Thanks in large part to my friends at W1S1, I've breached the 100,000 words mark for the year. That's 100,000 words in completed stories, so that can be anywhere from 150,000 - 300,000 words actually written. Before this year, I had submitted two stories in my life. This year, I've written 26 stories and submitted 45 times.
There is a lot of controversy in the writing world about quality vs. quantity. The driving philosophy behind W1S1 is that you churn out a lot of material. Given time, that material will get better. Some critics think that this is a horrible way to go, and that you're just vomiting out words without taking the time to really craft a good story.
Having gone through this thus far, I must say I think the W1S1 approach, coupled with critiquing other writers, has been a fantastic experience for me.
My writing has improved as a result of this process. Even though I've not published yet, the quality of my rejections and reader reactions are substantially improving. Further, I'm catching less flak for the basics--- structure, voice, etc.
I've also developed bullet proof skin for rejections, a handy thing. I usually get at least one a week. They are a common, every day part of my life now, and I no longer fret over them.
Will it pay off in pro pubs? Too soon to tell. But I feel like I'm finally starting to hit a sweeter spot with my fiction.
Glad it's working for you, Matt. As far as quality vs. quantity goes, it bears noting that the stories we submitted weeks ago have most likely undergone revisions with every rejection. So, not only is our writing improving along the way, but each story should be as well!
ReplyDeleteThat's really tremendous, Matt. I hopped on the weekly W1S1 bandgon only a few weeks ago, but I can already see it paying dividends. Perhaps not yet in sales, but the point of W1S1 isn't getting published. Believe it or not, that's entirely beside the point. We do this to become better writers.
ReplyDeleteIt's really inspiring to see someone who "gets it" like you do. Congrats on that, and I hope you get that sale soon.