Alternatives
to Butt Glue
The previous posts in this series have been
about time management and understanding how to best use your time. This one is
a little different and is probably the post you have been waiting for. This
post is focusing on weird and alternative ways to write.
I have not used all of these to complete a
novel myself, so I am relying heavily on articles, pod cast and books by other
people. However there are people who use all of these methods successfully who
are currently published and best sellers in some capacity, so it is possible
for all of them to work and work well.
It is also a perfect example of the fact that
there is no one right way to do anything. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of
'right ways' and every individual can tweak those methods to suit themselves
and their needs.
One thing you must consider though, is a lot
of people are very adamant about 'their way' and 'what works for them', but if
'your way' and 'what works for you' isn't getting you the word count you want,
then it isn't actually the right way for you.
Let me say that again.
IF YOU GRIMLY CLING TO 'YOUR WAY' OF DOING
THINGS, BUT YOUR WAY ISN'T GIVING YOU RESULTS, YOU ARE WRONG.
My 'way' of writing is constantly evolving.
And if I hear of a new method or technique, I like to give it a try. Sometimes
I only try it once or twice before deciding it doesn't work for me. I might get
no words, or the words I get are terrible. I suffer TMJ and for that reason any
writing methods that involve speaking out loud don't work well for me. I get a
terrible headache and swollen jaw. However in most cases I would not suggest
giving up on a method because it is 'uncomfortable'. Most new skills are
difficult or uncomfortable to begin with. And these methods are all skills.
They will take time, but hopefully only a week or so, to master.
Holidays and
Rabbit Holes
Rabbit Holes, for the uninitiated, are events
where writers gather in a location for several days in a row attempting to get
a specific word count. Usually 10k each day. Over three days, that is 30k in
total. The durations of rabbit holes and the desired word count can vary.
Writing holidays or writing retreats often
work in the same way, except instead of going somewhere (a library, cafe, event
room) you are at a location other than your house. Some writing retreats are
very focused, with a mentor and exercises and feedback. However I've always
preferred the writers retreats where a bunch of mates and I hire a cabin,
drink, eat too much and write for three days.
I know some authors who have booked a cabin
or caravan for a week or fortnight, gone alone, and written and entire 100k
novel in that time. If you do that twice a year, that's a career. Go you.
I think it's an excellent alternative for
people who can't write on a day to day basis. However you have to be the sort
of person who can sit down and write 10k in a day. Writing from dawn to dusk
(or dusk to dawn, if you are that way inclined) requires a lot of stamina. I
have done it a few times in my life and it is HARD. However it is equally AWESOME, so don't let
the hard part turn you off.
I think having a detailed synopsis is a
must--though some people may be able to disprove this theory. Still, at the
very least, a detailed synopsis and a lot of planning are more likely to help
you succeed. And by planning, I mean, having four or five small, easy meals for
each day, heat packs ready for cramps from sitting so long and anything else
you need to keep you comfortable.
If you have to go out in the middle of the
day to pick something up you forgot, it's going to derail the whole day. 10k a
day essentially means writing 1k an hour, every hour, all day. However it can
be an excellent way to bang out a novel if you find you just can't focus at
home or around other commitments.
Plus, finishing an entire novel in a week is
one of the best feelings in the world.
Dictation,
Dictation, Dictation
Dictation is one of the fastest growing ways
of writing a novel. This is because recent developments online have made it much
easier. Sadly, voice to text software is still balls. However what has made
voice to text viable is our access to other countries and lots of skilled
labour.
There are numerous websites now that offer
virtual assistants. Many for as little as $3 or $4 an hour. Recording yourself
digitally, then sending the audio file to a virtual assistant to have them type
it up can be a huge time saver and much cheaper than it was ten years ago when
outsourcing was impossible for the small vendor.
The work will, of course, still need to be
edited and you will have to be very clear with your virtual assistant what you
want from them. Give them a style guide to work with and be sure to give a
reasonable time frame and a time limit that is within your budget.
Depending on what you receive back, it may
also be worth finding a virtual assistant editor. But that will depend on your
own time and budget.
The benefits of the dictation method is that
you can write while doing other things. For example, you can write while driving
to work by simply recording yourself speaking in the car. You can also write
while exercising, regardless of if you are walking the dog around the block, or
using exercise equipment. You can write while doing housework and cooking. You
might even be able to write at work, depending on what your job is. Speaking is
much faster than typing and when you develop the skills to speak your novels
instead of writing them, you can easily write 10k-20k a day.
However this is a matter of skill. From what
I have heard, it takes a while for the brain to switch from 'telling' mode into
the 'showing' prose that is favoured by readers and publishers. It can also
feel very unnatural at first.
To speed up the learning process, read books
out loud for a few hours each week. Also, listen to audio books, so your brain
can move easily between 'words on a page' and 'words coming out of your mouth'.
Death by a
Thousand Cuts
This is my preferred high word count method.
It's how I get 50k most months very easily and sometimes 5k in a single day.
It's very different to what I see suggested in a lot of time management and
productivity books, but it works for me. By golly, does it work for me.
The idea is reasonably simple. Every 15-30
minutes, take no more than five minutes to write 100 words. Between writing
time, you can do other things. Housework, cooking, your primary job. 100 words
is equal to a short email. In fact, you can easily write your 100 words in an
email and send them to yourself, then collate them at the end of the day.
If you're awake sixteen hours in a day and
you write 100 words every half hour, you have written 3200 words. If you write
100 words every 15 minutes, you would write 6400 words in a day. The three
paragraphs in this section 'death by a thousand cuts' are already 180 words.
Almost double what I am suggesting you write.
The benefit of writing for a minute or two,
then going away and doing something else for the next 20 minutes, is that by
the time you write your next 100 words, you've had time to think about exactly
what they will be. Quickly type them in, and you're off again.
This method is great for people who are:
1. Not able to look at screens for long
periods.
2. Supervising children.
3. At work and can't just sit and write all
day.
4. Busy with a lot of other tasks.
However the downside is that you have to
develop a skill, whereby you are able to snap your attention quickly and easily
between different things. And, you have to always been thinking about your
novel in the back of your mind, ready to quickly jot down those next 100 words.
If you don't have a great memory, and
instantly forget what your last 100 words says, this will also be hard for you.
However these are skills that can be developed and that will become easier the
more often you do it. Memory and attention are not static things that you
either have or don't have. Like lifting weights or running long distances, they
are muscles you develop with training.
If you are doing housework I recommend
setting up a laptop somewhere you can reach it standing. Or you can use the
mobile phone method I discuss later. Death by a thousand cuts is also very
suitable for pantsers, as it allows thinking time that is also productive
between paragraphs. If you are at work, have a document open (google docs is
good) that you can just casually flip back and forth between during tasks. Something
you can close on short notice is good, in case you are interrupted.
Death By A Thousand Cuts is arguably the most
productive writing method, after dictation.
Word wars
Word wars are when a group (or pair) of
writers set a timer and write for the same period. The person with the highest
word count at the end 'wins'. What they win is up for debate. Usually just
bragging rights. Word wars were popularised by nanowrimo and can be done online
or in person. It is great for people who tend to have time to write, but just
bum around or can't focus.
Having other people holding you accountable
in the moment you are writing is EXTREMELY motivating.
Usually word wars last between 15 and 30
minutes. I prefer 15 minute sprints and I would usually get about 700 words
each sprint. As you can see, four fifteen minute sprints can net me around 2800
words. I know people who get a lot more. In fact, I rarely, if ever, win Word
Wars.
The time limit and the accountability really
free up those mental blocks and allow you to just get stuff down. Remember, you
can edit a bad page, but you can't edit a blank one.
If you have a set Word War time every day and
even just do one or two sprints, 15-30 minutes can land you 500-2000 words,
which is better than zero words by 500-2000%.
Organised
Writing Groups
Like Word Wars, or often in conjunction with
Word Wars, are writing groups that meet up on weeknights or weekends to sit together
in cafes or living rooms to write. Again, many of these form around nanowrimo
and often continue throughout the year. The Brisbane nanowrimo group does Write
Ins at a coffee shop most Saturdays. It works for the same reason Word Wars
work, plus it gets out you out of the house and away from distractions.
If you do it weekly, it also becomes a
routine and a positive habit. Plus, you have the social support of other
writers and you have the chance to become well entrenched in a writing
community. Which will, in turn, encourage you to write more.
Look for positive, friendly people who match
your needs and a time that suits you, then make a commitment to go to every
session for a few months until it becomes habit.
Mobile Phone
Novels
Mobile Phone Novels are both a genre and a
method for writing. In this case, I am talking about the method, but google the
genre for a really interesting journey into an emerging literary culture.
While you're there, google Peter V Brett, who
wrote 'a significant portion' of his epic fantasy novel on his mobile phone
riding the subway to and from work. Peter is not an outlier, as both my
co-author Meg, and another friend of mine, have done significant amounts of
writing on their phone. Meg has probably done about 150k words on her phone
this year alone, co authoring with me using our 'death by a thousand cuts'
method.
Another friend of mine ended up writing and
editing his novel on his phone for a few months after his laptop died a tragic
death.
If you are going to write on your phone, use
dropbox, google docs, or something similar and BACK UP YOUR FILES at the end of
every day. Trust me, you do not want to take chances here. However most phones
can read rtf, so paired with dropbox, that is a great option.
Because of my poor vision, this is not
something I do personally. Text needs to be huge for me to read it. However you
always have your phone with you. So if you have dropbox and a rtf ready, you
can write anywhere, any time. Waiting rooms, grocery shopping, if you are the
passenger in a car, bus or train, on your lunch break at work, at church during
the sermon (I only do that sometimes, I know it makes me a terrible person),
during commercial breaks.
Again, paired with 'death by a thousand cuts'
you can really rack up the words if you are vigilant when looking for a few
spare minutes to get another dozen words. Or it can allow you to turn your
daily bus/train commute into writing time.
Set it up on your phone, even if it's just
for taking notes or brainstorming when you're out. Every word counts.
And that is
the complete five part series on time management:
If you like me, buy and review my books,
because that will inspire other people to buy them too:
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