Writing your 1st million words

Ms.Write · Jan 26, 2007

It has been said that, as a rule of thumb, we must write a million words before we get any good at it.

I figure I'm at about the 1 million word mark if I include all my articles, poetry, etc.

I wonder if it matters whether we've written a million words of fiction or non-fiction when it comes to novel-writing. Does anyone know??

KiraOnWhite · Jan 26, 2007

If you don't improve as you write each word, then its useless. I guess the million words here refers to rewriting and maybe some exercises to help you improve your writing, which should includes forum posts...

Sassenach · Jan 26, 2007

Sassenach thinks that the "million word rule" is silly silly silly, and can think of dozens of wonderful writers who weren't particularly prolific.

Willowmound · Jan 26, 2007

I think 'million' in this context means about the same as 'forty' in the Bible -- it simply means, a helluva lot.

I think all writing makes you better, but of course, the more fiction you do, the quicker you'll get better at fiction. And vice versa.

jbal · Jan 26, 2007

Anything you write, fiction or no, can help you improve as a writer, though maybe in different ways, right? That million word "rule" seems silly to me too. I've seen people who can pick up a guitar and be reasonably proficient in a few months, others take years. Everyone's different is my point.

Willowmound · Jan 26, 2007

Your 'million' may be different from another person's 'million'. The rule just means, practice makes perfect.

johnzakour · Jan 26, 2007

I do feel I get better the more I write. Counting my non-fiction books I'll probably have a million words in print by the year's end.

Button · Jan 26, 2007

I know I have gotten better the more I write. I read some of my earlier works now... holy crap.

I was horrible.

I don't know if I've hit the million mark yet, but I'm darn close I think. I hope that's a good thing.

vrabinec · Jan 26, 2007

How can you not get better what with all the dictionary and thesaurus diving it takes to express yourself in the way you...the way you....whatever.

icerose · Jan 26, 2007

Everyone's learning curve is different. I've hit my million and I really did notice a different, but I was also getting critiques and everything else along the way.

It's the same thing as the average novelist writes 7 novels before they're published, and an average screen writer writes about 10-12 scripts before they get their first sale.

Everyone is different, but I think it also serves as a reminder that we may not get it right off the bat, but keep working at it and it will take time and effort.

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

*sigh*

It's a figure of speech. That's all it is. Just a phrase. Just a catch-all phrase. It's not a specific number, you couldn't mark it on your calender or write it in your checkbook. mmkay? Just a figure of speech. Promise.

It means that when you start, you write crap (yes you do; everyone does) and eventually, as you begin to learn, you write good.

That's it.

Rolling Thunder · Jan 26, 2007

My grocery list put me over the top today. I can quit writing now and feel satisfied.

Uh....dammit. Has anyone seen my grocery list in any of the other threads?

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

Rllgthunder said:
My grocery list put me over the top today. I can quit writing now and feel satisfied.

Uh....dammit. Has anyone seen my grocery list in any of the other threads?

I did, yeah, and it had too many adverbs. You were telling, and not showing. And it read like a list, honestly. But good try!

alaskamatt17 · Jan 26, 2007

I must be getting close to one million words. I do feel like I'm better at this now than when I started writing, but I still feel like I have a long way to go. Also, I feel like some of my work in the middle of this million was really subpar. Worse than my beginning work. Lately, though, I've been writing what I consider pretty high quality stuff. The only problem is that most of what I read is much, much better than what I write.

Vincent · Jan 26, 2007

The emperor of China was told that if his Great Wall was to stand forever, keeping his land safe, 10,000 men would need to be buried beneath it. Of course, 10,000 is a lot of men. The emperor compromised, and buried one man with a metal plate around his neck that said 10'000.

Or something like that.

Azure Skye · Jan 26, 2007

We just had a similiar discussion in the Roundtable forum.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50423

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

In which discussion, I said the same thing in more or less the same (slightly exasperated) tone...

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 26, 2007

I wrote my million by the time I reached 6th grade.

I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class. I will not talk in class.

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

You know what's worrying is, if it's 12:30 and you've been staring at a tricky bit of fiction for half an hour without success, and you read that post -- Ferret -- then you see some interesting patterns in those strings of text.

I think my eyes will fall out now.

IrishScribbler · Jan 26, 2007

PeeDee said:
You know what's worrying is, if it's 12:30 and you've been staring at a tricky bit of fiction for half an hour without success, and you read that post -- Ferret -- then you see some interesting patterns in those strings of text.

I think my eyes will fall out now.

*sigh* I saw interesting patterns in the text.

And after a while, it ceased to make sense. Perhaps it's time for a break. Tea, Pete?

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

IrishScribbler said:
*sigh* I saw interesting patterns in the text.

And after a while, it ceased to make sense. Perhaps it's time for a break. Tea, Pete?

You're speaking my language. Music to my ears. Earl Gray for me, what can I get for you?

(but if I see interesting patterns in my tea, I'm not getting up)

IrishScribbler · Jan 26, 2007

Earl Gray for me, too, thanks. It's my favorite. Although, I'd like a bit of mint in it.

PeeDee · Jan 26, 2007

I have fresh picked leaves SOMEWHERE around here. I'll have a rummage.

Gabriel · Jan 27, 2007

I can't tell if I written more than a million words but my beard can now be worn as a robe, does this count for anything?

Arkie · Jan 27, 2007

Legendary author Thomas Wolfe once turned in a manuscript to his editor containing 4000 typewritten pages, 1,200,000 words.

Writing your 1st million words

5 W's & an H

Lightly salted

Lightly salted

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Resident in Question

Dipwad

Lost in School Work

Where's my tea, please...?

Where's my tea, please...?

Cheers

Huh?

Where's my tea, please...?

Court Jester

Where's my tea, please...?

Where's my tea, please...?

Where's my tea, please...?

Not just your average bear.

a reader's ear and a writer's heart