slow writers essay

In the times of 48-hour books and NaNoWriMo speed writing, it’s refreshing to read about ‘slow writing’. And it’s okay to write slowly too, blending words, sentences and paragraphs together, adding them to just the right part, in the proper sequence. Both are right in their methods. I will take your position and act upon it. Or the skittering twitch of that person typing with one hand on their phone, juggling a bag and a coffee mug in the other. But it is not slap-dash or haphazard. The reader should never think, “My, what perspicacious writing!”. . It seems counter-intuitive that an agent would suggest that writers slow down. Sheri. As I struggle to learn one aspect of craft that has eluded me, I am definitely working SLOWLY on my book. […], […] In Praise of Slow Writing — Steve Laube […], […] https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/praise-slow-writing/  […]. The encouragement to write well is gratefully received. If too close, a startled squirrel would skitter away. For Readers and Writers 09-01-2016 | The Author Chronicles, Writing Links in the 3s and 5…9/6/16 – Where Worlds Collide, https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/praise-slow-writing/, In Praise of Slow Writing — Steve Laube – The Cramped, How The Slow Lane Can Be Good For Your Writing, Book Proposals I’d Love to See – Tamela Hancock Murray, Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent, Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published. Merely different. I do apologize, for the word choice gave the impression that this post was criticizing fast writers. I must be very clear that this post is in no way a criticism or critique of those who write and publish much faster. Thank you. Pretty powerful understanding. So did the painting take a month or a few days–or hours? When I began writing fiction with the goal of publication ten years ago, I splashed words on the page with joyful abandon. It’s when I return and spend time with the characters and places that they become real. I often feel overwhelmed by the word counts authors produce every day. After all, isn’t the volume of output one of the keys to an author’s success? OK. […] Agent Steve Laube encourages writers to consider their words and slow down. Thank you. The idea of choosing words like a poet really resonates with me. “Yes,” Joyce replied happily. Two years into my writing journey, I was introduced to the wonderful world of writers (aka www) online and realized what a florescent green newbie I was and how much I had to learn. Steve Laube writes in praise of slow writing, and Roz Morris gives us 3 ways to measure progress with a slow-burn […], […] https://stevelaube2.wpengine.com/praise-slow-writing/ What can a few days of slow writing do for you? It may be in that widening space that the words can begin to flow again. Then life rips you out after what seems like a mere five minutes. Dear Steve, My word choice “haphazard” is incorrect, as I did not intend to or even want to slam writers who write quickly and label them as uber pansters who don’t care for their readers and the written word. It’s similar to phone conversations with my husband when I am out of town. Craft takes time. Your article is a timely word for a world that clamors for me to hurry up…that time is passing quickly. It was great meeting you at ACFW where we talked about life in India, mountain cultures, ill-fated music auditions, and everything in-between. In our rushing-around world, DeSalvo gives her readers (writers) permission to write at the speed of thought–a pace often slower than we think it is. If they come at lightning speed it still may be Slow Writing because it too years to get to the point where you can create quickly but with quality. I first heard about Slow Writing at a #researched session delivered by David Didau, @learningspy when he talked about asking children to slow down when writing, cut the waffle and focus on every single word or sentence that they construct. Neither is wrong in their approach. Ah, were it to be so. Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to get something on the page. A changed heart has the potential of doing the impossible. You go back to the computer, … Thank you for this message. I think writing can be a lot like that, too. Ridding ourselves of the need to succeed today, now, this instant, may clear out our minds of dark clouds. Let them breathe. A wonderfully simple yet profound reminder of the value of slowing down and such a contrast to our hurry-up and finish mentalities. Talk about slow writing! Sometimes I just need to get to know my characters- talk to them and listen. . But I don’t produce like a poet. She has spent a long time working long hours to get to this point. Slow writing is a discipline of waiting. I guess I’m just one of those Slow Writers. Submit your question and help us create relevant content. All I can do is write slowly. Sure, Susie’s output is prodigious. Your blog, Mr. Laube, indicates writing slowly means putting words to use at a regular pace. Editing during the whole process also multiplies the pleasure of spending time with characters you’ve grown to care about deeply. Thanks for the advice…..it was great meeting you at ACFW this past weekend. Other days will be excruciating. You might be writing too slowly, but you don’t want to change that. I went away and read all he had written about Slow Writing on his blog where he has now helpfully grouped all the slow writing blogs. That comes only as we sit down together and discuss and laugh about the week’s details. Will it shake its reader? Thank you, Steve. Slow writing. Thanks! Slow food. When I hurry though a chapter, I’m never happy with it. Writers who feel pained and slow usually skip ahead, often to save time! That makes reaching the final draft a slower process even if I’m not pondering each sentence as I write it. Recently I watched the blur of fingers across the laptop keys by the man next to me on the plane and wondered how he did it. There are days where 10,000 words will flow from your fingers. They don’t do the important step of pre-writing, and instead launch right into “making progress” on their manuscript. I’ve often felt guilty that I can’t write content I’m happy with faster. I may never be a Susan May Warren or Janette Oke or Ted Dekker, but perhaps I might be a Harper Lee or Margaret Mitchell or Elizabeth Gaskell, encouraging the world one word–book–at a time. I was more productive when I didn’t think so much about getting it done right now. It all keeps me slow. I don’t think that would have happened without taking the time to SEE the story and characters in so much detail. There is a measure of truth in that, but today I’d like to explore the concept of Slow Writing. A great teacher and editor, Roger Palms of Decision magazine, once told me that the best article writers he worked with were poets. The work is not only more accurate but gives the writer time to think about the words. Our typing teachers wanted speed as well as accuracy. Slowly. I have days where I can churn out 1,000 words easily, but that’s few and far between. Pray it changes, if you would. We just had a meal together last week and talked about her work strategy. Indeed. Releasing the temptation of Task (with a capital “T”) fills us with guilt in the beginning because we aren’t “doing” anything. The correct word or phrase does not come quickly. Is it laden with eloquence? Thank you! For other pieces, I work that all out with the brush and palette knife at a contemplative pace. Roll the words around on your tongue. My walk in the forest of my mind is somewhat like yours – slow, easy, thoughtful, imagination creating pictures in my mind and easing the pace of the day. But this is a writing blog, right? P.S. Poet, I thought, perhaps. There is a famous story of a friend asking novelist James Joyce if he’d had a good day writing. Categories: Career, Craft, Writing Craft. I attended Susie’s and Rachel’s post-conference session this past weekend at the ACFW conference, and greatly admired their knowledge and writing ability. I needed to read those encouraging words today. My husband says he is always a loss when someone asks him how long it took me to complete a painting. Surprise, surprise: it’s painfully slow. Her manuscripts go into her publishers very clean and her readers love her writing. The length of words, sentences and paragraphs all add to a readers’ sense of fastness or slowness – long=slow, short=fast. Thank you for this slowly written post. Now I don’t feel so “lazy” when I just sit and think, dream, think, dream, and think some more. I also read recently about the advantage of typing slowly. Thanks for the encouraging post! Thank you. Thank you, Steve. A perfect example would be the “Slow writing” technique, developed by David Didau (@Lear… which has worked wonders with my students’ writing and forms part of my presentation at Pedagoo London. A discipline of silence. Slow Down, Young Writer | Brandywine Books, Top Picks Thursday! And your words confirm that this speed, in this season, is exactly what I need. Thank you so much for this post and the affirmation it provided. I also know how hard Ted Dekker works on his books and how he wrestles with the text and the plots to make them impact his readers. The main plot is already well defined before I’ve been writing for even a week on a new story, but those frequent edits fine-tune people and events into a seamless flow. I’m in favor of that, but need to put it into practice. Thanks for sharing, Steve. . It is a struggle to use those slow words as they take shape. Ugh, words. Thank you. Thanks, Steve. I‘m a plotter. A talented writer friend taught me that either way of approaching writing is fine–fast or slow–but we all still have to do the same amount of work. Retrieved from cercles2012 docs programme andabstracts. So that is what makes me the way I am. Visual word artist, poet. I don’t share this with a prideful attitude but to encourage others like me who produce words more slowly than those writers who share their impressive words counts online. But if I simply ran as fast as I could through those trees I would miss every single one of those memories. Do I want to simply be that author who churns out book after book in haphazard fashion, or do I want to be the author who prays over each written word, until God has helped me to write a masterpiece to share with the world? I am a slow writer and because of that I have found it hard to find a good match for a crit partner too. . He knows I may have visited many sites at various times of day to check light and shadows, studied photos of a particular building, plant, or animal, or collected various photos as well as having a live meeting for a portrait. A discipline of thoughtfulness. I represent Susan May Warren and know that she has a gift. I think the whole is better integrated if you frequently reread and edit what you’ve written while the manuscript is still unfinished. Think of it as a leisurely walk in the woods as a child. don’t race to your thesaurus for a clever word. And you want it to go faster and easier. I knew nothing of where or what I was, did not understand the polyphony around me or the wide expanse like a blue eternity before me. I appreciate your work. Also it becomes another good reason to read all the comments and reread everything again. Now I get it. 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