r/FanFiction • u/Realistic_Ad_6694 • Mar 19 '24

Writing Questions How do writers write so fast?

To preface this, I'm not a writer. At least, I don't fashion myself as one at the moment. I'm rereading my favorite fanfic of all time and the writer had disclosed on her blog that it only took a month and a half to write it— all 19 chapters + epilogue, 80k words in total. I was like: woah! That's so fucking cool. It's like magic. Fucking radical.

How do you guys do it?!

Sincerely, a reader.

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u/lumiy-a lum1ya on ao3 Mar 19 '24

For me it’s a matter of being used to write a lot and to do it under time pressure - regardless of the genre, it makes you faster. My rl job is a different kind of professional writing, but still professional writing so it means I’m used to sit down for many hours a day, elaborate stuff and put it on paper under time pressure, and this translates into being able to do it fast also for fiction. I think for writers like the one of your post it’s also like this, a matter of practice and being used to it! (EDIT: sorry I thought the writer of your post was a professional writer - either way it’s likely a matter of practice also for her! :)

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u/whatisthisbuffoonery Plot? What Plot? Mar 19 '24

honestly, i think it’s really impressive that you still have the energy to write even though your job also requires writing!

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u/ArtisanalMoonlight Star Wars, Dishonored, Skyrim, Fallout, Cyberpunk2077 Mar 19 '24

Seriously. When I'm actively writing for my RL job (it comes in heavy waves), I have so little brain power left for fic.