SFRB Recommends #52: 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron #craft

Expanding on her highly successful process for doubling daily word counts, this book, a combination of reworked blog posts and new material, offers practical writing advice for anyone who's ever longed to increase their daily writing output. In addition to updated information for Rachel's popular 2k to 10k writing efficiency process, 5 step plotting method, and easy editing tips, this new book includes chapters on creating characters that write their own stories, practical plot structure, and learning to love your daily writing. Full of easy to follow, practical advice from a commercial author who doesn't eat if she doesn't produce good books on a regular basis, 2k to 10k focuses not just on writing faster, but writing better, and having more fun while you do it.

Fantasy writer Rachel Aaron, who also writes science fiction as Rachel Bach, offers weekly craft and business posts on her blog, and this book grew out of some of them. It offers plenty of insights that seem obvious once she explains them, but in my limited experience are easy to lose sight of in the writing process. Writing many words is all well and good, but the most fascinating parts for me were her tips on how to keep everything organized and when to scrap a character, plotline, or the story itself.

Knowing what you’re going to write in the scene before you write it is far more useful to those who enjoy planning stories and scenes than to those who write by the seat of their pants. However, the editing (revision) tips and tools are more widely applicable, as they help the writer break down what could be a daunting project into more manageable pieces during the editing process. If you’re not sure if her writing advice jives with what you do, I recommend you check out her blog posts.

Author site: Rachel Aaron/Rachel Bach - Official Author Website

Recommendation by Lee Koven.