"Gah!" "What Now, Nick?"

Akuma · Aug 13, 2005

Alright, so is it ok to write more than two hours a day? I do the two-hours-a day-thing and after a rest sometimes I feel the need to write again. But I don't know if this is wise or not. What if I burn out? What if I mess up my whole system? I don't know...

Your thoughts are appreciated.

William Haskins · Aug 13, 2005

to quote janis joplin: "get it while you can".

icerose · Aug 13, 2005

There have been some days where I was glued to my computer for hours, writing away.

What tends to burn me out is the forced or rush writing. Listen to your needs, muse, and everything and go with the flow. You will know when you are doing too much, you will feel the strain. When you feel that, back off, take a day out of the house, whatever you need to stop from killing yourself. I tend to do the clumped writing when I am nearing the end of the book and my inner muse is driving me to finish it. I find I write 80 pages in like 3-4 days. So go with what works for you.

ChunkyC · Aug 13, 2005

Yup. What Icerose said. I'll sometimes write for six or seven hours straight if it's flowing. Other days I couldn't put a three letter sentence together if my life depended on it. You have to get to know yourself and stop as soon as it starts to feel like a chore.

But if you're flying, by all means enjoy the ride!

azbikergirl · Aug 13, 2005

Yup. What they said. If it's flowing, you owe it to the story to write.

hpoppink · Aug 13, 2005

It's one of the hidden clauses of the two hours per day rule.

If you do three hours a day on day one, that does not mean you do only one hour on day two. The requirement is always two hours a day. Anything more is bonus, but does not take out of what you have to write the next day.

If you do six or seven hours on day seven, that does not mean you do six or seven on day eight. And don't you dare feel bad about yourself if you can't do more than one or two long sessions. Your goal is two hours a day.

I believe this method reduces burn out; you write longer because you want to, not because you have to. Your muse knows where to find you and when, and you know it has really hit when those sessions make their appearance. It's exciting.

One caveat: You may still find yourself burning out down the road, and you may be tempted to blame your longer sessions for it. But I don't think that will be the true cause, as long as those long sessions happen naturally.

watcher · Aug 13, 2005

Somebody whose worrying they're writing too much; I love it!

Jamesaritchie · Aug 14, 2005

Two hours

Two hours per day is the minimum, not the maximum. The maximum is however much you can write today without being burnt out tomorrow. Trial and error is the only way to find the maximum, but for most writers, it seems to be about four hours per day.

Your milage may vary.

alaskamatt17 · Aug 14, 2005

Does everyone on here measure their writing in hours? I judge by word count instead. I like to get in a minimum of 2000 words/day, but I've been going up to 5000 every so often because I'm getting close to the end of my second book and I'm excited about it.

NicoleJLeBoeuf · Aug 14, 2005

Depends on whether I'm writing a first draft or revising one.

Right now, I'm doing both. I'm working with a first draft out of which I've chopped huge swaths of text as part of fixing the story arc. So I'm back to judging my progress by words written. Once I start editing again, hours at the computer will seem more important.

Some days I can crank out 1500-2000 words in less than a hour. Scary. Those days, I don't feel particularly obligated to sit another hour, mostly 'cause by then I'm beat. Depends on the energy level remaining, really. I don't want to turn writing into something to beat myself over the head with.

AdamH · Aug 14, 2005

Don't question it, just write gosh darn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There might be a day when you'd be struggling to get 15 minutes in.

So appreciate it and ride that wave as far as she takes you!!!!!

alaskamatt17 · Aug 14, 2005

I agree. I just had a good session: almost 4000 words in two hours. I'm going to write more tonight because I'm just at one of those good parts where you can't leave your story alone. It seems to happen when my characters' lives get miserable. I feel so mean for what I'm doing to them now.

NeuroFizz · Aug 15, 2005

What happened to all of those organic writers who hate structure?

[Kidding. Don't go ballistic.]

TheNightTerror · Aug 15, 2005

My longest writing session was 14 hours. And I was able to write the next day.

I'd say more than 2 hours is safe.

Normally I do around 6-7 hours a day, but the 14 hour suicide run was just because I couldn't sleep. I just said to hell with even trying, and abused my keyboard to relieve my frustration.

maestrowork · Aug 15, 2005

If you do burn out, take a long break.

Jaycinth · Aug 15, 2005

Two Uninterrupted Hours would be bliss

I'm still trying to wean my family off me. There are many days when I'm lucky to get one word written between interruptions. And I've fallen asleep at(on) my computer. Sometimes I tell them I have to work late (or on a Saturday) then I take my laptop to the library until the obnoxious bleeps of unread text messages start to grate my nerves.

I KNOW I taught those children how to use a can opener! :Headbang:

Mike Martyn · Aug 16, 2005

NeuroFizz said:
What happened to all of those organic writers who hate structure?

[Kidding. Don't go ballistic.]

We're hiding from you silicone based life forms.

Mike Martyn · Aug 16, 2005

Does the two hours a day include re-writes on another ms? If it doesn't then re-writing/editing on a rough draft plus doing 2 hours on the next ms becomes a full time job. Not that I'm complaining.

LightShadow · Aug 16, 2005

When you're in the groove, write! Sometimes I wake up in the middle in the night and write for an hour or two. I sleep when I can't write, and I write when I can't sleep. Work takes up the rest of the time.

mnmamma · Aug 16, 2005

For what it's worth, an agent (who happens to also represent one of my very, very, very favorite authors) requested to see my YA novel after I querried. I recieved a letter back within a week confirming the reciept of the pages and saying "I am looking forward to reading them and getting back soon." That was in March. In May I took an online writing class and ran this by the instructor. She said, "At this stage, no response is still a maybe. Just breathe deep and write something else." I have, but it still sucks. I think I'll write another letter on September fifteenth.....if I haven't recieved a big, fat no by then.

Cheers!

"Gah!" "What Now, Nick?"

Akuma

Rare Writer Pokemon

William Haskins

poet

icerose

Lost in School Work

ChunkyC

It's hard being green

azbikergirl

I really do look like this.

hpoppink

watcher

Jamesaritchie

alaskamatt17

NicoleJLeBoeuf

a work in progress

AdamH

Pumped Up Kicks

alaskamatt17

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

TheNightTerror

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Jaycinth

Your Cuddly Sociopathic

Mike Martyn

Mike Martyn

LightShadow

defender of the blahs!

mnmamma