Continuing my series of guest posts on writing, today I am happy to host Andy Peloquin. Andy has a new release out today so be sure to read all the way to the end of the post for details.
The Simple Secret to Being a Prolific Writer
I'm not going to lie: I find the goal
of reaching 1 million words written by 2019 a highly ambitious but
reachable goal. When I started writing, just the thought of cracking
100,000 words seemed a huge effort. No doubt for many people, hitting
a 40k to 50k word count feels like a Herculean labor. Heck, some
authors I know labor for weeks over a short story!
Not everyone is born to be a prolific
writer. Some authors will put out one or two books in their lives,
but they will be amazing. Others will put out only short stories or
novellas. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's simply not
who I am.
I'm the kind of writer who never runs
out of stories to tell or words to write. By the end of 2017, I will
have published around 600,000 words (in 5 books). And I'm going to
tell you how I did that, and how I intend to reach the 1 million word
mark by my goal.
It all comes down to one thing: writing
every day.
As a fairly new author (first book
published in 2015), I have to pick up other work to support my
family. That means I don't get endless hours to dedicate to writing.
In fact, I'm getting about 2 hours a day of pure writing, with the
rest of my time focused on marketing, the day job, family, health,
etc.
In those 2 hours a day, I'm managing
about 2,000-3,000 words. Considering my books end up at 120,000+
words, it seems like such a small drop in such a large bucket.
But that's a mindset that I've learned
to eliminate. Yes, 2,000 words is 1/60th of the words I need to write
to finish a book. Yes, it seems to take FOREVER to tell a story. I'd
rather spend all day every day writing. Sadly, being a responsible
adult, I have to limit myself to the time I've carved out of my busy
life.
And this is the simple secret I want to
share. 2,000 words may not seem a lot compared to the 120,000 words
of a book, but what about after 1 week of writing? 14,000 words is a
much larger drop in the bucket—more than 10% of the book! After a
month, that number jumps to close to 60,000 words—or 50% of the
book. In just two months, a 120,000 word book is complete. That's
very prolific for someone who is working two jobs, trying to stay
fit, and being part of a family.
That daily drop is what eventually
fills up the bucket. Put in the writing time every day, and it will
add up over the course of weeks, months, and years. It's hard to see
that far into the future when you want to finish the story/book NOW.
Hells, I've had days when I want to ignore work, family, and health
just so I can stay at my desk and hammer out 20,000 words and see
REAL progress.
But that's not how it works, at least
not for me—and probably not for most people. For those of us who
aren't able to dedicate ourselves to writing full time (YET!!!!!),
the secret is to put in the time every day. An hour. Two hours. 1,000
words. 4,000 words. However much you can do, do it. Trust me, it adds
up over time!
Buy Links:
Book Blurb:
Child of the Night Guild (Queen of
Thieves Book 1)
"They killed my
parents. They took my name. They imprisoned me in darkness. I would
not be broken."
Viola, a child sold to
pay her father's debts, has lost everything: her mother, her home,
and her identity. Thrown into a life among criminals, she has no time
for grief as she endures the brutal training of an apprentice thief.
The Night Guild molds an innocent waif into a cunning, agile outlaw
skilled in the thieves' trade. She has only one choice: steal enough
to pay her debts.
The cutthroat streets of
Praamis will test her mettle, and she must learn to dodge the City
Guards or swing from a hangman's rope. But a more dangerous foe lurks
within the guild walls. A sadistic rival apprentice, threatened by
her strength, is out for blood.
What hope does one girl
have in a world of ruthless men?
Fans of Sarah J. Maas,
Scott Lynch, and Brent Weeks will love Queen of
Thieves…
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