The Bible may advise that "the race is not to the swift" but, outside of New York Times bestsellers, those writers we seem most in awe of are those we perceive to be 'fast'. No, I'm not referring to any moral judgments here, but rather, the fact that some writers are able to turn out multiple books a year, while others struggle to complete one manuscript. How do these prolific writers do it? What's their secret? And how can those wishing to become more prolific pick up their own pace?
Profile Of A Prolific Writer
Maybe prolific writers just have more time to write, with fewer family and job obligations to distract them. Until recently, Lynda Cooper,(Unguarded Hearts, September 99, Kensington Bouquet) worked full time as a police officer. Laura Bradley, (Nothing But Trouble, August 98, Scarlet Books) has three small children and a full slate of volunteer activities. Lorraine Heath, (Texas Splendor, January 99, Topaz) works ten hours a day for the IRS and has two children to raise. These women, who all write multiple books a year, blow the 'lots of free time' myth out of the water.
Time To Write
The second myth these women explode is the idea that they physically write faster than anyone else. I'm a fast typist, but writing isn't about typing. Writing is about staring at the computer screen, mulling over a scene, seeing it in your head before you can put it on paper. Fast writers don't skip that important step in the writing process. They don't skimp on research or turn out less-polished prose, or take any other shortcuts on their way to a completed manuscript.
One thing all these women have in common is that they make writing a priority. That doesn't mean it's number one in their lives. Family comes first with all the writers interviewed. But writing is very near the top of their lists. They don't let other things stand in the way of their writing. They devote time to it.
"I was very productive when I was working full-time, because I knew I had X number of hours a week to write, and if I didn't take advantage of them, I was in trouble," Lynda Cooper says. "I wrote fiction only on the weekends, occasionally editing or rewriting on weekday evenings. I devoted weekday evenings to nonfiction or confessions." In her last two years at the police department, Lynda wrote three books -- some 286,000 words -- plus a hundred nonfiction articles and $10,000 worth of confession stories.
Because of her ten-hour workdays, Lorraine Heath is able to write only three days a week: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She gets up at five in the morning and starts work early, producing two long historical novels and a novella in the last year.
Laura Bradley takes a different approach: "I definitely do not have a set writing schedule," she says. "Not only does that run against the grain of my character, but it is impossible with three children and their activities and schedules. I used to think that having three little ones at home was difficult. Now I'm realizing that as they grow it's going to be even more difficult as I have transformed into a chauffeur."
Despite this harried schedule, plus a full slate of booksignings and appearances to promote her work, Laura has written three long contemporary novels in the past year. What's her solution? "Having a laptop computer is what has saved my career," she says. "I haul that thing everywhere and have written entire books in natatoriums, ballet studios and stables! At home I catch five minutes here and there, but my most productive time is after everyone is in bed and before everyone wakes."
Obviously, devoting time to writing means giving up some things. "My housekeeping suffered," Lynda says with a grin. "So did my social life, so we have to keep those things in mind."
While Lorraine watches television in the evenings, or spends time with her family, she's given up sleep to put in early hours in her home office.
"You have to prioritize, and you have to miss out on a few fun things sometimes, but if you want to write, you will," Lynda says.
Dealing With Interruptions
Many writers find it impossible to write without large blocks of uninterrupted time. The most productive writers have trained themselves to write in spite of distractions.
"I find it overwhelming to think of writing an entire book - - 440 pages," Lorraine Heath says. "Therefore, I think in small increments. A scene has several elements. For example, in Texas Splendor, the opening scene is the hero being released from prison. I think of the scene in elements: what is he feeling while he is waiting for the gates to be opened? What happens once he steps through the gates? His emotions as he sees his brothers after five year. By focusing on a small element of a scene at a time, I find it much easier to deal with interruptions. I can keep that small segment in my mind while I run around seeing to emergencies (and every child's need is an emergency.) If something does distract me, then when I come back to the computer, it's easier to fall back into that small segment than to fall back into an entire scene."
"The term distraction has taken on a whole new meaning now than I'm an author-mom," Laura says. "Tornados, fires, bleeding children are a distraction. Missing rollerblades are not. Usually when I write I have two levels of awareness, one on the kids and what they are doing and another in my story with my characters."
Living With The Book
Keeping the book in your thoughts helps with the transition from the "real" world to the "writing" world. Lorraine uses her commuting time to think about her story. She reads research material or edits rough drafts on her lunch break. She also carries a hand-held tape recorder to record bits of dialogue or thoughts about a particular scene. "But constantly touching base with the story, its setting, the characters, I find it easier to fall back into the story when I actually do have time to write," she says.
Laura agrees: "I have taught myself to think of the plot, characters and actual dialogue while I'm not writing, like when I'm driving," she says. "I store it in a secret compartment of my mind I have cultivated since becoming a mother. So, when I actually have the luxury of sitting down at the computer it sort of flows out like a dammed up stream. Notice I say stream and not river, because it doesn't always mean incredible volume, but I always manage to have something stored up. Some of my best ideas have come when I am in the middle of refereeing a three-way sister fight, negotiating five o'clock traffic, listening to music, and writing a grocery list."
Some writers listen to the same piece of music every time they sit down to write. That music becomes associated with the writing and just by turning on the CD player, they are able to quickly immerse themselves in the mood of the book.
Writer In Training
Any writer can utilize these methods to increase her productivity. If you feel you don't have enough time to write, chart your daily activities for a week and see where you're wasting time. Look for 'hidden' time, like minutes spent waiting for children at ball practice. Ten minutes here and there quickly add up to an hour.
Maybe you need to develop the habit of writing. Commit yourself to writing at a certain time every day (or every weekend) for six weeks.
If you have a problem with distractions, force yourself to write in spite of them. Try out some of the techniques mentioned above for 'living with' your story.
Make the most of your writing time by diving right into the writing. Lorraine advises writing whatever scene comes into your head. "Don't limit yourself by feeling that you have to write chronologically," she says. "I often find that if I write a scene that is 'in' me at a particular moment, it requires very little revision."
Break the writing task into small pieces -- aim to complete a scene or a portion of a scene. Try music, or earplugs, to block out distractions and set the mood.
I believe almost anyone can become a more productive writer, whether their goal is to produce one book a year or three. By removing self-imposed obstacles to success, we can set the pace that's right for each of us.
Cynthia Sterling writes for Berkley/Jove. Her first novel, Patchwork Hearts, will be out in February 1999, followed by A Willing Spirit (July 1999) and Great Caesar's Ghost (February 2000).
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