletpeaches said:

As if I had to explain it again...talking about muses, inspiration, writer's block, etc...that takes the responsibility for writing out of the hands of the writer and places it firmly with something outside them - God, fate, the universe, whatever.

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QFT.

People claim writer's block, whatever, keeps them from writing. In reality, the reason something isn't written is because you haven't written it. End of story. Call it whatever you want, but that's what it boils down to.

That's not to say that outside influences *don't* impact productivity, but "writer's block", in the abstract "I simply can't write...because I can't" sense? No, I don't think it exists.

JimmyB27 said:

Writer's block doesn't think you exist.

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Maybe it doesn't know I exist, it's never come to call.

So, you guys *never* get stuck? *Greeneyes*

If I want to write but can't, it's usually because there's work involved that I don't want to do, or I really don't anything to say that day. If your creativity is blocked it's not some mysterious visitor that only touches writers. It's the same RL crap that distracts normal people in their daily life.

It's why we drink ourselves dead.

Some people are happy enough just 'plodding' along.

My suggestion for writing faster would be just to keep writing. You may be able to improve the quality and quantity over time.

Some people are prolific. Most are inspired by something. Just keep at it and stay determined.

JJ

Wayne K said:

If I want to write but can't, it's usually because there's work involved that I don't want to do, or I really don't anything to say that day. If your creativity is blocked it's not some mysterious visitor that only touches writers. It's the same RL crap that distracts normal people in their daily life.

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I'm not suggesting that it is some mysterious visitor. Think of something like doing a crossword, or working out a maths puzzle or whatever. It's perfectly possible to become stuck on something like that and not know how to solve it. Eventually you probably will work it out, but it may take time. When that happens with my writing, ie plot problems etc, I call it writer's block.

Well look, in my case - the only time I'm physically unable to write is when I have a migraine. Like last night, I lost the use of one arm. Yeah, my writing hand. Still, I was too busy trying not to die, to worry about my WIP.

Do I ever think, "This is shit!" or "How can I ever finish this?" or "Why would anyone want to publish this?" Oh god yes, all the time.

But the only way out is through. You have to make yourself finish it, through health problems, family crises, trouble at work, home dilemmas...you just have to write it.

I'm not saying it's easy. Jeez, if I tried writing with a migraine, I'd...well I'm not sure I'd cope. So no, writing through problems isn't easy.

But it is simple. It's an elegant solution, and the only one that works. No-one else can write the book for you, and though my way of speaking might seem harsh, the only person who can finish JimmyB27's book is JimmyB27. Same for me, Wayne, tt42...

Incidentally, I know she doesn't want to say anything because it'll seem like bragging, but tt42 has written nine books in eight months. Hey, if Nora Roberts can do it... Seriously, though - it gets on my tits when people say, "Ah, that's just you though," as if she's special and - sorry, Lori! - she's not.

She's had her own set of circumstances to deal with involving emigrating, jet lag, family shit which is not my business to discuss here...but she still knows the only person who can write Lori's books is Lori. So she does.

Plus, she has me on MSN chewing her ass if she doesn't get on with it.

But still...it's about using every possible pocket of time, and just...making yourself do it. And giving yourself permission to write crap, if necessary. There's nothing that can't be corrected on the edits. Absolutely nothing.

I didn't mean that you do, but man some people go overboard with it.

JimmyB27 said:

I'm not suggesting that it is some mysterious visitor. Think of something like doing a crossword, or working out a maths puzzle or whatever. It's perfectly possible to become stuck on something like that and not know how to solve it. Eventually you probably will work it out, but it may take time. When that happens with my writing, ie plot problems etc, I call it writer's block.

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I had something similar years back. A friend was trying to explain something about the Bible (bear with me, this is relevant) and I just wasn't getting it. So I said, "Can we move on? If I try to force myself to understand it, I won't."

So we did. Hours later I was doing the dishes. A completely unrelated activity, and the penny dropped. My brain had a rest from the 'complicated' thing and was more or less asleep, and able to assimilate the information my friend had given me earlier.

But you might think that's related to writer's block, and proves that everyone gets stuck sometimes. Not so. This was a 'factual' thing with names, dates, etc involved. I just had to get it straight in my own head.

Writing being creative, I just think, "Blocked? Pfft. Write your way out of it. Create a way out. We're writers; that's what we do."

In a sense, as long as we don't break our own canon, we get to play God. We control everything; the writing doesn't control us.

JimmyB27 said:

So, you guys *never* get stuck? *Greeneyes*

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I never said I don't get stuck. I never said it was all easy. Nothing of the sort.

In fact, today I'm having a difficult day, whereas yesterday I wrote 7,500 words like it was nothing. Good days, bad days. It happens.

What you *don't* hear me saying is "Oh, I have writer's block", as if something outside of myself (beyond my control, in need of some sort of "cure") is preventing me from writing. Writer's block puts the "blame" (for lack of a better word) on something/someone other than the writer.

I know full well that the reason I'm not writing as much today is because my head isn't in the game. I'm being lazy, and I know it. Am I giving myself a pass today? Yes. Will I give myself a pass tomorrow? Absolutely not. I don't care how I feel tomorrow, I *WILL* reach my 5,000 word goal. Period.

IMHO, writer's block is a "get out of jail free" card. "I'm not writing today, but it's okay, it's not my fault, it's writer's block." Sort of like, "I haven't written my book because the muse hasn't spoken to me yet."

Everyone has good and bad days - Lord knows I'm not having a great one today - but the difference lies in where we place the responsibility. "I have writer's block" takes the responsibility off of the writer's shoulders.

JimmyB27 said:

I'm not suggesting that it is some mysterious visitor. Think of something like doing a crossword, or working out a maths puzzle or whatever. It's perfectly possible to become stuck on something like that and not know how to solve it. Eventually you probably will work it out, but it may take time. When that happens with my writing, ie plot problems etc, I call it writer's block.

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Therein lies the difference between you and me. When I get stuck with a plot problem, etc., that isn't writer's block....a speed bump? An obstacle? Sure. Writer's block implies, to me, the (perceived) inability to write.

When I hit those obstacles, I work on something else (different piece of the same WIP) and come back to it later. When there is absolutely no way around it, has to be addressed right now...then I slog through it. It won't leave me alone until it's solved, so I might as well...or I'm going to end up facing it the next day with a sleepless night on top of it.

I think learning to write faster is quite do-able with practice. And don't let the quantity/quality false dichotomy stop you from trying. Last night, I reviewed some short stories I wrote over the past few months, and I found NO relationship between the quality and the writing speed. In fact, the best story in the group was a 6K-word story written, revised, and submitted in 2 days, which is much faster than my typical pace. I guess I made up my mind that I would reach a particular goal and just did it, no excuses. Oh, and having a deadline, either outside or self-imposed, helps too.

It does call the question: Why aren't you all writing then?

I'm just saying...

Bubastes said:

I think learning to write faster is quite do-able with practice. And don't let the quantity/quality false dichotomy stop you from trying. Last night, I reviewed some short stories I wrote over the past few months, and I found NO relationship between the quality and the writing speed. In fact, the best story in the group was a 6K-word story written, revised, and submitted in 2 days, which is much faster than my typical pace. I guess I made up my mind that I would reach a particular goal and just did it, no excuses. Oh, and having a deadline, either outside or self-imposed, helps too.

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AMEN. Speed =/= Quality

One of my books took ten years, 3 full drafts, countless notes, and God only knows how many hours...and it still sucks.

Another took a few days of outlining, 5 days of writing, 2 weeks of revising, and was contracted less than a month after I started writing it.

You write at whatever speed it takes you to write the story the way it needs to be told. There's no shame in writing fast, slow, or somewhere in between.

Wayne K said:

It does call the question: Why aren't you all writing then?

I'm just saying...

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Because I bloody well don't feel like it right now.

I'm a lot faster than I was ten years ago and I think it's because I've become more confident. I have a strong sense of how I want the arc of a story to go. I've learned the questions I need to ask my characters, and so on. I don't imagine I'll get much faster because I think a certain amount of time is necessary, but I've become more efficient.