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Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024

1:02pm EST

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Writing Blog Number 2

by Santeven Quokklaus

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2311764

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario.

An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 21, 2024 at 12:34am
In response to "20241221 Kudzu Plotting"

IMO Anne McCaffrey does this well with the parallel Dragonriders of Pern and Harper Hall trilogies. Adults-with-dragons; youth with fire-dragons. Memorable world building. Wonderful characters.

Kudzu the plant... only a curse for those who don't know its uses: forage, food, fiber.

Santeven Quokklaus

Dec 19, 2024 at 7:09pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

🐕GeminiGem🎁 - I chose Grease because it is so egregious and goes against everything Sandy had demonstrated up to that point. Dirty Dancing was set a few years later (early 60s), and, though Baby changes, it is gradual and is more a change of growing up, being true to herself. So, I think the time period can be used effectively without being so demeaning. As I see it.

🐕GeminiGem🎁

Dec 19, 2024 at 6:58pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

I agree that when a woman changes herself to attract a man shows misogyny and is annoying...but...using the movie Grease as an example it an interesting choice. Yes, the lead female changes her appearance to appeal to the male. I think it was more because of peer pressure, but the peer pressure happened because of the pervasive misogyny of the peers. Interestingly, the male character does the exact same thing for the same reasons.

The movie is set in the 1950's, a time where the misogyny we see now is even waaaay worse. So, here is a thought. If you are writing about a time period like that and are showing social interactions of the characters, something like the pervasive misogyny is going to be true to the time and place the story takes place. Does that excuse it? No, of course not, but having present-day sensibilities in an era like that would make the story seem really off.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 19, 2024 at 3:57am
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

In my travels I try to connect with most everyone. I wonder what my stats would be... but many contacts have names whether human or not, whether the boss or 'servant' or guest.

In my writings...

thinking.

I do have characters without names.

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 18, 2024 at 3:54pm
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

As someone who is an Aunt to two children who have an age difference of four years, I can definitely tell you that they act completely different. Even though one of them is neurodivergent, the older one definitely acts more mature than the younger one.(also the older one has never tried to lick my feet.)

With very few exceptions, I've never had to tell an adult "stop eating my dress," "please don't lick me" or "stop pulling my hair," to anyone over the age of six. Yet within the last year or so I've had to tell my five year old niece these things repeatedly. She thinks this is hilarious.

Anyways, thanks for pointing out that kids aren't just miniature adults! I'll try to keep that in mind while writing.

Santeven Quokklaus

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:44am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

Elisa: Snowman Stik - Writing about those who are neurodivergent is not something I feel I can talk about comfortably. I am trained as a teacher of those on the spectrum, and so I would not write a character in that regard because I do not feel it is my story to tell. But, yes, that last point may not apply to a child with developmental issues.

1 Like

Elisa: Snowman Stik

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:28am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

I am curious if there is wiggle room for the last point for child characters with developmental disabilities. (I do recognize this kind of character presents its own set of development pitfalls in terms of depicting the disability without stereotyping. That said, I think this can be a reasonable exception to the rule when done with care.)

1 Like

Dave Ryan

Dec 16, 2024 at 1:26am
In response to "20241216 Poor Characterisation"

There was once a variation of "compressed vice" in an original episode of Star Trek ("Who Mourns for Adonais?"), where a landing party of the usual suspects + one random never-seen-before-or-since female crew member are captured by the god Apollo and they turn the usually gruff Scotty into a simpering, love-struck puppy to try to introduce some conflict when Apollo puts the moves on her. Why they didn't just have Kirk horndogging it as usual I do not know - at least then everybody would have remained consistently in character. It looks like Scotty, it sounds like Scotty, but WTF?

1 Like

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 14, 2024 at 3:41pm
In response to "20241214 Punk Genres"

This is interesting yet confusing. So basically it's like world building but with the word "punk" in there to make it sound cooler.
Maybe I misunderstand.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 7, 2024 at 2:55am
In response to "20241207 Problems With Using Reality"

That or "to-ell-wit-it" and suffer the consequences.

Every society draws the lines differently. A traveler needs to be aware. Even words matter. The British and Thais are strict when it comes to slander.

May 3, 2024 at 12:06am

#1070445

20240503 How Long Does Writing Take?

How Long Does Writing Take?

This comes from Elfycia Lee ☮ asking me a question after yesterday’s blog post:
”Let's say you are to write a 5k words short story. How long does it take you?
My teacher kinda made us outline and write five drafts within a week. Is that doable or I'm just slow? Okay, I know that you said to each our own. Just very curious.
It takes me a whole week to write a first draft for a 5k-word.”

First, I will say this – five drafts in a week is excessive, and when I was a teacher I would never demand that of any students. It feels like giving work for the sake of giving work. Okay, got that off my chest.

Right. To the crux of the question – speed of writing.

There is nothing right or wrong. And no two writers are the same. However, in general, it will often come down to if you are a plotter or pantser (see "20240120 Plotting and Pantsing"

).

Now, if you are a plotter, then the planning phase generally take the longest , and even for a short story, this can take weeks. But once you have the plan sorted, the writing phase generally can be relatively quick, and edits tend to be less about story and character because you worked it out beforehand.

If you are a pantser, then the initial writing phase takes less time because you want to get the idea out before you lose it. However, because of the rush, there is a greater chance of character and plot errors.

For the record, I am a chronic pantser, and very, very rarely plot anything.

But time.

Look, you need to work at what speed suits you. In general, if an idea is there, and either a plan is finished or a pantser is on a role, the average according to many sites seems to be 1000 words a day. However, in my creative writing degree, the lecturers gave us 1000 to 1500 words a day as an average. But averages mean half write more and half write less.

Using Elfycia Lee ☮’s example, a 5000 word story would take me 1 to 2 days to finish a first draft. My former editor would have taken a week to two weeks. Stephen King would have taken a day. Lionel Fanthorpe would have written three in a day. JD Salinger would have taken a month or more.

This brings me to a point I think needs to be made:
Do not compare yourself to other writers.

Every writer is different. I have found in the past in some writing groups that people feel intimidated by my word count when I am on a roll. Last year during NaNoWriMo I wrote more than 153k words in a month. That averages out to 5000+ words a day. On my local NaNo server, some writers stopped because of how I was going (and one other woman who ended up clearing off 225k words for the month).

NaNoWriMo is one of the few times when you are required to write a certain word count in a certain time. Others include entering contests, submitting to open calls, and getting work finished before a life event (surgery, marriage, etc.).

In the end, though, you are the writer and you know what is best for you.

There was a writer whose name escapes me who wrote a sentence a day, but he would agonise over each word, and sometimes he would rewrite that sentence the next day. In that regard, if you edit as you go, that is going to slow you. If you change your plan as you go, this is going to slow you. If you get into a groove, that is going to speed you up. But pace is individual.

How long does it take to write anything?

Does it matter?

3 Like • Comment

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