Thursday, January 27, 2011

I wonder if he's using the same wind we are using...

For Princess Bride fans, that title should ring vaguely familiar. Inigo Montoya says this after the mysterious ship following them from a distance suddenly appears within 200 feet behind them.

"He is right on top of us! I wonder if he's using the same wind we are using..."

Naturally, this made me think about writing (hee hee) and how we all write at different paces.

Kiersten White wrote the bestselling PARANORMALCY in something like 3 weeks! My fastest is still two months! And that was for a 40k-word middle grade story.

I'm not going to place value on one writing process over another, because everybody's different. But, it did get me thinking about how Elana Johnson writes a blog post a day, comments on a bazillion other blogs, critiques for her friends, and still manages to write a book as awesome as the upcoming POSSESSION!!

It hardly seems fair!

Until I realize she's using the same wind I'm using. She's just figured out a more efficient way of using that wind.

Of course there are other variables, and technically we aren't all using the same wind (nor do we all have the same amount of time). Still, it makes me wonder. How much could I get done if I practiced the discipline some of these prolific, super-social-networking authors have mastered?

If you're thinking, "Inconceivable!" then I'll remind you that Inigo also said, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Nothing is impossible. I'm off to tackle this darn wind!

What are you guys working on today?

9 comments:

  1. good advice for any career!

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  2. This may be the best analogy ever used! So love The Princess Bride, so any way to apply it to writing is welcome.

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  3. I LOVE Princess Bride. My favorite book (and movie). I wish I could write full time, but I do find at least 3-4 hours a day. Right now, I just finished the last revisions of my current WIP. Tomorrow starts the final read through and then off to BETAs! It's taken so long...but sooo worth it.

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  4. That's a really great analogy! Everybody has 24 hours each day -- some just put those hours to better use. I definitely do need to remember this and try to put myself in that category. :)

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  5. I love this movie too! And I think you made a great point. All of us have the same amount of time, though we all have different things we have to do with that time. But if we're serious about this writing thing, we have to keep that time pretty well organized no matter how busy we are!

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  6. Yes! I knew my blog buddies had great taste! You guys make me so proud.

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  7. Yay Princess Bride (but you know I love this movie).

    Great post. Nothing is impossible, but the amount of time to reach the possible can vary. lol.

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  8. I think writing fast is overrated. Because in my case, writing fast means going back and revising about 120 times before the work is even readable.

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  9. lol I LOVE that movie :D great analogy :)

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