What Is Prolific?
Got That Question a Number of Times…
Mostly because of my Pulp Speed post and then the post about systems slowing a writer down.
My answer the question “What is prolific?” is always “It depends.”
Pulp Speed of any level if you are turning the words into books and stories and getting them out on the market would be prolific. Especially if done every year.
If your goal is to just write a few books before you move on, 50,000 words a year would be fast enough for you, but no one would ever call you prolific.
Writers who tend to be called prolific after a few years are writers who put out four to six books a year for a bunch of years in a row. Especially if they are writing some short stories as well and getting them out.
If you want a word count on that, from 400,000 to 500,000 words a year published. Done over a number of years and that is prolific.
The math is brutal and humbling on that, by the way. To hit that half million words you have to write about 1,350 words a day, or about one hour and thirty minutes per day. That is to be called “prolific” and more than likely make decent money on your books given time and a ton of other factors.
Oh, no, the pain of sitting alone in a room and making stuff up for just over an hour a day to be a prolific writer. (Sarcasm alert!!)
Of course, those looking for excuses will come back with “there are so many other things to do in this modern world to get the books out.” Yup, there are.
But it has to always start with the writing. Without the flow of new and original fiction words, all the rest is just make work. And excuses.
4 Comments
Ed
Dean, I am new to writing, but I come from a musical background in songwriting/production. What you say could not be more true. It starts with the writing.
It always starts with the creating, and the only way to find your own style in any artistic endeavor is to stop day dreaming and worrying, and just do the thing. Then finish the thing. And then move on to the next thing.
Endlessly tinkering with the same project over and over; worrying about who will like it afterwards, worrying about if its “good enough” and the like gets you nowhere.
Coming from my experiences in music, I know everything you are saying is truth, even though for some reason in the writing world the idea of “practice” does seem to be a dirty word like you have said before. Consistent work ethic, and the desire to absorb and learn from what inspires you is the key.
dwsmith
Spot on the money, Ed. No sane human would think of stepping on a major concert stage in front of 20,000 people to play a solo with only a few weeks practice on an instrument, yet writers believe that without practice and years of learning and study and focus, they can write a first novel and sell millions. That break in logic and thinking by otherwise smart humans has always puzzled me.
For some reason, because a person can write a grocery list, they think they can write a novel and entertain millions. They can, with years and years of focused study and practice. But most writers sort of ignore that step. (grin)
And heaven forbid, the word practice is used in relationship to fiction writing. Yikes…
Vincent Zandri
Blowing own horn alert!!! I underwent major lung surgery in September and never missed a day at the laptop, tube’s and wires be damned. The writing was my escape and refuge. This month I’ll publish a major novel and a 100 page novella…
dwsmith
Wow, Vincent. Way to power through. You are my hero.