Figuring out Writing Productivity

I learnt a lot about how to be productive as a writer from crime novelist Peter May, and I’ll share what that approach to writing looks like in this post. 

Building a skillset.

Peter had been a journalist, was a screenwriter and novelist, and also had the skillset to be a producer on a large scale soap opera. A rare combination of creative and practical skills. Now, of course, he is an internationally renowned crime novelist, writing novels like The Blackhouse (I was lucky to get to do a radio adaptation of this novel) and the Lewis Man. I think all these skills shaped how he went about writing a novel.

I wrote some short stories at the time which he would supply an ending to, because I would often get stuck at the sharp end of the story. His endings were always unexpected and twisty. So I started paying attention to how he went about constructing a story and that’s what I still do. 

The research stage - places and people.

There was an initial solid period of research -  travelling to locations and interviews with people. The journalist bit. Also, reaching out to people who know the subject well. This can be a very satisfying part of the process, people are so generous and often enjoy talking about their knowledge and skills. And so it also helps, I think to develop this skillset. Policemen are really helpful. In short, try reaching out, the worst thing people can say is no. 

Peter would also film quite a lot, making short films which captured a location, people or an atmosphere. Whatever works to get you back there, when you are at your desk.

The story-lining - writing the novel in miniature.

Next there was the story-lining. Producing the novel in miniature – over 30/40 or more pages. This was where the hard work really happened. Getting the structure right, getting everything in place. 

I’m not sure how much this was done using the carding technique (I write about carding here). But it’s a good technique to have in the back pocket when figuring out a run of scenes. 

One benefit to working like this is that it is much easier to be lighter on your feet. If you’ve spent a lot of time on a chapter or two (long form), you become more attached to it. The time you’ve invested in it makes it harder to let go. My beautiful descriptions of locations! My witty repartee! Whereas if you’ve just got a short description of what’s in a scene, it’s easier to discard if it doesn’t work in the overall structure. 

I do like blast writing at times, starting off with some idea of where I’m going, but not having it all mapped out. But… when you write yourself into a corner at 50,000 words it’s not so much fun.  And anyway, this post is about productivity and knowing the time it takes you to do writing work is important. Which is what the next step is about. 

Writing the novel - setting a daily word count.

After the whole story document is finished, you then move onto the actual writing. Peter said once that ‘that was the easy bit’, because everything was already mapped out. 

This was the first time I’d heard about setting a daily word amount for your writing. 

This is an amount of words you have to do, no matter what. You may get through it before lunch or you may be sweating blood at midnight, but you have to do it. And that’s how you know how long it’s going to take.

I copied Peter’s 2500 words a day, sometimes going up a bit if there was a tax bill getting close. It’s fantastically concrete.

The re-writing. And the re-writing again.

And then there’s the re-writing. Peter was always good at creating that momentum at the end of a scene, to carry you into the next, a scene punchline. 

William Zinnser talks about being a little similar to the stand-up comedian’s ‘snapper’, carrying you forward. 

And Truman Capote once said he believed more in the scissors than the pencil. Hemingway said “the only kind of writing is re-writing.” 

Difficult. Difficult stuff. But satisfying, as you see the story get stronger.

Make the hard stuff automatic.

This approach has helped me a lot and for that I am grateful. It’s much harder to produce work as a writer if you don’t have a framework which works for you. 

I think this framework includes things like making distraction free space for yourself, including time outdoors and exercise. Also, accepting the fact that you work for an imaginary baseball bat wielding story-runner who is in charge of your timetable. 

The writer Mary Heaton Vorse said "The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair." Once you have your word count in place and you commit to it, it can work magic.  

Thanks for reading.