I recently heard about this thing called words per minute. It is a measure of how many words per minute a person types. It is used as a speed measurement to explore how long it would take to write the first draft of a book.
The idea is that you sit down in a quiet place, with no interruptions, ideally for at least 30 minutes. There will be no editing, no thinking, nothing besides putting idea on paper. The goal isn't to focus on the craft but on getting the ideas on paper. Though it can be done on paper or digitally, the end result is to count the number of words written and extrapolate how long it would take to write an entire first draft.
When I first heard this, I didn't think much of it. Exactly because my first draft is usually rubbish. But the argument for it is - the first draft is the hardest to get done. It is usually starting that is the problem. And once the first draft is done, it is easier to get the editing and such done. The momentum of the first draft gives you the boost to keep going.
And so, I did just that. I set out to write nonstop for over 30 minutes on my book. It was tedious. I didn't realize how hard it is to write for that long since it takes me minutes to write my daily posts.
But I did it. And the result of that experiment was about 1000 words in 30 minutes.
So if I set out to write a book of 80,000 words, it would take me 40 hours of serious put my head down writing.
Seeing it that way makes it seem so doable.
The idea is that you sit down in a quiet place, with no interruptions, ideally for at least 30 minutes. There will be no editing, no thinking, nothing besides putting idea on paper. The goal isn't to focus on the craft but on getting the ideas on paper. Though it can be done on paper or digitally, the end result is to count the number of words written and extrapolate how long it would take to write an entire first draft.
When I first heard this, I didn't think much of it. Exactly because my first draft is usually rubbish. But the argument for it is - the first draft is the hardest to get done. It is usually starting that is the problem. And once the first draft is done, it is easier to get the editing and such done. The momentum of the first draft gives you the boost to keep going.
And so, I did just that. I set out to write nonstop for over 30 minutes on my book. It was tedious. I didn't realize how hard it is to write for that long since it takes me minutes to write my daily posts.
But I did it. And the result of that experiment was about 1000 words in 30 minutes.
So if I set out to write a book of 80,000 words, it would take me 40 hours of serious put my head down writing.
Seeing it that way makes it seem so doable.