George R.R. Martin writing habits...

I had a wonderful moment of discovery and validation this weekend as an author.   On reading this month's edition of Writer's Digest magazine, I ran across an author I was unfamiliar with, but who I connected with in a surprising way.

Although George R.R. Martin writes fantasy (he's the author of the Game of Thrones as well as many others) and I write romantic women's fiction, we have very similar writing habits.  What a fun  (and I'll admit, validating) discovery!

So often I've come across authors who can release a new novel every year, or authors who say they write every day, usually completing a chapter a day.  I do neither of these things.  And I was beginning to think I was alone . . . until now.

In an interesting interview with Mr. Martin, I discovered it takes him a good five years between novels, even his sequels!  He admits he's a slow writer, and his reasons are the same as mine.  When he writes, he begins by going over what he wrote the previous day both to do a little editing and to build momentum.  I do exactly the same thing.  It may slow things down, but it works for some of us very well.  He "admits" to only completing maybe 5-10 new pages a day (or when he writes) at most!  That was wonderful to hear!  I tire of hearing how some people complete a chapter a day, or more! No way.  I just don't work that way, and now I feel a whole new freedom to comfortably be who I am, write how I write.  It's wonderful.

We writers have all kinds of styles and habits, all of which are perfectly wonderful . . . IF they work for us.  That's all that matters.  If it works, it's perfect . . . for you, or me.  Speed of writing isn't important, quality is.  How we get there doesn't matter in the least, it's only that we get there.

So take comfort, we have much in common with one another and much that is not, but it's all just fine.  We can celebrate together our differences, our outcome and our craft. ;)