ext_118116 ([identity profile] jomk.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] stephaniecain 2010-05-16 01:05 am (UTC)

Re: jumping in

Jillian, the short answer to that is no. Not a method. I don't know any two writers who write in the same way. It all depends on the project.

Revisions, if they're due back quickly, then it can be 12-14 hour days, or until my back and eyes can't take it. Deadlines can be that way, too.

When I start a book, I write about 5 - 7 pages per day, 7 days a week. After the midpoint, I'm usually at 10ppd, and in the race to the finish it's 15-20. Mostly, I take no days off while I'm in a book. But some days I don't write at all. Usually when I realize I've made a wrong turn in my plotting. I then have to do other things so my subconscious can work out where I screwed up and how to fix it.

It's an imperfect system that tends to be the same for me now that I've written for so many years. But I write genre fiction, my books are about 250 ms pages. I need to write 4 to 5 books per year. It's my only income, so there's not a lot of wiggle room.

It also took me a long time to come to this "system" and it's changed a lot over the years. It's unique, as every writer's methods is unique. I had to try a lot of stuff that didn't work to get here.

As far as having a life, I don't have a huge one. I play with the dogs, talk to my LJ friends, my housemate, twitter every day. But I don't see many movies or go many places. When I'm not writing, I do whatever I can to have fun, but it's not a balanced life. For me, it works, and it's comfortable. I know people who write full time and really do have full lives. With husbands/kids whatever. I have no idea how they do that. Although come to think of it, most of them have a second income in their family.


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