Writers First Aid

Quantity Improves Quality

December 16, 2009

write While the Christmas season may have put a crimp in your writing schedule (it has mine!), it’s not too soon to be thinking about writing in the new year. With that in mind, I’m repeating some advice from a writer who knows what she’s talking about–and is well worth listening to. Heeeeere’s Jane!

Telling It Like It Is

Two years ago at a workshop, award-winning writer Jane Yolen made a statement that stunned the group of fourteen published writers who attended. Before the workshop, Jane had read and critiqued chapters submitted by each writer.

When she handed back the critiqued manuscripts, she said (paraphrased), “Half of you here have as much talent as I do. About one-fourth of you probably have more talent than I do.” (Imagine fourteen mouths dropping open in disbelief.) “But,” Jane added, looking around the circle of writers, “I guarantee you that I write more than any of you.”

Quantity AND Quality

She claimed it was a big key to her immense success. If we wanted to grow as writers, she advised us to write every single day, even for just half an hour, and for two reasons. One was to keep our minds immersed in our writing projects. The second—the most important to me—was that daily writing should improve the quality of our writing.

I had signed up for the workshop, hoping to find the “magic key” I needed to bring my writing up a notch or two. And there it was: write more. If you want to bring your writing up to the next level, write more. If you want to improve in your handling of the English language and all its creative components, write more. If you want to publish more, fall in love with writing again, and feel like a “real writer,” write more.

How Much and When?

The workshop weekend also included a private 15-minute critique with Jane. We were allowed to ask anything we liked. Among other things, I wanted to know her writing schedule—especially as I knew from her online journal that she traveled extensively to speak and she was (like most mothers and grandmothers) very involved with her family.

Come to find out, Jane does write a lot—and read a lot—but it wasn’t some horrendous schedule like ones I’d heard about. I had half expected another “I get up at 3 a.m. and write for twelve hours, seven days a week” explanation for her prolific output. But that wasn’t the case.

She got to her desk at a decent time, maybe around 8 or 9, did some email and checked a few things, then got to work. If my memory is correct, she said she worked till mid-afternoon or so on those days she was home to write. She wasn’t a hermit though—she frequently had meetings and dinners with friends.

She travels to speak many days out of the average month. She deals with family and life issues like everyone else. Still, I believed her statement about writing more than all of us was probably true. She has a huge number of published books of the highest award quality to show for it.

Start Where You Are

Sure, many of us can’t write five hours every day. There are full-time day jobs, children and grandchildren underfoot, sick parents to care for, etc. But to improve in our writing, we all need to start somewhere. We’re just talking about writing more. Writing more for you might be increasing from two hours per week to three, or increasing daily writing time by fifteen minutes.

So what’s the big deal about writing more? Well, it’s been shown that more hours spent writing equals more quantity equals better quality. “Writing more” certainly produces more quantity: more stories, articles, books, plays. But I think the often overlooked “plus” of writing more is that your quality goes up.

Real Results

In the month after the workshop, I wrote more “new words” and did more revising than probably in the previous six months. The drafts got cleaner, and descriptive language started to flow, with less effort on my part. (Sometimes it even surprised me, since similes and metaphors have never come willingly to my typing fingers.)

I hope to get closer and closer to Jane’s advice about writing every day. As Susan Shaughnessy says in Walking on Alligators, “Writers are those who write…Days off are deadly. One follows another, and all too soon fears creep back in. Nothing is as easily delayed as writing.”

One of my writing goals for 2010 is simply to write a lot more. In these final days of 2009, I’ll be exploring strategies to do that.

Post tags: discipline, focus, getting started, goals, habits, motivation, perseverance, schedules, strategy, time management, writing habits, writing output, writing schedule

Posted in: discipline,goals,habits,Jane Yolen,writing habits,writing output | | Comments (14)

14 Comments »

Let’s do it! Thanks for sharing the wisdom of Jane Yolen, a writer I greatly admire.

Comment by Jane Healy — December 16, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
Yes, yes, and YES! I’ve found this to be true every time I’m writing more. The quality goes up, somehow.

Jane is WONDERFUL! And she lives a full life.

Comment by Vijaya — December 16, 2009 @ 3:19 pm
Kristi, as the year winds down and the season brings on its joys and challenges, I want to thank you for the gift of this blog. Truly, it is the gift that keeps on giving. You are generous beyond measure. One thing that really stuck out about your interview with Ms. Yolen is how relaxed she is about her writing. It is woven into the fabric of her life, and she doesn’t seem to stress out over it. It seems that a daily, but modest commitment (e.g even as little as a page a day)will build the the quality that takes one’s writing to the next level. I know that’s how novels are written: one page at time; one sentence at time; one word at a time. Her natural, stress-free approach is quite appealing. She reminds me a little of Brenda Ueland, whose classic If You Want to Write, I consider to be the very best book on writing. Thank you again, Kristi, for this thoughtful post. It serves as a gentle guide into the New Year.

Comment by Anne Bromley — December 16, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
OK. New item on the goal list. Check. Thanks!

Comment by Yvette — December 16, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
OK, I can see how this would help, but here’s my question. Does revising and editing count as “writing”? I can’t have endless 1st drafts of projects and never finish any because I have to keep producing ‘new words’. I’ve never figured out how to work that out. I suppose regular blogging would help output… But after NaNoWriMo, I have a lot of revising to do! Doesn’t that count? Or should we always have a new project going?

Amy

Comment by Amy Simon — December 17, 2009 @ 8:57 am
This was just the kick in the bum I needed! Thanks!

Comment by Laura Helweg — December 17, 2009 @ 9:48 am
Good advice. Not the first time I’ve heard this. But, like you mentioned, life gets in the way and it is easy to make excuses. I think, to get the ball rolling, I’ll write about my excuses instead of just voicing them…haha

Comment by Selena — December 17, 2009 @ 10:17 am
This was a great post and something I needed to hear right now. I’ve been struggling finding time to write, granted it is December, but I needed that push to increase my writing time. Definitely a wonderful goal for 2010.

Comment by Jennifer R. — December 17, 2009 @ 10:59 am
Jane, I admire her so much too. She was the best workshop leader I’ve ever had.

Vijaya, I find the same thing. And it doesn’t take weeks or months of writing to improve the quality. Along about the third or fourth day, I can tell a definite difference.

Anne, thank you so much for your kind words about the blog. So often, as you probably know, I am preaching to myself! Yes, Jane’s approach DOES seem relaxed, a gentle “just do it” kind of thing. And yes, Brenda Ueland’s classic is still one of the very best writing books I’ve read. If people don’t own it, they should put it on their Christmas Wish list!

Yvette, it’s on my checklist too! I am trying to make myself taking smaller bites though. I need goals like “increase writing time this week by ten minutes daily” instead of my usual “write four hours this week, five hours next week, six the following” etc.!

Amy, revising and editing most certainly DOES count as writing. Without the revising—which for me is about four times as long as the writing of new words—you never would have a finished manuscript. When I’m doing a rough draft, I count words and have word goals. When revising, I have hours goals. (e.g. “I will revise two hours today.”) Sometimes that two hours revises a whole chapter if it’s pretty clean already. Sometimes that two hours revises only one page (like today!) It was a pivotal scene and giving me fits!

Laura, glad the swift kick met its mark.

Selena, all joking aside, they say that if you’ll open a journal page and just write about why you don’t want to write or what the plot problem is or whatever—that you will start writing with very little trouble. So go right ahead and write about your excuses! Or put them in the mouth of your characters!

Jennifer, I need that push myself. I took on way too many things in December, and I’m just very grateful that I haven’t been sick. The January calendar looks so white and clean!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2009 @ 11:43 am
Kristi,
Thanks for the response. That makes lot of sense – time oriented goals for revising and then word count goals for 1st drafts. I liked in NaNo how the “just do it” mentality worked for me of cranking out words and I think I’ll use more of that in my 1st drafts.

Thanks also for the blog posts! I find them very helpful. I think we read a lot of the same books and magazines.

Amy

Comment by Amy Simon — December 17, 2009 @ 1:08 pm
As usual you are right on, Kristi. I desire to write as much as possible but actually WRITING is a difficult task. It seems I make more excuses NOT to write than if I just sat down and wrote something! Sure, with my four munchkins under eight, a full time job and the usual time-suckers, it is difficult to find time. Difficult but not impossible. I was reading something the other day that stirred something in me regarding motivation versus passion. You can have all the passion in the world but unless you are motivated to pursue that passion, it is virtually meaningless.

Comment by Kirk Kraft — December 17, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
This was quite a frustrating post for me to read.

After forcing myself to write more all year, and just NOT getting the quality I wanted, I took a break, even though I didn’t want to.

After my second attempt at Nanowrimo, and failing to produce much of anything,

I’ve worked on a novel for the last 5 years, going on 6, and I’m still getting responses from readers that think this is my FIRST draft, when it reality I’m past the 40 draft mark. Seriously.

I wish I had Jane’s mindset, but frankly I don’t have the fun with writing I once did.

No matter how many stories I wrote this year, they’re still not as good as my novel, and no amount of positive thinking will make me delude myself into thinking otherwise.

Comment by C.J. Rockwell — December 17, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
Hm. Okay – burning question emerges: what if I still can’t decide WHAT to write? I am definitely not a fiction person – at least I don’t think I am. And when it comes to nonfiction, I feel like just another voice crying in the wilderness. Like I don’t really have anything significant enough to say. I guess I’m most passionate about writing poetry & prayers, but is that something that you can really be so structured about? Do you just write and hope some purpose and direction evolves from your efforts? I write best in response to someone’s need – i.e. I often write prayers for my church, just finished writing/editing a book of prayers and reflections for them. Am I just largely undisciplined and lacking purpose?

Comment by Dianne — December 17, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Amy, you’re welcome! It’s a system that works for me anyway.

Kirk, your circumstances closely mirror my own when I started writing. One good thing about learning to write like this is that it only gets easier! Truly, when you train yourself to concentrate and write even in the midst of jobs and kids and busy-ness, you can write anytime and anywhere. Good luck!

C.J., I hear your frustration. I would be too if I’d worked on a book that long and didn’t see improvement. Have you considered setting that project aside for a few months or a year, and working on something fresh and new? It might bring back the fun, for one thing. And it might give you some perspective on the book you’ve worked on for years. Just an idea…Good luck!

Dianne, if you write in response to someone’s need, no, I don’t suppose you can structure that like Jane does. But I’m quite sure that writing more—whether it’s prayers or reflections or essays—will help you write better. It gives you more command of the language and vocabulary, more ways to say things with clarity and “punch,” tighter ways of saying wordy things, etc. I think writing more produces better writing, regardless of the type or your schedule.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 18, 2009 @ 7:36 am