[Discussion] Writing timeframe

[Palamon]

How long does it usually take you to write a chapter?

For RPers, how long do you spend on an RP post?

& For one shot writers, how long does it take you to write one-shots, usually?

I'm the type of person who plans things week by week. I "prototype" on Monday or Tuesday. And then on Sunday, I write everything that's in my notes for the week in one sitting. Depending on how stuck I get on the first few thousand words, this can take from anywhere between seven to 20 hours. In one sitting, yes. I'm the type of person who has to do things in one sitting or I might lose steam unless I keep repeating over and over in my head where I left off, and what to continue, so I just have to do everything in one singular sitting. Unless it's something that's heavy in lore or my brain doesn't want to do it that night. That's usually when I take a break for the night and finish it the next day.

There are days where I write some bonus things, and that's usually on a Friday or Saturday, depending on my mood, but I'm taking a step back from bonus content right now even though I have some on my mind.

By the way a "prototype" is when I make a long thread on Twitter with a rough description and key description cues in a style > like > this. These are usually anywhere between 18 to 40 tweets, sometimes even longer. This takes me maybe up to an hour, or two hours. (I post it on my private twitter reserved only to five people, though, so please don't ask for it.) I'd say the longest prototype I wrote was 58 tweets, and that section of my fanfiction ended up being a 16,000 word interlude about documenting an entire area/map that took about two entire days to write. (Not in one sitting, of course).

So, my writing timeframe varies, but it's always in one sitting.

 

[Aquacorde]

my solo rp posts and my one-shots tend to occupy about 1k-5k words and usually i'll get it all out in- probably an hour or so, if i can flow thru it without much interruption. once i get writing it dont stop ahaha. it probably takes longer when im jumping into stuff from my phone or if i cant get into a good zone. still, not more than a day for a single post to get properly written!

planning for an rp post is a little harder to figure out in terms of how much time is spent. the notes are cumulative and all tie into so many things, i'll have ideas from months ago ready to make their way into a scene i didnt plan to have at all until this very moment, bc it turns out that the next logical conclusion isnt something i even thought of. i have ever-cycling lists of things that need to be said and addressed and foreshadowed. my planning is so constant that i can maybe say it takes all of my time but also none of it? its a mess ahaha

oh and i dont plan one shots at all. they just appear to me exactly as they should be.

 

[gimmepie]

Solo RP posts and one-shots I can knock out in 1-2 hours. A JP will last about a week or two in a good patch and a month or so in a slow patch. As for longer works, I can typically get a chapter done in 1-2 weeks as well.

 

[Bay]

It largely depends. Usually a 3k-4k chapter/short work I can finish within 3-4 days, though chapters/pieces that have more action-heavy stuff will take longer. The last updated Foul Play chapter it took several weeks on and off because of the huge action going on. I have an outline for that chapter but I still rewrote some parts a few times because of the chronography. Right now I've been doing a little writing exercise on Twitter where I take fic prompt requests and so far each one has been around 400-500 words and I'm able to knock them out within an hour when not interrupted.

 

[Venia Silente]

Writing a section of a one-shot c varies from time to time, sometimes it takes about five work days, sometimes it takes around 15-20 work days. Then again we're talking 3~4k word sections. Getting "into the zone" becomes more difficult with time (and how life is these days) and then it ends up you have to rewrite a good portion of stuff. Drafting sections however, is quite fast in comparison and can be done in two work days or even one if I'm lucky and the core idea for the story was already well designed.

 

[Sonata]

Thousand words an hour, give or take. A chapter or a short story should be knocked out in an evening or so if I'm in the mood for it, otherwise I don't even bother starting. When doing rp things that I know have a deadline it usually takes me 1-3 hours depending on how I'm feeling about it. Sometimes I'll wander through Spotify trying to decide what will clear my head enough to get to the writing stage, and other times I'll already be done writing before I realize I haven't put on music yet. I like when JPs are able to flow together all at once rather than acting as something that has to be touched back on several times through the week as I'll either forget where I was going with something or get distracted with other 'what ifs' for the scenario.

 

[Bravestone]

I usually plan my work a few days, and can write a short story a few weeks, and even in a month, I can rewrite something. I'm not fond of writing, and every time I get a task in college, I check online nursing papers for help, as it is even harder for me, to write something I'm not interested in.

 

[Sheep]

I used to be a super speedy writer and take a few days to write + check things before publishing. Right on finishing I'd get to work on the next chapter since I was trying to keep up with that same pace. It was really tough and stressful mentally to keep up with a pace no one but myself set, and I probably wouldn't be able to go back to that again. Next time I write fics I'd probably force myself to upload once every 2 weeks and no more frequently. @_@;

 

[dewitlykefire]

I usually aim for an entire day working on a single chapter which usually has a consistency of three thousand words a chapter. However, if I have to do some research, the chapter would extend to two days and at most three days.

 

[Mimicking Mimikyu]

Most of my short stories are done in one sitting. I have trouble motivating myself if I'm not in the "zone." Said sittings typically last three to four hours of continuous, non-stop writing.

 

[sona25b]

Some writers might be able to write a one-shot in a few hours, while others might take several days or even longer to complete it. It ultimately depends on the individual writer and their writing process.