I feel I have discovered something. That the more I write, the easier it becomes. And the easier it becomes, the faster I write. And the faster I write, the more I write. And the more I write, the more I enjoy writing.
That is a bit of a circle, but it isn't a vicious one. It is positive.
It may sound very simple, and I'm sure that any good writing textbook will say this somewhere and in some form. But it is like a lightbulb moment when it actually happens and you see it in motion.
So far this year, I have written 51,000 words - since the 4th January...
Which is double what I achieved in the previous 7 months, last year.
That means that I actually wrote in 2 months what I wrote in the previous 7 months.
That means that last year, I wrote an average of 7,300 wds per month,
Whereas this year, I have been writing 25,500 words a month.
That means that I have more than tripled my output in January and February.
3.5 times to be exact.
Or 349% more.
How did I do that?
I think the factors are these :
1. I had a target per month.
2. I had a goal to finish.
3. I had actually figured out the plot.
That must mean that planning works better, and wastes less time. All you do is write.
So now I plan to plan as much as is possible, before beginning to write. But I will not let planning to get in the way of writing either. If the planning isn't complete, I will start writing.
That is my plan for the next book. TO PLAN.
Set in 1917 Trinidad, twelve year old Amina becomes very ill with typhoid fever and close to death. Miraculously, she begins to recover, but is horrified to discover that her parents have broken their promise to her, and a marriage is arranged. She hoped to remain in education to become a teacher. But she is prepared to fight, and together with her friend Sumati, they make a pact. But Sumati's falls in love, and takes a path which endangers both of them.
About Me
- Marilyn Rodwell
- The Wedding Drums - my novel set in an early 20C village in Trinidad is almost here. Two young girls, Amina and Sumati plot to escape their arranged marriages and plan to live life following their own dreams. But Sumati falls in love and runs away, putting Amina's plans in jeopardy. Neither of them bank on what is in store for them. Soon they face the adult world of scheming men, corruption, prostitution and violence, and life in the village will never be the same again.
You're an inspiration, Marilyn. I'm so pleased for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne. We all learn something from someone else. And social networking seems to be a good way of doing it. I get spurred on by others too. Hope your writing is going well.
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