Do you plug away at a manuscript or do you sprint through it in record time? Are you prolific or do you just release one, two books a year? And does it matter?
Well, I can't answer the last question for you. I guess your sales will tell their own story on that one. Personally I'd worry readers will have forgotten all about me, if they have to wait six months for my next book. E-publishing is a fast moving business and I know, personally, I love it when I discover a new author, check out their backlist, and find a whole plethora of goodies waiting to be read.
It's like Christmas, and yes I will buy a new author's entire backlist and happily lose myself for hours. And you bet I'll be looking out for that author's new release and it will jump straight to the top of my reading pile. Would I be that enthusiastic, had I just read the one book?
If I really liked the book, then yes, I reckon I would be, but chances are as time goes on I'll have forgotten about that author, and unless I stumble across them again, I may never read them again, which would be a shame. Mind you, I tend to seek out authors I really like and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and such like, so I should in theory see the new announcement. Of course if that author is not that prolific on social media, either...well, you get the idea.
Putting the issue of sales to one side, can you change the way you write? Should you even? And does it somehow make you a better writer if you write slowly, rather than fast? I've come across a few instances lately, where being prolific has been linked to somehow inferior. Like those of us that 'churn' books out do not take as much time and care with them as others with a slower output.
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Hmm, as one of those prolific writers I take umbrage at that suggestion. I can only speak for myself, but those manuscripts I sprinted through in record time are no less laboured over than the ones I took much longer to write. For me, it simply depends on how loud the voices are, as to how quickly I get to write them. And the small matter of real life, husband and nine children, including one very attached baby. I am fortunate that I'm a SAHM so I can and do write during the day, but by far the bulk of my writing is done in the evenings when the kids are in bed. I rarely go to bed before 1.00 am in the morning (at times it has been closer to 4.00 am) and I have to be up at 6.30 am to start my day...
I'm a slave to my muse, what can I say. It also helps that writing is "me" time. I know I get twitchy and bad tempered when I haven't managed to write for a few days, especially when I have characters screaming at me to tell their story. As much as they can be a pain in the behind when they take over, I love it when they do, cause words pour onto that word doc and the story practically writes itself.
Goldie and her Bears, Riding her Tiger and my soon to be released The Last of his Kind are prime examples of that. I had no choice but to turn into a hare. Sleep, or rest was simply not an option until they were done, dusted and subbed. Does that make them somehow inferior to my other works who took longer? Well, I don't think so. I guess you, the readers are the judge in the end, and thankfully so far you seem to like my writing. Be that written by the hare or the tortoise ;-)
Personally, I would never dream of suggesting that how quickly an author manages to write and get those releases out there, is any indication of how good an author they are. Do I marvel at those who manage word counts of several K a day? You bet I do. Do I wish I was like them?
No, actually. I write what my characters tell me and at the speed I can manage at any given time. Do I begrudge other author's productivity? Again, no, why would I? I am far too busy trying to do my own stories justice with everything else I have to juggle. So I really do not understand the tendency to point fingers, make excuses, call it what you will. And don't get me started on drive by one star ratings, which smack of other authors trying to put down someone else's success. Thankfully I don't seem to have fallen victim to that, yet, but friends have, and the sheer vitriol behind some of them is astonishing to me.
There will always be room for a good story, so let's all just concentrate on writing the best stories we can, however quickly that may be.
I hear ya, Doris! We work fairly fast, too, but not because we feel we must. We just do.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly :-)
DeleteThank you for this Doris, i find it beggars believe that some author feel they have to try and belittle what others do. i personally have incredible admiration for anyone who actually offers up their writing for others to read.
ReplyDeleteWriting is like eating, reading, or I guess making love, we all do it at different speeds, and all do it in the best way for us.
I wouldn't dream of criticizing anyone else's way of publishing. It's what is best for them.
Yes, a long gap is frustrating and indeed it can put you out of the public's eye, (but it may be right for some people. )Personally, I'm like you and prefer more than one book a year from favorite authors, but that's me.but hey if you think someone is bringing out too many books, there is no rule that says you have to read them now, is there?
I also read an article about people being too prolific, and I was going to blog, indeed I may still do, but really Doris has said it all.
Thanks D
*takes a bow*
Delete;-)
Great post Doris, I don't know whether I'm hare or tortoise - some days the words just flow and other days I struggle (like today!). Some stories are just harder to write than others. Personally I don't think output and quality are linked, if a writer is good and is also prolific then that's brilliant, for the reader and author. Like you say though, e-publishing is a fast moving business and if you want to make a living out of writing then you need to build up a backlist(she says, starting to type faster) which means producing several books a year.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on some stories are just harder to write. So true! And yes Mrs. write faster, I want to read another one of yours ;-)
DeleteI'm definitely the tortoise lol That's not to say I don't have a million on one ideas I could be working on but, well, I'm easily distracted (usually by Joe Manganiello as you well know) I admire people who are able to write constantly but for me it requires a lot of mulling over in my head before I commit a story to paper - that's just the way I work. Our different techniques and styles are what makes us stand out as individual writers and I remain in awe of the high standard of work you and Raven both produce on a regular basis :)
ReplyDeleteWise words Jorja, we all work differently :-)
DeleteWell said Doris. I am trying to work out what I am. But authors being critical of others is utterly ridiculous! It is not going to make readers like your work more than the one you are being critical of. In fact it may do the opposite!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, indeed.
DeleteReally enjoyed your post Doris. I'm definitely a tortoise :( though I would like to be more prolific, at the moment it's just not me. I'm in awe of Serenity, Raven and yourself, for churning out great books so quickly. Right, now I've got to go do some writing. X M
ReplyDeleteHi Mel, you can only do what's right for you at that time :-)
DeleteIm definitely a tortoise, plodding along slowly but surely (I hope!)
ReplyDeleteKudos to you guys who are the Hares! :-)
Nothing wrong with being a tortoise, as long as you keep moving in the right direction :-)
DeleteEveryone has their own way of doing things. My mil likes to cook food slowly, whereas I'm too impatient to linger in the kitchen. In the same way all writers approach writing differently. I've had speed writing days when I was so motivated by the scene in my mind that the words rushed to spill out. Then there are days when I have to go carefully line by line. If some writers are, as you put it, being a hare, what I say is, who wins but the readers. They have all the more stuff to read and they're the best judge of what they want more of. What I would concentrate on is making my method (which I'm in the process of discovering btw) better rather than worry how much others are/are not putting out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post and making us all think, Doris! :)
Wise words, Summer :-)
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