Prolific authors write; they don't just dream about it. A good example is Georges Simenon of Inspector Maigret fame. He writes a book quickly, at one sitting so to speak. The first draft of each chapter is written longhand in a single afternoon. The following morning he transcribes it with his typewriter, revising and rewriting as he types. The afternoon is spent writing the next chapter, but before this happens he outlines a plan for the novel.
Perhaps one should do as Charles Dickens did. Early in his life he learned shorthand as a reporter and would write many of his novels first in this manner. He also was a prolific writer, in shorthand and longhand, no typewriter or computer for him. A man of great energy and vitality, he wrote voraciously but he did many other things as well.
Anthony Trollope, another 19th century novelist was also a prolific writer who adhered to a very strict schedule for work. He invariably arose at 5:30 am and wrote until 11:00 whereupon he breakfasted and spend the remainder of the day in personal activity. As a result, he was able to write 47 novels and 16 books. He was methodical worker who considered writing as a trade, probably one of the reasons his books have lost esteem.
Honor? de Balzac (1799-1850) is another prolific writer of the 19th century who wrote from midnight to dawn almost every day of his life, thus turning out a million words per year. Although he was prodigious he was always poor and that might account for his abundant output.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) like Balzac was a prolific French writer of the 19th century. He too spewed out poetry and novels at an unbelievable rate. His most famous novels are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, but they are a small example of the many works that he produced at the amazing rate of over a million words a year.
If these writers-with paper, pen, and pencil-could effect the volume of writing they did, then writers today should easily do as much. Writers today have computers and word processors, with spell checkers and grammar checkers, and other aids that make the process easy and enjoyable. Probably what is lacking is the focus and vision that these writers had. Perhaps lives today are too full of computers, television, films, theater, music, and other distractions that impinge on the writer's time. Yet is possible with planning and discipline to put ideas to paper in poems, stories, novels, articles, essays, etc. Although the competition to be published probably exceeds that of writer of the 19th century and the 20th century, the way to publication is more varied and available.
Traditional publishers are being replaced by electronic publishers who now print books on demand or to order. Soon the publishing industry and booksellers will have to wake up to this new phenomenon and change the way they do business to satisfy the new prolific writers.
Charles O. Goulet has a BA in history and a BEd in English literature. Several of his novels have been published and are available at Amazon. com, Amazon. ca, Barnes and Noble and many other bookstores.
tidy up service Northbrook ..I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
1. SECRETS TO SUCCESS2. MAKING A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION3. AVOID... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to... Read More
Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
Do you want to publish something? An article, a non-fiction... Read More
I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More
To help build your profile and reputation within a large... Read More
Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
Open up your favorite calendar and circle today's date.Why? Because... Read More
Okay. So I'm not David Letterman. But I doubt if... Read More
1. Become an EavesdropperListen carefully to the way people REALLY... Read More
In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
Today I took the dog for a walk and realized... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
Op-ed articles, also known as opinion/editorial articles, are a great... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
Has the thought run across you mind that you might... Read More
When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
There's nothing that kills a scene like hackneyed dialogue. Just... Read More
One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails... Read More
How many times have you checked out a job board... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors,... Read More
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More
If your articles aren't getting published very often, or you... Read More
1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
In most aspects of business, we will be expected to... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
Writing |