The first two million words...

[FreyaGersemi]

Before this thread becomes yet another discussion of how we measure "success", the original post was about a measure of quality, or skill, or competence.

And that's why I added my comment discounting the word "success" in the title of the book my Malcolm Gladwell. A very interesting read, by the way! His book talks about gaining expertise at something.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

A while ago I read in a book on fantasy fiction writing that the first two million words a person writes are crap.

Well, by my count, with my stories published here, my WIPs and various stories I've written exclusively for my wife, I'm half way there. Pretty much exactly one million words.

So two more years, and you people will have to start taking me seriously!

At my age, this is depressing. I’ll never make it at my current pace.

 

[MillieDynamite]

You're looking at published words, not those written in all sources.

At my age, this is depressing. I’ll never make it at my current pace.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

You're looking at published words, not those written in all sources.

So let’s see: 100 emails a day, for 225 days a year for 35 years, assuming 25 words per email gets me to almost 20 million.

I’m brilliant…

 

[Belegon]

A success is when I want to read it myself, even though it literally came out of my own head. If it gets high scores, or I can submit it somewhere and make some money, that's just a bonus. Measuring on a tighter focus largely depends on what's going on that day. Chemo days (meaning the actual infusion) are pretty much a total loss. I lose half the day in the chair and the other half of the day I'm exhausted and flitter in and out of naps.

Back when I was trying to make a living as a writer, my standard daily goal was three thousand words. Didn't matter if it was on fiction, or an article for a non-fiction publication, ranting about baseball... as long as I hit the 3k, I called it a successful day.

 

[Zootonius]

A while ago I read in a book on fantasy fiction writing that the first two million words a person writes are crap.

Wow, that two million and first word must be impressive.

 

[PennameWombat]

A while ago I read in a book on fantasy fiction writing that the first two million words a person writes are crap.

Well, by my count, with my stories published here, my WIPs and various stories I've written exclusively for my wife, I'm half way there. Pretty much exactly one million words.

So two more years, and you people will have to start taking me seriously!

So what book is that?

This aphorism has been around a long time, it's been claimed Ray Bradbury was either the originator or the one who brought it into the SF&F mindset (but I'm not aware of credible proof about that). However, I've always heard it as "your first million words are crap." And I've seen that number repeated approvingly by a number of others in the SF&F field (such as Mercedes Lackey).

So I'm curious who doubled the number?

This brings up first, the memory of me posting the 'million' word version in some thread a few years back, which led to being one of the times I posted something and KeithD deciding to exercise his knowledge of all things writing to dispute it. Which led into a discussion of Malcolm Gladwell's "you need 10,000 hours to master a skill" and other such 'guides.' None of which capture the specific number, but do imply 'practice makes perfect.'

 

[StillStunned]

So what book is that?

I'm not sure anymore, but I think it might have been this one by Molly McCowan.

This aphorism has been around a long time, it's been claimed Ray Bradbury was either the originator or the one who brought it into the SF&F mindset (but I'm not aware of credible proof about that). However, I've always heard it as "your first million words are crap." And I've seen that number repeated approvingly by a number of others in the SF&F field (such as Mercedes Lackey).

So I'm curious who doubled the number?

Inflation? Or perhaps it's a reflection of how people nowadays have to unlearn bad writing habits from spending too much time on social media, and instead have to relearn grammar and style?

Wow, that two million and first word must be impressive.

And the word shall be... bush.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Wow, that two million and first word must be impressive.

And the word shall be... bush.

Mine was "the." Very anticlimactic. I wish I knew about the two million thing. I would have planned better.

 

[oneagainst]

I'm at 2M words now. I've just looked back at The Monogamists (first story) and I'm aghast at the number of elements I let slip 4 years ago.

It's really truly true. You have to put the word count in before you understand how bad you were. Or at least, how much you missed of the story. It's muscle memory - the more you write the better you get... and it has to be all the time. Not in fits and start. Remember that your muse is employed by you. She needs to turn up on a Monday morning just like everyone else. Make a regular time to write. Get it done,