How to be . . .
A Working Writer. Note that I didn’t say anything about ‘earning’ – that could be too much to ask!
WARNING: This is a rant!
Why this topic? Because I just read (and not for the first time, probably not for the last time) that a person out there (another one) seems to think that if any person says they are a writer, they can’t possibly be a ‘true’ or ‘real’ writer if it (a book/story/novel) can be done in less time than, say, another writer (one they like, and not the other one who pushes out so many they could be termed mercenary).
I realize people have the right to their own opinions, but please, don’t tar that brush on all other people in the same business/profession. We are not all the same!
In a group of five people (writers), there will probably be one or two who plan (but the plans will not necessarily look similar, or even be recognisable as plans), and one or two who will tinker with an outline-y type thing with a few words in a table to show details of character before they go off into the world of creating the story. And one person of the five will dive right in and not consider any type of preliminary structure – let it all hang out!
Does it matter if one, more, or all of these people create and complete their product at the rate of one per year, or ten per year? Does it mean that the ten products is ‘bad’ literary work because of the time worked on only? Is there not a single writer out there who can (and probably does) create multiple works in one year that are quality? There are. I know it and you know it, and I am heartily sick of the people who knock the multiple producers.
We are not all the same. We don’t look the same, talk the same, dress the same, and not all writers work at the same pace.
These are the words that annoyed me:
excerpt (and name removed)
“Know that books of true quality take time to write, just as they take time to truly read and digest and, yes, fully savor. You are not required to pump out a book–or multiple books–each year. Those “writers” (and I use this term loosely) who do so either have a host of hackish Ghost Writers working under them or end up producing poor-quality excuses for literature or, in most cases, both”
The example is only one of many. It’s annoying for many reasons, but the main ones are that WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME and DON’T TAR ME WITH YOUR BRUSH and more, but . . . I don’t like to start my day angry (unless there’s a spot in the story where it could be useful to wear while I write).
In response: I read (with full comprehension when required) 7-10 books a week. It is possible. It is enjoyable. I don’t sit around all day reading. I read during ad breaks, at night before going to bed, on public transport, while waiting in all the places a person waits – any opportunity to read is used for reading.
I write about 50k words a week. Probably half of this is secondary research notes, but it’s still writing. It’s my job. Every day. Work.
Therefore, based on the squiggly words expressed by these harpies, I must be one of the ‘loosely’ termed writers who produce poor-quality excuses for literature.
Let’s get this straight (for all of you who want to consider that time is the only element of quality) – literature, as a term, is overrated. Most of the works out there don’t fit the term. They were never intended to fit the term. What I do is write stories, that’s all. Stories. I don’t want the people who search for ‘true literary form’ to come to my stories.
And these are my numbers:
I can write 5-10k words per day; at least half is secondary research notes, so let’s say, as a minimum starting point:
2,500 words per day times 350 days (I get sick days, okay) Equals 875,000 words per year. Divide those words by the number of books I want to publish (five, at this stage), so:
875,000 / 5 = 175,000 words.
So, for all you nitty-pickers – WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME!
Examples (does not include short stories):
Stephen King (60 books approx. but probably more)
versus
George RR Martin (20? approx.).
Please don’t say that Martin is better quality because he takes more time to write a novel; at least, don’t tell Stephen King that or you might end up being one of the character’s in a story that ends up . . . garishly, gruesomely, dead. That’s what I’d do to someone who annoyed me by making silly comments.
Each writer is different, unique, and works alone in their own way.
And the ones who employ ghost-writers as a factory-style business: To them comes the money, the earnings from their business, because on average, a writer (Australian numbers) earns $13k per annum. All that work for such a small return! Don’t you think it might be sensible to create a back-list, get a few novels out there, so you can earn enough to pay your bills? I do. So good luck to all writers; I hope one day you’ll have good earnings from your endeavours.
And now that I’ve warmed up my writing hands, I’m off to work for the rest of the day.
