Do you write fast or are you a slow writer
By Ruth Belena
@paid2write (5201)
March 2, 2008 6:48am CST
I take time to write. I try to proofread and self-edit whatever I write. I criticize my own writing. I change words, re-work whole paragraphs. I cut sentences to make them shorter. I look to see if I could have made my meaning clearer.
All this takes time, so posting in a forum or on MyLot probably takes me longer than is usual. Writing an article can take all morning. Posting on my blog takes hours.
Even then I am not always satisfied with my efforts, when I re-read what I have written.
Do other writers have this problem? Is it a problem, or is it just a way of ensuring there is a certain standard to my written work? Do I set my standards too high?
11 people like this
41 responses
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
3 Mar 08
I'm a fast writer as you can tell by all the "mistrakes" I make on here, but the fact is since we cannot go back and correct our typos, I've learned to just not worry about it as this is a social networking site not like Helium. At first it bothered me a bit, but I've learned I can have more fun with more people if I lighten up a little on the proofreading and standards and just act spontaneously and let my fingers fly. On the other hand the thought hangs like a Damocles sword over my head that one of these days I'm going to get in trouble, lol.
On my blog I don't worry about it too much as I have the authority to go back and make corrections, but on Triond and Helium and A/C, there I am like you. I spent 7 hours on an article for Triond for once, just revising and revising!
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
3 Mar 08
I agree we are on MyLot for fun rather than setting standards. I have only just found out about Triond and am thinking of submitting to it. Can you earn more from Triond than from Helium?
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
3 Mar 08
One acquaintance makes over $100 a month in passive income from her Triond articles. I am not yet at the point of making more there than here, but I haven't submitted that many articles yet, and do also write for Helium and Associated Content. Presently I earn more here than on each of those three sites, but combined I earn more from them, and of course there is a big difference.
1) The earnings on those sites are like royalties, that is: passive income or residuals, meaning that you write once and continue to earn every month whether you write more articles or not, so as you publish more and more, the earnings go up and up.
2) Triond writers do not have to publicize their own articles but that dramatically boosts earnings there, whereas here we just have fun.
3) Triond will reject poorly written or inappropriate articles. Writers do not publish for themselves, but rather submit for consideration and wait a few days to see their work accepted.
4) Triond writers can delete articles and resubmit in order to correct or change information.
5) Triond is more conservative and doesn't push for ratings and social interaction between members in quite the overweaning way that Helium, for example, does.
6) Triond does not have an affiliate down line referrals thing.
Of the ones I've tried, it appears that Associated Content has the highest pay scale, at least for page views, and if I spent as much time there as I do here, I'd be cleaning up, lol. But I find Associated Content much more difficult to navigate, so Triond, which has a minumum payout of only 50 cents a month strikes me as a better place for people just starting out to get their feet wet.
@fec139 (810)
• United States
16 Mar 08
I think it is best to proofread everything, even an e-mail or instant message. Your attention should be proportionate to the importance of the situation. If you are writing casually to a close friend, it is okay to use abbreviations and shorthand, and a typo or two isn't going to make a difference.
If it is business correspondence, especially t o someone of higher status, a prospective employer, or a potential customer, you should take great pains to proofread, refrain from shorthand, unnecessary abbreviations, or slang of any kind. In fact anything you write to anybody on whom you want to make a positive impression, should be carefully worded and proofread. Remember, if you are sloppy or careless in your writing, you will be viewed as sloppy,careless, or even disrespectful. AND also remember that the reader cannot see your facial expressions, so make sure what you write clearly conveys what you want the reader to understand. AND also remember the internet is not Las Vegas ----what you say stays forever for anybody to find!
As for perfectionism, sometimes that gets in the way, so decide if you are spending too much time revising and perfecting. Maybe you need to save these things as drafts, and go back later. I also take all morning to put together a quality article.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
3 Mar 08
No . I guess I am the opposite. I can't type my discussions or comments fast enough, I think them faster than I can type them.An idea comes to me and I know the words to use so all I have to do is type them out.
But if I have to put pen to paper, I sometimes scribble it down so fast I can't read it.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
3 Mar 08
I also type fast, but then I re-type, and I have the same problem as you when I handwrite and can't always read what I've written!
1 person likes this
@kriszelunka (557)
• Australia
6 Mar 08
It depends on what I am writing. For discussion purposes (like here), I'm a fairly quick writer. My thoughts flow fairly easily from my head to the computer, and I don't normally rework what I've written, just check for spelling and grammar errors before I hit the 'post' button.
When it comes to writing an article, I take much more time. I try to at least get a first draft down before I start changing, deleting and rewriting, but I often find that I can't even get the first draft completed before my 'inner editor' comes out and I start changing things.
I think perhaps when it comes to sites such as mylot, you don't need to spend quite as much time making sure that your entry is perfect.
Of course, you should make sure that your entry makes sense, but it is a friendly, social site, and people are generally more interested in what you have to say, and are not judging how perfectly you say it.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
7 Mar 08
I am finding that I am making my responses on MyLot a lot quicker now that I am used to it.
@sweetsagittarius (64)
• China
3 Mar 08
when i use english to write ,i always take a long time to think how to express my ideas.Becasue english is not my mother language.so far i can't use it expertly.
so i am not active at mylot.sometimes i meet some topics i interesting but don't know how to express my ideas exactly.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
3 Mar 08
I think your English will keep getting better the more you read and write at MyLot.
@jesiear (53)
•
3 Mar 08
English is not our major Language,so ,I can meet the same problem like you,that is why we came to mylot to make the English perfect.
I hope I can speak English just like a native one day,when I post the response,I will read it carefully,and look for the dictionary when meeting the problem.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
3 Mar 08
I can understand that when English is not your first language it will take longer to write.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
7 Mar 08
For me, a lot of it depends on A) The type of mood I am in when I am writing B) What am I writing about, as in am I passionate about the subject C) What is this for that I am writing about D) Do I have a time frame to do this in and E) What do I want others to gain from this
For me, a lot of times unless I am just writing to be writing takes some time and effort. This is not something that I can do haphazardly and move on. Especially when it might upset someone in the end. I find myself a very caution yet conciences writer even in here, and since my main Goal in life is to someday be a Published author to where I know others appreciate what I have to say, I just keep on writing and hoping for the best from there.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
22 Mar 08
I tend to write fast because I think fast. If something is on my mind, I try to get it written down as soon as possible. I have lousy handwriting, but I can type at well over 60 words per minute, so this compensates quite well.
1 person likes this
@mvpriyank (407)
• India
7 Mar 08
I also write very fast!!!!
But due to writing fas my handwriting becomes dirty.SO i prefer to write slow mostly.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
7 Mar 08
maybe you're just being overly conscious of your work. i can't remember the exact word but its like being worried over the smallest details. like a perfectionist. if its something that you want people to learn something or get entertained at, then i think there's nothing wrong with it. ^__^
when i write articles i edit my own work too. i revise lines which i think are too long and i edit the grammatical errors that i made. i rephrase some paragraphs or phrases to something that i think is much more better. when i'm satisfied that's the only time that i would stop editing. and then i hand down my work to someone who would edit it again. ^__^
but with blogs and threads, after i finished writing i would only read what i have written once, try to correct some things, and then post it immediately. i don't even preview my response. ^__^;;
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
4 Mar 08
Hello paid2write.
It sounds like you care very much about how others perceive your writing. You are very diligent. I think it is to be admired--there are too many people out there who don't care about spelling and grammar or how their sentences sound.
I, too, write for the web and triple-check my work before putting it out there. I admire people who have blogs because I feel intimidated about the whole start-up process. I am sure you are very successful in what you do.
Take care.
PearlGrace
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
2 Mar 08
I type very fast, very inaccurately and wish that myLot had an edit button after you have posted. When I take my time I still seem to make silly mistakes, just less of them. For example: tanky o for ths inetretstring pot. See what happens when I think faster than my fingers can type. I remember once writing an official letter on behalf of the company I worked for. I wrote it, signed it and posted it. About a year later I was looking through some old files that I wanted to get rid of and came across the letter. Right in the middle of paragraph 3 was the correspondent's address! How it got there I do not know. If I had proof read the letter first then I am sure that the customer would have been much more impressed with us. No I don't think that you set your standards too high. When writing they can never be too high. My mother had a very old fashioned education and she has the best understanding of English grammar of anyone that I know. When I write work for sale then I get her to do the proof reading. She always find a mistake!
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
2 Mar 08
Bless your mother for her proofreading skills. I did a course to learn proofreading but I still miss things!
@Norfolk_Jim (214)
•
2 Mar 08
I write really fast but often I need to edit my postings because I'm in such a hurry I dont proof read them. I'm borderline dyslexic so its even harder than usual. I think it does depend on where you are posting. Sometimes getting the information or ideas over is far more important than spelling or grammar, but some places those things are essential, like the writing site helium. Their requirements tend to put me off. I like to post on various messageboards and it always seems a bit petty when I'm picked up on punctuation or spelling. I'm more interested in what someone has to write than in their litary skills. Also, I guess it depends on how much time you have and how you personally feel about the material you present. If you feel better for presenting your very best work then its pretty much up to you how far you take it. I've had quite a few lines published over the years and relatively little rejected so it may not be such a terrible hinderance.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
2 Mar 08
Cheers Norfolk Jim. I am also a Helium article writer, my name there is Ruth B.
@nice030481 (1109)
• Philippines
11 Mar 08
it really takes time to write. especially when you are not an expert. every one create a mistakes eh. thats why we need to read again what we have witten.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
3 Mar 08
It seems to be a problem with other writers. I am taking forever to post on mylot and even when I do responses. Sometimes I have a whole post or response written out and then I will go back and say, "this doesn't sound right," or "if someone will read this and therefore I will get a rant." Mind you, for someone people, even an innocent question or remark will get a rant, but I would rather have as little explosions as possible.
I am writing a novel, and it takes me almost an hour to finish a page, and then the next day, I have to go back, and rewrite it, then after a time, I will go back and change more words. Your standards are not too high. People have to understand what you write, and you have to make it so it is for an adult reader not just for a child.
1 person likes this
@bgerig (1258)
• United States
4 Mar 08
I write very fast when I am under deadline. I think it is because the pressure is on. This is true even for recreational writing assignments. For instance, if I'm writing a personal letter to a friend or family member and want it to go out in today's mail - I will piddle around until it is almost time for the postman to arrive. Then I quickly write out my thoughts and they are exactly what I want to say. The same is true for now - when I have a May 1 deadline, I continue to scribble thoughts down but rewrite, edit, start over, etc. But I know that the week before the deadline, I'll start writing seriously and it will be exactly what I'm wanting to say. I think writers strive to be perfect; however, when one can not write any more (i.e. deadline) then the writer automatically puts their thoughts down and their standards are met.
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
3 Mar 08
Hi paid2write, I'm not a fast writer either, in fact I would say that I'm a lot like you, especially when I'm writing an article. I don't think you are being hard on yourself, as it's good to see words spelled right. My biggest problem is punctuation, I've never been good at it. Blessings.
1 person likes this
@LouRhi (1502)
• Australia
3 Mar 08
Can you ever set your standards to high? Is it not high standards that encourage a higher quality which produces better reading for the public?
I can completely understand what you are saying. I have been through exactly the same thing only I get so obsessively critical I think that I have nothing worthy of even being written.
So now I have a new self rule. I trust in my ability. I take time while I am writing to think about what I actually want to say. It still takes time and needs to be reread but I make sure I limit my rewrites.
Trust yourself for you are paid2write!
1 person likes this
@kolleenwilson (94)
• United States
3 Mar 08
To me, what you are talking about is not "slow or fast" writing but perfectionitis to the 10th degree. I realized a long time ago that if I wrote and then re-wrote everything I sent in over and over people would not read what I was writing as it was staying on my computer. Try to be gentle with yourself. Most of us out here don't demand perfection and also make mistakes when we write something. I am hoping that people read the intent or content of what I write versus the framework or way I write it. Just relax and let the messages flow - it sounds like you have many important things to say - don't let perfection get in your way...
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