Year-round writing
By Ann Aguirre | January 12, 2011 |
A couple of months ago, this site got a bit heated over NaNo. I don’t intend to open that dialogue again. Instead, I’m offering a glimpse of how I work, year-round. I hope it will prove beneficial, as I’m super excited to share this story with y’all.
It involves three of my friends / colleagues, which makes it even better. As many of you know, in fall of 2009, I fast drafted my YA, ENCLAVE. (Fast drafting is writing 5,000 words or 20 pages a day, until you have a rough draft. This can be anywhere from two weeks to twenty days, depending on the desired length.) That experiment worked out so well for me that I decided to try and recreate the perfect storm by doing the same thing with my second YA, OUTPOST.
And yes, I did it in December. (Yes, I am a little bit crazy, doing this while trying to get ready for the holidays, but I think it helps when you write for a living. Normal people would give up, after the 100th rejection, no?) I started writing on December 6th, along with Jaye Wells, Candace Havens, and Louisa Edwards. We all had projects we wanted off our desks before the end of the year; we were all driven and excited. But first, let me back up. We connected a conference in Texas in November and we became really good friends. It seemed natural that we would try and continue that new friendship after we went home.
And did we ever. Candace proposed the December write-a-palooza (my name, not hers), and at first we were a bit reluctant. It’s a tough time of year to make that commitment, right? But eventually we all got on board. We agreed we would write a crazy amount, every single day, until our projects were done. We pledged to email each other with our wordcounts, cheering each other on as we went.
We did. I cherished those emails. They weren’t intrusive or distracting. We checked when our words were done, and we sent our WOOs to each other, and punched the air when someone else did better than they expected. It was, quite simply, amazing. And their focus bled into me. I fell into my book, sparked by their enthusiasm. It then occurred to me that we could do this year round. We could keep it going. There’s no need that a perfect storm should happen only once, if you know the prevailing meteorological conditions that created it. Obviously, you need to find the perfect mix of personalities to kindle the magic, but it’s so worth the wait.
I have to say, I have never had a better group writing experience. I tend to be a lone wolf and I motivate myself. I’m very driven, goal-oriented, but knowing that I was working alongside three wonderful ladies made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. So that’s what I recommend for everyone else. Find your perfect group. Settle in. And even if you don’t exchange crits, even if they just help you keep sane during the writing process, you need that support year round. Don’t lose touch with the people who understand what you’re going through. Share your goals and your success will be sweeter than you could ever have imagined.
Mine was.
Who are the people who keep you writing?
Photo courtesy Flickr’s Andreanna Moya Photography
Ann Aguirre is a bestselling, multi-published author with a degree in English Literature. She is a prolific writer, with nine releases planned for 2011 alone. She writes romantic science fiction and urban fantasy under her own name. As Ava Gray, she writes high-octane romances. She also writes “hot paranormal apocalyptic action” with fellow author Carrie Lofty under the pseudonymn Ellen Connor. Follow her on Twitter.
Really cool story Ann.
I also am a lone wolf when it comes to writing, and I don’t think I’ve participated in a group writing session outside of school.
But I’ve found that operating this way can be difficult; I often suffer from a lack of motivation.
Like you said, it is all about having a support group that can offer criticism, encouragement or just a sense of belonging.
I hope I find something as valuable as you did.
Locking myself in my writing cave, I produce my best work. Toying with the idea of a writing group, I might begin the hunt for the perfect writer friends…
Thanks for encouraging us to step outside our comfort zone.
Great post! I have a nice little group of CP’s who help me edit once I’m ready to finalize a piece, but there are two people in particular who help me from the very start and keep me going through a first draft. They do everything from reading the rough draft as it’s produced to helping me bounce around plot ideas to being brutally honest about the pacing (aka, this part is boring the snot out of me). And most importantly, they let me vent about whatever I need to whenever I need to. I would not trade them for the world. :)
My family cheers me on day to day, including my two kids. Writer buddies check in with me regularly, too. I would’ve lost my mind long ago if not for my support system.
My best writing day was 3612 words (yes, I made a note of that!); I can’t imagine hitting 5k. Congrats on your mega-productivity, Ann, and thanks for the post.
Count me in with the Lone Wolf club. (Wait a second – if we’re loners, I guess we can’t be in a club. Okay, scratch that. Let’s just say that I, too – completely independently from *other* lone wolves, I hasten to add – am a lone wolf. Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way…)
An online writers community I participate in has its own Nano-like marathon, which I’ve never taken part in. However, one interesting component of that program is that writers can post “challenges” at any given time, basically saying, “At 7 o’clock Eastern time, I’m kicking off a challenge – start writing at 7, and post a note here when you hit 500 words. First one to 500 words is the winner!”
Like I said, I didn’t participate in the actual marathon. But one night I was sitting at the computer, feeling like doing some writing, when I noticed that they were about to kick off a 500-word challenge, and I thought “what the hell?”
22 minutes later I was 559 words into a scene that continued to pour out of me over the next day and a half. And I had some fun to boot.
So think of this as a grudging Lone Wolf endorsement: If you want a kick-start – even though it may feel silly or forced – try a similar kind of challenge with writers with whom you correspond online. I did, and it literally helped me finish my book!
Loved to read this post, and know your process. The name is funny. :D
The people who keep me writing are: mu mother (most supportive mom ever), and a few of my NaNoWriMo buddies, whom I’ve met in person, and who keep me inspired and on track.
I run a literary organization in Michigan and actually the ppl that keep me writing is my members.
Seeing what they do and what they accomplish drives me to improve myself.
Networking is the key to keep the writing passion going and I get out there A LOT!! Online and offline.
Ann, I love this. I wish I could say the same, and would write all day, every day in a heartbeat and team up with writing buddies to help push things forward like you have if I could.
Here’s the thing, though: economics are such that I need to work a regular, full-time job. Honestly, I always wonder how all writers except the small percentage who truly earning the equivalent of a decent salary can manage the economics over time. For about a decade I squeaked by on part-time work and wrote during every other possible waking hour. But this was difficult on my family, especially with a small-business-owner husband, and kids whose needs just keep on growing with them! (My oldest is now just six years from college! Yikes!) So here I am, working full time and squeezing in about an hour of writing first thing every morning.
I’m really curious how other writers do it. How many are able to sustain on publishing-related income alone? And for those who can’t, how the heck DO you manage to work out life so that every day is an amazing write-a-palooza?
I’m a loner, and I can’t see the fast draft system working for me, because I have to plot as I go. I enjoy spending time with my characters and watching them grow, and seeing how they respond in a variety of situations, which then fuels the next scene/chapter.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Another great post!
Writer Unboxed is outdoing itself, post after post.
I have to say I’m with Keith here. I write alone.
My wife is a writer, but we literally do our best writing when we are alone or one of us is wearing headphones to drown out the others keyboard tappings.
My normal routine is 2500 to 3500 words per day, five days a week. On good days I’ve passed 4500 words and there’s been a few (3 days in the last 2 months) when I wrote over 5000.
I love the idea of a group motivation, although I’ve just never found anyone as pumped and motivated to write most of the day, day in and day out, without excuses. No disrespect, I know they’re out there, I just write alone so much that I’ve not been aggressive in my search for them.
Thanks again,
Daryl
Sharon, Nathon Bransford wrote an article about this very question and the comments are awesome. Hopefully it’ll answer your question. https://blog.nathanbransford.com/
Aww. Yes, I think good “writing buddies” (which are not necessarily the same as “crit partners,” but might be!) are essential. I’ve got a GREAT bunch — 3 in person, and 2 online (but whom I know in real life, we just don’t live nearby). They really do fuel me through so much, and I attribute much of my growth as a writer to their influences. :)
Great article. Maybe I have had a unique experience in doing NaNo – but what you described here is *exactly* what I have found valuable about doing NaNo in 2008 and 2010.
Each time I was in a new city and needed to make friends. I attend pre-event kick off parties and social events to find writers with a similar mindset and goals, and then create a writers group out of those people that can keep me going long after NaNo is done.
My current group has dubbed themselves the Mad Hatters and we meet once a week for coffee and inspiration. We also keep in touch throughout the week via a Facebook Group we have established.
I write mostly alone, but the social group time and the shared goals help me stay on track and motivated. Highly recommended!
I have two great writers groups that I belong to–but it’s hard to call them ‘groups’ because it’s really a collection of my bestest friends. The most wonderful bit is that because there are so many of us, I can always find someone to bounce ideas off of, I always have a ‘first reader’, and I always have someone to drink coffee with if I need a break!
Teralyn – Interesting Bransford link, thanks. But neither the post nor its comments give any good detail about the down-and-dirty economics I want to know about. Maybe this is fodder for another post?….
You didn’t want to talk about NaNo but you stumbled upon exactly why it works. Community. The excitement is contagious and the support is priceless. Okay, so lots of what is written is less than publishable, but many writers exceed their output for the remaining 11 months of the year in that one month.
I don’t have any writers that I do this with currently, but I like the idea. Perhaps I can enlist a few writer friends.
Obviously no one process will work for everyone, but I was very pleased with how well this went for me — and so were a couple of people who said this process wouldn’t work for them. *g*
What a great story, and my hat goes off to you for doing this in December of all months! It shows your absolute dedication to the craft. I love the idea of setting the goal to get a rough draft in place by the end of the year in such a crazy fashion; I think I’m going to do the same December 2011. Honestly, I feel like it would in fact help with the craziness of the holidays, etc., because it gives you a constructive goal to keep you distracted and fulfilled.
I don’t have close friends that I keep in touch with regarding my writing yet, however once I started my blog last month, just creating that little way of keeping myself accountable has been such an amazing experience. I look forward to meeting writers to be close to, in order to accomplish that much more, and to inspire each other.
I see your FB statuses, Ann. While I could never achieve your word count, your work ethic and fearlessness push me to do more. I’ve recently started doing online writing sprints with friends, and those help tremendously. We all work independently, but there’s comfort in having company.
I’m definitely not fearless. Sometimes I sit and stare a project I need to be revising, like today, and I worry that I won’t make the project better, even with detailed notes from my editor. I feel inadequate and I worry constantly. But the important thing is to try, even when you’re not sure of success. It’s the trying that matters.
I worry constantly. But the important thing is to try, even when you’re not sure of success. It’s the trying that matters.
This just makes you more human, and more amazing, imo.
Am I a huge sap if that post made me a little weepy? Ok, not a sap, but maybe hormonal. I’ll cop to that.
Anyway, right back at you, and I’ve been meaning to email y’all–I did 17 pages yesterday, 4700 words! Might be a personal best, and I don’t think I would even have believed it was possible without the three of you as my shining examples!
Woohoo, go, Louisa, go! You are awesome.
I am pretty motivated all on my own. I have some FABULOUS writing partners, but find our timing is never QUITE right for something small like that. That is why I love NaNoWriMo (and my writing group did one in June last year, too). I wrote more than those 2 books–I wrote 4 last year, but the WriMos sure made it easier to make it a priority (I have a day job, so writing at that pace means neglecting ALL else–family doesn’t like it, but twice a year I can justify it). THIS year my marathoning is on editing, though I still plan to write 3 books (2 in WriMos)
One of my biggest cheerleaders and buttkickers is Anne Brown, who I first met on Writer Unboxed and later bonded with on Twitter and finally in person. She not only inspires with her example (by produces words on the page) but she pushes me to do the same.
Ann,
Really awesome story, and totally inspiring! Thank you!
It sounds like the perfect balance between going it alone (which works, but may be tough to maintain) and co-writing, which requires an even more intense commitment from both parties.
When I’m writing, I have a difficult time working directly with someone else (which I need to work on, because I know there’s a good chance it could mean improvement.) But at the same time, it feels really good when someone else besides me is interested in my progress.
I’m going to start searching for my team immediately!
Thanks again.
Wow! Your track record speaks for itself, too. I write, but not as quickly (or successfully) as you do. Maybe I should take a note from your book!
Yay for a support network! I have to admit, when this idea was first mentioned I agreed but had my doubts. I tend to rebel against any sort of competition when it comes to writing. But I have to admit, after the first few days, getting those emails from Ann, Louisa and Candy really helped me keep going on the draft I was trying to finish. By the end, I was writing 20+ pages a day. I just completed a revision of those pages and I was amazed at how cohesive they were. Everyone works their own process, but sometimes it’s good to shake things up. Thanks for the post, Ann. And thanks for the support.
Tried to post yesterday, to no avail.
Interesting view of year round writing here!
Patricia
PM_Poet Writer
I write my adult books at a slower pace. The YAs, however, require complete immersion, where I become utterly lost in the world and write in manic periods of incredible productivity. My very sage publisher and editor (Jean Feiwel and Liz Szabla) suggested this is probably because being a teenager is very like that, where everything has that intensity, and in order to bring the truth of that feeling to the books, I have to obsess like a teenager. I think they’re most likely right.
I write year round with a group of people I met during NaNo. We call ourselves The Other 11 Months’ and we get together weekly to write, talk and give each other ideas for revision and rewrites.