Almost four years ago I wrote a blog post titled "Lessons from a tortoise."
I re-read it again recently as I looked at the state of publishing and how everyone (well, not quite everyone) is preaching the gospel of "Write faster! Write faster!"
I still believe what I wrote. And it's as applicable today as it was back then.
Each writer is different. Each writer has various life skills, talents, methods, and external forces that make each writer unique.
To me, the mantra of writing faster is equivalent to acting like the hare in the race. Now, if it works for you, go for it. I won't deny one's unique writing style. But it's not for everyone, and writing fast doesn't necessarily mean you will succeed--and this has nothing to do with all fast writing is crap; I don't believe that for a second.
Being the tortoise means writing steady and consistently. I don't care how you break down your writing tasks. Back in college, I used to write X amount of pages in a day. My first goal was to write one page. Then I moved it to two . . . and so on. Whatever you use for your goal is fine for you, as long as you do it consistently.
If you only have twenty minutes to write each day, do it. Write with all your heart for those twenty minutes. Over time, those words will add up.
Be the tortoise. Speeding quickly towards something is not necessarily the key to success. Keeping at something for a long period of time is your best shot at success (and I'm talking career success, not success on a single book). Keep your eye on the finish line. The finish line is your goal.
Because no one can read your book (or books) if it's not finished.
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