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K.M. Carroll's avatar

Well, the only person I've seen talk about this honestly is Dean Wesley Smith. He says that when you start out, you go kind of slow because you're still learning how to write. Plot, characters, pacing, description, theme, etc. So it takes a bit longer. But after a while you get faster because you've internalized all of those building blocks. You can write faster and cleaner. Your first drafts need less editing because you're producing better prose, or you can lightly edit as you go. Eventually, you get so fast that you can produce high quality writing at pulp-speeds. You just have to make sure you're always trying to improve so all those words are constantly getting better, and not just lingering at a certain plateau.

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Wanda Bush's avatar

Also, everyone is different. C.S. Lewis put out book after book, whereas his friend, Tolkien , did not.

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Elliot Kessler's avatar

Very true!

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Elliot Kessler's avatar

For sure! Thank you!

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Wanda Bush's avatar

Yes, you can write quantity and quality. But it cannot be done quickly. It will be like hand stitching a quilt—slow—and it will certainly be a quest. Writing quantity and quality is quintessential in literature. If you are in a quandary, don't let it quell your decision. Whatever you decide, keep your writing quizzical, quotable, and quality-controlled. Whether you write a small volume or one quadrupled in size, don't write quirky like this.

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Elliot Kessler's avatar

Thanks for the advice!

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Wanda Bush's avatar

Glad you enjoyed my Q quip!

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