How much would you write?

citizen_erased · Aug 7, 2007

Hey all. I'm at a stage in my WIP where i'm really struggling with enthusiasm for it despite the fact that this next chapter should be really fun to write. It's one i've been working up to for a while but I just can't be bothered. Anyways, i've got about 3 hours spare time starting from....now so how much should I write in that time? How much would you write? Should I just stop moaning and get on with it?

I achknowlegde that this is a pointless thread so i'm sorry lol.

Andy

seun · Aug 7, 2007

There's no answer to how much you should write. Whatever works for you is right - as long as you make every word count eventually. OK, that may mean writing 1000 words and binning the lot in the rewrite but if that's how you finish the book, that's the right way.

aadams73 · Aug 7, 2007

citizen_erased said:
Should I just stop moaning and get on with it?

Yes

Write as much as you can during that time.

Jamesaritchie · Aug 7, 2007

How much?

Enthusiasm is overrated. If you want to finish the novel, you have to sit down and write. So write for three hours. Or not. It's up to you.

NeuroFizz · Aug 7, 2007

You are a big boy (or girl). It's a decision you have to make, and you have to accept (or celebrate) the consequences of that decision.

(Posted simultaneously with James)

citizen_erased · Aug 7, 2007

Aye your right. I'll give it a good go

The Scip · Aug 7, 2007

I force myself to write 1000 words. If I get there and i still want to write, I write. If i don't want to write anymore, at least I've written 1000 words.

Willowmound · Aug 7, 2007

citizen_erased said:
Aye your right.

Yes, their wright.

citizen_erased · Aug 7, 2007

Done 1100 which is not bad. The good thing is that I want to write more but aint got the time at the moment.

mscelina · Aug 7, 2007

oh, that sucks! You get your inspiration back but don't have the time for it! Oh well--at least you wrote yourself out of the hole. Good luck!

StoryG27 · Aug 7, 2007

Jamesaritchie said:
Enthusiasm is overrated.

Oh, I like this. I may have to put this in my sig line, or print it out to keep at my desk both for work and writing. Whichever one I'm doing needs to get done, whether I'm motivated or not.

Manderley · Aug 7, 2007

citizen_erased said:
Done 1100 which is not bad. The good thing is that I want to write more but aint got the time at the moment.

Brilliant! Sometimes the hardest part of writing is just sitting down and getting that first sentence down.

HopelessDreamer · Aug 7, 2007

I have the same problem. Most of the time I "just don't feel like it", despite how much I love to write. I'm a huge procrastinator, which is probably why it took me two years to finish writing my first book, and another two to edit it. What works for me is that I tell myself to sit down and just write a page. Before I know it, I'm caught up in the storyline and ideas pour out of my pen (or keyboard, depending on which I'm using). Eventually one page turned into ten, which turned into 100, which eventually turned into 350. So even if you sit down and only write a page, it eventually adds up. Something is better than nothing.

ZannaPerry · Aug 7, 2007

Write as much as you can in those three hours. Let your mind run free.

bt_author · Aug 7, 2007

Buy a little tape recorder. Type for the three hours, not necessarily on your book but on something creative. Additional idea's for your book will pop into your head as you work on other projects. Or at least they tend to when I'm working on other projects. Then when your three hours are up and your on the way to your next appointment, use the recorder to put your ideas somewhere safe. Never enough time in the day - make the time or rearrange your day, either way, use whatever time you can as productively as possible.

davids · Aug 7, 2007

Or eat a lot of pizza and drink a lot of beer-hey it beats the hell out of sitting staring at your fingys-or you could do as a couple of folks have suggested-me? Beer and pizza-writing-more beer-more pizza-some Saltimbocca alla Romana con oglio-beer-writing-pizza-bottom line? If you gotta ask-you probably should go ahead and have the beer and pizza-sooner or later you will start farting or belching-then you will definately be ready to write-probably fill up a few hours!

job · Aug 7, 2007

The Scip said:
I force myself to write 1000 words. If I get there and i still want to write, I write. If i don't want to write anymore, at least I've written 1000 words.

Yep. That's how to do it. Yep. Or 750 words. Or 1200 words. But it's all about generating words in electrons on a regular basis.

How much would you write?

citizen_erased

seun

Horror Man

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Jamesaritchie

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

citizen_erased

The Scip

...walks this way.

Willowmound

Lightly salted

citizen_erased

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

StoryG27

Miss Behave

Manderley

Slowly does it.

HopelessDreamer

ZannaPerry

^ Just Me & a Sharpie

bt_author

davids

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript