Archives for September 2015

Three of my favorite books on writing faster are 5000 Words Per Hour by Chris Fox,2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron, and Writing In Overdrive by Jim Denney. Each has valuable insights of their own, but also share a common theme. Fast writing is not bad writing. We don’t have to agonize over each word before moving on.Some legendary authors do it that way. I read that Kurt Vonnegut perfected each page before moving on. Personally, I tend to start from the beginning when writing organically, which results in the first three chapters being heavily polished. The words come harder after 30k words, because it becomes more and more time consuming to read from the beginning as the novel grows.It is a good method and I like it. So does the author of Story Trumps Structure, Steven James. Writing organically is sometimes fast and often slow, but there are many real advantages, assuming you don’t get stuck. I will talk more about this in a separate article.This article is not about plotting versus pantsting, but about productivity.The Number One Reason to Write FastThe best reason to write quickly is not just to make your word count everyday, but to find continuity. There is a high probability that a rapidly written story (a novel in one month or two weeks or nine days…) will need a lot of revision and editing. Parts may be destined for the circular file. But you will learn a lot about your characters and their journey. There is also a good chance that the first draft will be better (and more consistent) than you could have hoped for. As a bonus, all those rabbit trails might be the start of other stories with real potential.So try this to jumpstart your writing:1) Brainstorm an outline in one day; create a list of scenes and characters.2) Set that outline aside and refer to it only when necessary if at all.3) Set a high word count goal for each day am meet it.4) Do not edit anything.5) Take a break before revising.The results may surprise you.

This has been one of the hardest decisions I have made in years. After putting a lot of time effort and money into the Grendel Uprising project, I have decided to pull the first to episodes (Proof of Death and Blood Royal) from publication. My original goal was to publish one episode a month. Other projects and obligations have interfered. So today I removed them from Amazon.I will begin working on the Grendel Uprising projects after completing the final two books of the Chronicles of Kin Roland Series (Weapons of Earth and King of Hellsbreach).I’d like to thank everyone up to this point for their support and assure fans of the Grendel Uprising series that once complete, it will be a story to remember.Thanks,Scott Moon