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Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

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Re: Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

#63
> I have always been very methodical, and when my quota of work is done I break off, even in the middle of a scene.

Slightly OT (but not by much): I have read somewhere that one secret to write more is to stop in the middle of something -- if fiction, in the middle of a scene, if non-fiction, in the middle of a demonstration or exposition for example.

The rationale is that the brain 1/ hates starting new things and 2/ loves finishing. So if you stop in the middle, you will absolutely want to finish the next day, whereas if you finish, you will not want to start a new scene and you may postpone going back to work indefinitely.

Now for the disclaimer, I have tried this but never actually succeeded, and in effect I'm stuck in the finish/hard to start again mode. I'm also afraid I won't remember what I was trying to say, but the main problem is the desire to finish proves too hard to resist. YMMV.

Re: Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

#64
post #26

2017 I had the new year's resolution to write one blogpost a week. Now, I'm making all of my income from technical writing. Consistency is key. With that said, less is more. Stephen King said, he writes 6 pages a day, which is probably too much for most people. But one page a day should be doable.

Ian Fleming wrote 2000 words per day and was able to produce a v1 of a novel in 6 weeks. This appeared on HN a couple of weeks ago:

https://lithub.com/ian-fleming-explains-how-to-write-a-thril...

I read Casino Royale (the first Bond installment) for the first time last week; it's quite good and fast-paced. The chapters follow the 2000 words rule quite closely, and it's working.

Re: Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

#66
post #55
post #14

Does anyone else have the problem where they write a lot, but it all seems to go into the void and never produce any tangible benefit? How do I produce writing that people want to read?

Having just self-published a book that capped out at 10 sales, yes. For me, the hardest problem is even getting the word out. I’ve used a few different platforms to get my book in front of people. And by and large, the ones who start it also finish it. But even giving away content, it is surprisingly hard to connect to an audience of any size. Pick any kind of writing, and you’ll find the marketplace is incredibly cr…

Could you link the book? I'm interested because I'm considering self-publishing a book as well, and I definitely don't enjoy marketing.

Re: Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

#68
I found that a good exercise for me, was the idea of a “mini-saga,”[0] which I first heard about, in Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind.

It helped me to be more concise (which I need —badly).

I have no problem at all, writing a lot of words. The challenge, for me, is writing fewer words.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minisaga

Re: Show HN: Write 500 Words a Day

#70

I found that a good exercise for me, was the idea of a “mini-saga,”[0] which I first heard about, in Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind . It helped me to be more concise (which I need —badly). I have no problem at all, writing a lot of words. The challenge, for me, is writing fewer words. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minisaga

Minisaga looks interesting. I have a similar goal - to write more concise stuff (on tech topics) without losing the gist.
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