zephyrtrillian
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2025
- Messages
- 75
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I've never written professionally (or semi-professionally) before.
I just completed a month of balls-to-the-wall, full-time output.
Over the month, I developed my style, my voice, my workflow, and my writing technique. I also wrote 19 chapters.
I can see that the quality of my chapters slid as I went along and got closer and closer to burnout. Even Stephen King, who is a seasoned author, only writes 2000 words a day. I was doing 2500+, editing, learning, refining...
I wouldn't recommend this or do it again. However, I can say that my skills have dramatically increased.
I started the month not really knowing what I was doing. I only ever wrote as a roleplayer before, maybe a short story here and there. Writing a manuscript takes a different level of determination and dedication. It also requires a different way of thinking.
Stuff I've learned since:
Excuse me while I go lie down. ?
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
I just completed a month of balls-to-the-wall, full-time output.
Over the month, I developed my style, my voice, my workflow, and my writing technique. I also wrote 19 chapters.
I can see that the quality of my chapters slid as I went along and got closer and closer to burnout. Even Stephen King, who is a seasoned author, only writes 2000 words a day. I was doing 2500+, editing, learning, refining...
I wouldn't recommend this or do it again. However, I can say that my skills have dramatically increased.
I started the month not really knowing what I was doing. I only ever wrote as a roleplayer before, maybe a short story here and there. Writing a manuscript takes a different level of determination and dedication. It also requires a different way of thinking.
Stuff I've learned since:
- I HAVE to put time between writing chapters and editing them, or I literally don't have the eyes to see what I've done wrong. 1-3 days does well enough. Longer is better.
- I have a dependence on weak verb + adverb combinations and the following words: sharply, suddenly, softly, gently, carefully, quietly, flickered. I also tend to write a lot about hands, especially fingers.
- Reader reception of creative work really spans the full range of possibilities. Not everyone will like what I'm writing, and they're happy to be loud and even nasty about that. The people who do like what I'm writing really care, and they're the ones who matter.
- No one can like your story if they don't know that it exists. You have to really put yourself out there everywhere you can, and you need to have a LOT of content to offer first before people will care.
- Learning a new skill is extremely cognitively demanding, but also extremely satisfying. I'm exhausted--I even started taking daily naps halfway through the month--but I feel like I did something real, too.
Excuse me while I go lie down. ?
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
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