Let's Talk Numbers

[keiramarcos]

There are those of you don't write for whatever reason and that's cool. I do wish everyone wrote. Wouldn't that be awesome if we could just bombard the world with lots of amazing writing?

I'm approaching 2 million words of posted fan fic. My current total is: 1,682,530

Let's say I write between 800 to 1000 words an hour. Middle ground -- say, 900 words an hour. At that rate, I've dedicated to 1869 hours to just writing fan fic since basically 2007. That doesn't count editing, beta, plotting, or haphazard research. I looked at a few documents and this is what I got on a few of my projects writing/editing/beta only:

Old Black Magic - 133k - 455 hours

Serpent King - 105k - 496 hours

No Enemy Within - 55k - 130 hours -- this is not including the first two drafts of this fic.

Ties That Bind - 353,049k - 734 hours -- this number isn't accurate because I can't find the first file where I wrote what was basically the first 150k of this series as one story.

I might have a few... issues.

Comments

[naelany.livejournal.com]

I so don't even want to look at my numbers lol. I know it's a lot, considering I've had to do a fair amount of research on some of it.

Also, I don't think you have issues (well, you probably do, but not with that ^_~). And if you do, then I don't want to know about it because I've got them, too ^_~

[angels3.livejournal.com]

I wish I could write that many words an hour. I write at snails pace :(

[stageira.livejournal.com]

Those are not isues. That's godamn talent you have there.

I wish I could write. I try again and again, but I always fail at some point (my biggest story is 5k).

[fanarts-series.livejournal.com]

Wow impressive !

Do you write each day ? have a routine or just write when you want or can ?

[keiramarcos]

I try and certainly want to write every day. I like to get at least 5,000 words a day in. These days I rarely make that goal. I'm lucky to write 10k in a week.

[fanarts-series.livejournal.com]

Something like 5 hours/day wow, i know employees who don't work 5 Hours/Days, specially in France with the 35H/Week law.

[azurehart.livejournal.com]

Everyone should have those sort of issues.

Honestly I'm in total awe of those of you that can write like that. I get so over joyed when I'm able to add another 100 words to one of my WIPs that I do the Snoopy Dance around my desk. The one time I wrote nearly 1000 words in one go I became so giddy that my family thought I was drunk at 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday.

[i-cant-talk-now.livejournal.com]

I was watching late night cable and came across one more of those rescue shows. You know the shows where some sarcastic expert comes into your failing business and points out the obvious?: Bar Rescue and the Tabitha saves your salon, and there is now a car lot rescue. And restaurant aplenty rescue shows. There is now a show that rescues crappily run tattoo parlors. I know nothing about tattoos or their businesses, but they mentioned in the first 5 mins that I watched that they charge $150 an hour. HOLY FUCK, I thought. I don’t make that kind of money. Now I know that the tattoo artist doesn’t get to keep that, any more than my hair stylist gets to keep the $55 I am charged for a simple haircut. $150 is a lot though. That’s approaching medical appt level of billing.
So got to wondering what artists get paid by the hour. And was thinking that if writers got paid by the hour, rather than finished product, I wonder what they could charge.
So I was thinking that every time someone messages you that you need to write more to please their insatiable need for your tasty cakes, you let them know that your going rate for writing is $75 an hour.
Now mind you, you are not being paid for a specific fan fiction story, but rather compensated for your time which could be used for other things.
Ask them how much they would be willing to donate to your website, to free up more of your time, which would allow you to spend more time writing?

[timespirt.livejournal.com]

I would write if I had a talent for it, I just don't have a talent for it. I love to read though. I can't get enough of reading. I re-read your SGA stories every month.

[keiramarcos]

I work between 8 and 15 hours a day.

[ladynero.livejournal.com]

Oh... WOW!!!!

They say that Practice Makes Perfect and this must be the reason you're a great writer. All the practice!

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Your issues contribute to my rapt entertainment, so any sympathy I offer will have the depth of a sidewalk puddle.

I'm trying very hard to have guilt. Honest.

[fanarts-series.livejournal.com]

Including the writing ?

[keiramarcos]

Well, I write for a living so yeah it comes into play on any given day.

[fanarts-series.livejournal.com]

So it's 5 hours for fun and like 13H max for the job.

Pretty impressive.

*hugsyou*

[8dreamcatcher8.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel better, some of us know how bad our writing is so we choose not to inflict it on unsuspecting readers.

Keep bombarding the world with your amazing fics and I'll be happy to limit my writing to comments!

[originaltempus.livejournal.com]

Anything that you do with heart and passion is going to take up chunks of time; but it is never time wasted. The addage "Time flies when you're having fun" sincerely applies.

When you do what you love, you don't even notice the passage of time. I easily spend up to 80 hrs at work/week, and additional time experimenting in my home kitchen.

If I could spend equal time writing, I'd be you.. or Stephen King :D

[rhuad.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing your stories!

[ysta calden (from livejournal.com)]

I literally cannot write more than 500 words at a time *at the most*.

And I suck at stringing those drabbles into a coherent mass.

The most successful my writing has ever been is a 7-drabble series based around a word-of-the-week prompt. The second is 4 500-word chapters that got good reception and then got stuck. Both had fairly reasonable stopping points but still...

That's one of the reasons I adore you guys with hypergraphia that write such epics.

[thorinsmistress.livejournal.com]

Ditto this. I need a 'Like' button.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

I like your issues. ;)

As for everyone writing, that would be cool. If we could all write well. ;)

[issaro.livejournal.com]

OR you could look at it this way.

According to Wiki, the average person reads between 250-300 words per minute. Now I like to savor my fanfic, so we'll go with a nice even 200 words per minute. So doing the math (and counting rereads) that's roughly:
-350 hours on Ties That Bind,
-135 hours on Sentinals of Atlantis,
-70 hours for Tangled Destinines, and
-140 hours on What Might Have Been/Ring of Fire.

Then we need to add in all the stand alones and the Evil Author Day, of course. Grand total, I'd say, conservatively, I've had the pleasure of roughly 1,000 hours of reading JOY from your fics or 44 days straight of awesome.

Now multiple that by the number of minions you have. Give a little extra for the minions that re-read more than I do. Take a little for those that haven't read everything. Then add some more for the one off's that visit your site.

In total? That is a lot of joy you've gifted fandom. A hella lotta joy. (i.e., you are awesome)

[keiramarcos]

I feel like i should be worried about how much time you guys spend on my site now. lol.

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Your issues give me fic. How may I enable you?

[keiramarcos]

lol

[ladyholder.livejournal.com]

Your issues are lovely. Can I send them holy wafers?

And really, you know that I like to enable them. It is one of my favorite things to do!

So... Issues you may have, but they are fun ones!

~L

[jademac2442.livejournal.com]

I might be a little bit enamored of you. *Gets awkwardly down on one knee, holds up diamond, clears throat nervously* Will you be my hero?

[lahgategirl.livejournal.com]

Well I can speak for myself at least by saying that I love your issues ;)

[karasumaakane]

I used to write until college. I still have a lot of ideas, but can't stand to read what I write. I think I have... issues of the not-so-good kind.

Also, you may have issues, but I love your issues. So much~ ^_^

[rogue53.livejournal.com]

I haven't written in... I forget how long.

But I adore reading your fics and someday maybe I'll get back to my own stuff. At the moment, work kills any creativity that I might have and I don't see that improving any time soon.

So, I'll just read yours and be happy!

[keiramarcos]

:-)

[bkfqueer.livejournal.com]

I will be eternal grateful for every single minute of your time you spend with your issues.
If I could I would buy the cafe you like to visit and would keep you in good coffee, cake and interesting but not annoying customers for the rest of your life.
But as that is a nice but unrealistic dream I would like to say THANK YOU for hours of pleasure.

[seadragonlady.livejournal.com]

If you want issues you have them dear. I just marvel at your your output and fall to my knees in gratitude.