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Writing process
I have done a fair bit of writing before and during my studies. My strength lies in creative writing. I've finished three books thus far, published one and I am in the process of editing my third one. All fiction. Cory Doctorow's gives away the big secret when he advises writers to commit to a "short, regular work schedule" of even a page a day, or 20 minutes a day of writing uninterrupted (Doctorow, 2009). It works. I figured that out with my first book. I simply commited to writing two pages a day, every day. For my second book I had set times, with a log in sheet keeping track of my commitment, and managed to pull off between 2 and 5 pages of writing a day.
The math makes sense. Even at 2 pages, something that takes me anything between 30 to 45 minutes, one can write a decent 300 page novel in a 150 days. Less than half a year. What you can do then is write only one page of your next book for 15 - 25 minutes, and edit the first book as well, 2 page per day. Your creative urge is being satisfied while writing a little of something new, while you are on track to have your first book ready for an editor by the end of the year, at which time you can step up your writing of the next book to two pages a day.
For me - and a lot of people - the best time to write is early morning. This is so, simply because if the other people are still sleeping, they can not bother you. Also, even though you may feel tired, as soon as the story begins to flow from your fingers it is better than a shot of coffee in terms of waking you up.
But what about academic writing? It's a different cat, for sure. Give me a pen and a paper and I can write something, immediately. I've never experienced writer's block. IF I can write a story, or poem, that is. Give me an assignment, and I often hear the shutters in my brain make that grinding, screetching sound as they slide down.
And that is exactly why I need to have set times to study and write academic work. I can't wait for inspiration. It only comes after the perspiration. It is the opposite of fiction writing.
Long post.
Eben
Comments
You're published? That's seriously amazing!
I was thinking about writing like that as well, but was kind of for more personal use than taking it public. I feel like my brain gets too full and writing it down helps empty it a bit.
Did you just send the manuscript into a publishing company and were successful that way? You've got me all curious now!
Maybe the blockage that you find with academic writing comes embedded in thinking of a given piece of academic writing as an "assignment." I'll admit that's a less than compelling label: what does it imply? A work requirement, a task not instigated by oneself but rather dictated, and dictated by the one person who is the most audience the "assignment" normally commands: the instructor. (Part of the process of sharing drafts, then, is to guide a rethinking of audience.) So, yeah, the "assignment" is a hard sell, on the broad spectrum of things there are to do. Maybe my assignment is now to come up with a better, more inspiring name for "assignment."
Hi Erin and Prof
Sorry did not see your comments until now. Will need to see if I can get email notifications!
I was only published by a small publisher! Nothing major, and it was in Afrikaans, my first language. Other than that I have published a sci-fi article with a big South African website (litnet.co.za), also in Afrikaans. That's about it. Will hopefully get back to publishing after my M is completed.
You might be right, Prof, about the label. It can't be the only reason, because I know the lack of creativity in academic writing stands out as a major stumbling block for me. However, I will try to see my future writing in a different light from now on!
Eben