Hi Nat! What does a "detailed outline" look like for you? I've tried many different types of outlining, from high-level bullet points to paragraphs full of detail, and haven't been able to find a good balance between them. I prefer more detail, but feel as though I wind up writing half the draft in that alone, but maybe that's the point. Any thoughts?
Nat, this is tremendous. First, congratulations on the accomplishment! Also thank you for sharing your learnings and experience.
Re: Item #3 about creative and physical endurance - this is spot on and a topic I plan to dive into here on SS. Look forward to hearing more on the revision process and ROI on this 1-month first draft.
Murakami’s What I talk about when I talk about running you’d probably enjoy it; he is big on writing being a physical activity and started running to be able to do it. And his writing process and marathon training process feel quite similar.
I do think that creative endurance can be trained, but there is a limit to how much you can do per day/week. No matter how much you train, there is a physiological limit. However in all fairness it is probably higher than most people think.
After doing a lot of personal experiments, I do think that there is a reason that the 3-4 hours of deep work number is so prevalent. The max amount of "sustainable" deep work I been able to do is 4.5 hours per day, but heavily dependent of everything else being perfect. (Sleep, nutrition, exercise). So I now do aim for those 3-4 hours.
To my surprise I am starting to notice that a hard weightlifting workout counts as deep work, meaning I won't be able to do 4.5 hours + a heavy workout.
Well done, it is amazing when you finally see it in print or epub, but the writing is the fun part, if you want to ever make a living off it you will need to push it at every opportunity to get people to read it and hope nobody ever gives it below 4 stars in a review.
I'm halfway through my second novel, with basically zero reads of my first masterpiece, but am I happy? yes. because part of me will live on now forever.
Great post. I like the idea of the mental and physical fitness preparation to work in this way. It gives me a new way of approaching an important project that I put off - either my paying job is too exhausting and I need a break, mental inertia, or actual physical tiredness. While I don't expect to achieve anything like you have (amazing!) it is an internal wrestling match with my mind more than anything else.
Really cool experiment. Loved your insight into how the body and mind are connected. It is amazing what our concentration can produce for us if we let it. All that subconscious energy directed at one thing can create something really powerful! Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on finishing sooner than your original 30 days! Reading about your journey - the preparation, daily routine (and struggle), and your reflection on the process has been very eye-opening and inspirational. I echo another commenter who asked what a “detailed outline” looks like for you.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Nat! It is really impressive how much writing you got done in this month - real hardcore dedication. I also would love to know how detailled your outline was going in.
Hi Nat! What does a "detailed outline" look like for you? I've tried many different types of outlining, from high-level bullet points to paragraphs full of detail, and haven't been able to find a good balance between them. I prefer more detail, but feel as though I wind up writing half the draft in that alone, but maybe that's the point. Any thoughts?
Great question Matt, I’ll write this up in a post!
Nat, this is tremendous. First, congratulations on the accomplishment! Also thank you for sharing your learnings and experience.
Re: Item #3 about creative and physical endurance - this is spot on and a topic I plan to dive into here on SS. Look forward to hearing more on the revision process and ROI on this 1-month first draft.
Very interesting experiment! If you haven’t read
Murakami’s What I talk about when I talk about running you’d probably enjoy it; he is big on writing being a physical activity and started running to be able to do it. And his writing process and marathon training process feel quite similar.
Really enjoyed crypto confidential btw!
Thanks Joe! Glad you enjoyed the book, I’ve heard Murakami’s running book recommended a few times now so I should move it up my queue
I also had to immediately think about Murakami's remarks about writing and running. Highly recommended for all those who haven't yet read it.
I do think that creative endurance can be trained, but there is a limit to how much you can do per day/week. No matter how much you train, there is a physiological limit. However in all fairness it is probably higher than most people think.
After doing a lot of personal experiments, I do think that there is a reason that the 3-4 hours of deep work number is so prevalent. The max amount of "sustainable" deep work I been able to do is 4.5 hours per day, but heavily dependent of everything else being perfect. (Sleep, nutrition, exercise). So I now do aim for those 3-4 hours.
To my surprise I am starting to notice that a hard weightlifting workout counts as deep work, meaning I won't be able to do 4.5 hours + a heavy workout.
I noticed that with working out too, if I pushed too hard it almost used up one of my deep work sessions
Interesting, I wonder to write more per day if it would help to train writing speed and how much time you could've saved.
I guess 5000 words/day even with low tempo of 40wpm would only take 2 hours of typing, so it might not be worth it really.
Well done, it is amazing when you finally see it in print or epub, but the writing is the fun part, if you want to ever make a living off it you will need to push it at every opportunity to get people to read it and hope nobody ever gives it below 4 stars in a review.
I'm halfway through my second novel, with basically zero reads of my first masterpiece, but am I happy? yes. because part of me will live on now forever.
Great post. I like the idea of the mental and physical fitness preparation to work in this way. It gives me a new way of approaching an important project that I put off - either my paying job is too exhausting and I need a break, mental inertia, or actual physical tiredness. While I don't expect to achieve anything like you have (amazing!) it is an internal wrestling match with my mind more than anything else.
Really cool experiment. Loved your insight into how the body and mind are connected. It is amazing what our concentration can produce for us if we let it. All that subconscious energy directed at one thing can create something really powerful! Thanks for sharing.
Onward! This is an impressive speed. Congrats on first draft done!
Congratulations on finishing sooner than your original 30 days! Reading about your journey - the preparation, daily routine (and struggle), and your reflection on the process has been very eye-opening and inspirational. I echo another commenter who asked what a “detailed outline” looks like for you.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Nat! It is really impressive how much writing you got done in this month - real hardcore dedication. I also would love to know how detailled your outline was going in.