A year in writing

I just realised it’s over a year since I started writing (or started my latest attempt at writing). I didn’t think I’d been hugely productive, but looking back, I’ve written more than I thought. None of it is really “finished” (a somewhat major problem), although I do have a few first-drafts – things that at least go from start to finish even if they’re not the final, edited article.

My tally is:

• 3 novel attempts (being un-novel attempts [groan] in that they are all uncompleted, like most novels). Combined, these add up to 195k words. A slightly depressing number really, if I look at it as wasted effort; less depressing if I look at it as practice.
  
• 6 “finished” short stories, adding up to around 40k words. 

(Not counting the writing done on ideas, notes and blog posts.)

Which I guess gives me an average writing output of something like 644 words/day, which is not too bad perhaps for a part-timer, squeezing it in between work and study.

Do I feel like I’ve improved? Not really. I’ve realised I’m not exactly a natural, that my English SAT Level 8 score probably wasn’t an indicator of some potential literary genius. I’ve learnt writing is a lot damn harder than it looks. I still struggle with basic things like grammar. Plotting and planning are deceptively greasy tools I’ve never managed to get a grip on. I like to put words together and describe scenes, but I’m not a natural story teller. But I have read more widely than ever before, which has been an education in itself.

I guess my conclusions are that the old clichés are right:

• Practice, practice, practice; read, read, read
• Write for yourself, and write what you want to write (and read)
• Write as much as you can, as often as you can
• Realise that to really DO this thing, you’ll probably have to sacrifice something

And, inevitably, you’ll have to ask yourself: is it worth it?