Question of the Day (QOTD)

Here's today's question, and the first in what will hopefully become a daily occurrence.

QUESTION: Are you more about quantity or quality when you write?

(ex. do you write thousands at a time just to "finish the novel" or will you focus on writing quality words so you have a much better Draft 1?)

I'm naturally more about quality, but I spend all my time beating that out of myself and forcing myself to just write. When I focus on quality, I average about one sentence a day. And I want to be able to write a lot more than that. Not to mention the more you write the better you are at it.

I don't think they're mutually exclusive.

I think if you write a lot quickly, you'll produce better and better quality. I also think if you take time to write with quality, it will begin to come easier and quicker.

Obviously, it's faster to do it the first way.

That's what I chose. I pound out first drafts in 10-20 days, take a month or so off, revise them in another 10-20 days, take another month off, and revise once more. That's why I'm working on novel #10.

Hum, I think if you work on quality more, you'll have (a little) less revising to do. That's what I've thought, in any case.

I'm not as fast as you, Taryn, but I do write quick and more for quantity, I think, because -- though I do get better with time -- I have lots to revise when I'm done.

I TRY to focus on quantity, cause if I don't... Well, I get distracted. xP And I agree with Taryn. The more you write, the better your words will get.

(Taryn, Face was astounded when she found out you'd written 10 novels. )

@Constance Haha, I think I've decided it's a better way to be, focusing on quality rather than quantity, so long as you finish it in the long run. xD But I agree with Taryn also. It's PROVEN that the more you write the better you get!

NINE NINE NINE OMG ONLY NINE GOSH

10 will be at the end of this month as my reward for revising Playing God. *growls at revisions*

LOL Taryn! Really, what's the difference? JK ;P But seriously, nine is just as impressive.

@Lizzy I like going for quality, too. I didn't mean I didn't. I'm just saying, if I focus on it too much, NOTHING GETS WRITTEN. O_o

@Taryn Ditto what Lizzy said. Nine is still ridiculously impressive and makes me wonder if you are a cyborg.

@Constance Gotcha! Well, ditto. That's the way I write. I need to write a lot, or I don't get stuff done. (Even though quality is probably better, I can't work so slowly...)

...AGAIN with the personality thing. It's getting kinda creepy and weird.

LOL! It is! It's like having a twin... but not quite.

Exactly. If we ever meet, and have the same hair color and eye color, I will be thoroughly amazed and/or disturbed.

I always forget that there are italics/bold/underline.

Ha! I'm usually too lazy to use them. xD I don't think we have the same hair & eye color, though sometimes twins look different. If I remember right, you said your eyes are brown. I wish mine were.

Well, that's slightly less creepy. :p

Italics FTW!

CONSTANCE FTW!!

...Why'd you leave, Twin?

I had to shower, tidy up, and now I'm going to sleep. No grace for me if I'm not up by 7:30 tomorrow. Gotta catch my Zs! (though I could easily chat all night...)

The fact that you say you could chat all night just makes it sadder!

It's already Thursday, but I need a break from my Gov all-nighter, so I'll answer Wednesday's QotD.

My internal editor will not allow me to put quantity over quality, as much as I'd like to. So the going is slow--on a great day, I've got about 2k(unintentional rhyme. Too tired to fix. Or care. Okay, I do care.). But it usually comes out looking pretty good, and I'll know before I write it out when it's going to come out badly, so I can mark it to be fixed during the next couple days' edits. That weird foreknowledge makes things even slower, though, b/c then I agonize over everything when I know it's not going to be good. So fairly clean first draft=9 months to a year(at least) of work, blood, sweat, and tears. I edit everything as I go, so that aids the whole 'fairly clean first draft' thing. But...so slow.

Note to readers of this reply: If I lack coherence, it is because of the time, being in the wee hours of the morning, and does not reflect on my intelligence or ability to form complete, grammatically sound sentences. ...Or does it?

@Amanda Haha, I understood you. I'm not surprised. I think the more of a perfectionist (or an editor) you are it probably becomes more about quality. That totally makes sense. xD