C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

It helps to be a fast typist. It helps to write fast and edit fast.

The reason is, you have to keep it all in your head. Maybe you’ve written out a plan or maybe you’re writing a day at a time without knowing how the story will twist to its end. Even if you don’t feel you have to know everything ahead of you, you still have to keep the details clear in what’s happening behind you. It’s a lot to track.

If you’re writing your first book, aim for the low end of the acceptable word count. If your first attempt is a vast sprawl of a trilogy, there’s an excellent chance it will suck. Finishing a book at all is an amazing accomplishment. Don’t try to write too long too quickly.

JK Rowling wrote a sprawling series with Harry Potter, but the first book is relatively short compared to the big bricks that came later.

Related Articles

• Editing Tips Part 1: Story bible (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)
• Writer Links: Stephen King, evil editors and plugging plot holes (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)
• Editing Part II: Writerly idiosyncrasies (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)
• Releasing Expectations (parkinglotconfessional.com)
• Three Tips on Writing From Stephen King and Anne Lamott (gauravonomics.com)
• Word Count Per Day (thewanderersden.wordpress.com)

Filed under: Author profiles, authors, getting it done, publishing, Writers, writing tips, edit, Stephen King, Word count, writer, Writers Resources, writing