You can do it! ❤️ I’m aiming to start writing a novel this week (well, I started last NaNoWriMo but let’s conveniently forget that). Any tips or shared experiences are very welcome!
Ooh, exciting! I think my only real 'tip' is to just keep at it, really - and maybe to try to lower your standards a bit with the first draft: done is better than perfect - at least for the first draft! (She says, having spent the last week going over and over the same two chapters of her WIP, trying to make them 'perfect' 🙈)
Oh, also v excited to hear your book sales are starting to do what you want/need them to!! Also, also, I used to keep spiders in jars so I guess a worm in a bag is probably preferable?
Amber I left you a comment right as Substack was down, so I lost it. But the short version is: I feel your pain and I know you CAN DO THIS. I am in awe of anyone who can crack on and get a novel written super fast. The best I have managed so far is 100 days and that involved a LOT of dictation (which, it turns out, is like typing in that it takes practice and you get better the more you try… and yet I still don’t use it enough). (and also the 100 days were not consecutive so it probably doesn’t really count at all).
Oh, my 50 days won't be consecutive either! I can only write when Max is in school, basically, so it's Mon-Fri, minus the many school holidays they get - I definitely don't think I could do it every day without a break! And I'm really glad you said that about the dictation getting better - I tried it about a year ago now when I got RSI from typing too much, and it just kept spitting out complete gobbledegook!
It really is a learned skill. It’s best to just do five minutes and build up from there. Also write a few notes (or dictate them for practice). I’ve also found Superwhisper app understands me best and puts in the punctuation including speech marks which makes a huge difference. I think it’s also ok to just splurge out a fairly prosaic piece and then polish it in the edit. But even when it feels like boring drivel I’ve been surprised by how well it reads back. Some of my favourite sections are the dictated ones. I’m still building up to doing a whole book but I did about 20k words over a few days while also sowing seedlings in my potting shed
delighted to hear the book sales are improving - I'm no expert, but to me, you are a great writer and a natural storyteller .... who will hit her deadline!
Sorry - I couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of you and Terry both standing in the house with your ironing boards set up in some kind of stand off…
You can do it! ❤️ I’m aiming to start writing a novel this week (well, I started last NaNoWriMo but let’s conveniently forget that). Any tips or shared experiences are very welcome!
Ooh, exciting! I think my only real 'tip' is to just keep at it, really - and maybe to try to lower your standards a bit with the first draft: done is better than perfect - at least for the first draft! (She says, having spent the last week going over and over the same two chapters of her WIP, trying to make them 'perfect' 🙈)
Oh, also v excited to hear your book sales are starting to do what you want/need them to!! Also, also, I used to keep spiders in jars so I guess a worm in a bag is probably preferable?
Amber I left you a comment right as Substack was down, so I lost it. But the short version is: I feel your pain and I know you CAN DO THIS. I am in awe of anyone who can crack on and get a novel written super fast. The best I have managed so far is 100 days and that involved a LOT of dictation (which, it turns out, is like typing in that it takes practice and you get better the more you try… and yet I still don’t use it enough). (and also the 100 days were not consecutive so it probably doesn’t really count at all).
Oh, my 50 days won't be consecutive either! I can only write when Max is in school, basically, so it's Mon-Fri, minus the many school holidays they get - I definitely don't think I could do it every day without a break! And I'm really glad you said that about the dictation getting better - I tried it about a year ago now when I got RSI from typing too much, and it just kept spitting out complete gobbledegook!
It really is a learned skill. It’s best to just do five minutes and build up from there. Also write a few notes (or dictate them for practice). I’ve also found Superwhisper app understands me best and puts in the punctuation including speech marks which makes a huge difference. I think it’s also ok to just splurge out a fairly prosaic piece and then polish it in the edit. But even when it feels like boring drivel I’ve been surprised by how well it reads back. Some of my favourite sections are the dictated ones. I’m still building up to doing a whole book but I did about 20k words over a few days while also sowing seedlings in my potting shed
delighted to hear the book sales are improving - I'm no expert, but to me, you are a great writer and a natural storyteller .... who will hit her deadline!
Thank you so much! I must say it helps that I've told you all about it, because I definitely have to do it now!
I absolutely love your posts and how they fill like a catch-up .
Thanks so much for saying that — that’s exactly what I’m aiming for, so I’m really pleased you enjoy it!
Sorry - I couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of you and Terry both standing in the house with your ironing boards set up in some kind of stand off…
My ironing board would’ve totally beat his in a battle 😆