How long does a short story take you to write?
It depends on the short story! Some will just flow out, others I need to have several drafts to get right but I aim to get at least one story out a month to meet the deadlines for Writers’ News/Writing Magazine competitions. I usually try to get another story out too if I can either to Shortbread or one of the many festival and other writing competitions. If I wasn’t writing other things, I could get more work out but given I can only write part time I’m relatively happy with this. I would, of course, like to do more but without losing quality.
How long does a novel take you to write?
Ages is the simply answer! I do several drafts. I think two years is probably a good estimate. As with short stories, I could almost certainly speed this up by not writing so much other material (though I must admit I enjoy writing my blogs and putting in background and other material not in the novels themselves). I think it vitally important not to rush the drafts’ stages. What matters is getting the story right. When you get to the point you really can’t think of anything else to add or take out, then there’s the time to start submitting to the market and test the water.
It depends on the short story! Some will just flow out, others I need to have several drafts to get right but I aim to get at least one story out a month to meet the deadlines for Writers’ News/Writing Magazine competitions. I usually try to get another story out too if I can either to Shortbread or one of the many festival and other writing competitions. If I wasn’t writing other things, I could get more work out but given I can only write part time I’m relatively happy with this. I would, of course, like to do more but without losing quality.
How long does a novel take you to write?
Ages is the simply answer! I do several drafts. I think two years is probably a good estimate. As with short stories, I could almost certainly speed this up by not writing so much other material (though I must admit I enjoy writing my blogs and putting in background and other material not in the novels themselves). I think it vitally important not to rush the drafts’ stages. What matters is getting the story right. When you get to the point you really can’t think of anything else to add or take out, then there’s the time to start submitting to the market and test the water.
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