📚 2k to 10k

📚 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love

BOOK INFORMATION

2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love
Rachel Aaron
2017 (originally published as a blog post in 2011)
110 pages
Writing Guide/Reference

KEY TAKEAWAYS

HOOK

What if you could quintuple your daily word count without spending a single extra minute writing simply by changing how you approach the writing process?

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Writing productivity is about eliminating inefficiencies by knowing what you'll write before you write it, optimizing when and where you write, and ensuring you're always enthusiastic about your work.

SUMMARY

"2k to 10k" addresses the universal writer's challenge of productivity: how to produce more quality work in limited time. Rachel Aaron, a professional fantasy and science fiction author, developed her method when facing a tight deadline after having a child, which severely restricted her writing time. Through careful analysis of her writing process, she discovered three key strategies that allowed her to increase her daily output from 2,000 to 10,000 words without increasing her actual writing time.

The book begins with Aaron's personal story of discovery, then systematically breaks down her three core strategies. The first strategy is knowing what you'll write before you write it. This challenges the common "pantser" approach of writing into the dark. Aaron argues that the hardest part of writing isn't the physical act of typing, but figuring out what comes next. By taking just five minutes to plan scenes before writing, writers can avoid the inefficiency of multitasking (both creating and writing simultaneously).

The second strategy focuses on optimizing writing time through data collection and analysis. Aaron advises writers to track their writing sessions by recording start and end times, word counts, locations, and time of day, for at least two months. This data reveals patterns about when and where writers are most productive, allowing them to structure their writing schedule for maximum efficiency.

The third strategy emphasizes the importance of enthusiasm. Aaron discovered that her most productive days were those when she was writing scenes she genuinely wanted to write. She encourages writers to view lack of enthusiasm as a potential red flag indicating problems with the story itself, rather than personal failings.

The remainder of the book expands on these core strategies with detailed guidance on plotting (including a nine-step planning process), character development, and editing. Aaron also discusses how she uses Scrivener to enhance her productivity, though she emphasizes that the core method works with any writing tool.

What makes this book unique is its balance of practicality and inspiration. Aaron provides specific, actionable techniques backed by her own experience of dramatically increasing her productivity while maintaining (and even improving) the quality of her work.

INSIGHTS

• Productivity is about efficiency, not speed: The most profound insight is that writing more isn't about typing faster but about eliminating the inefficiencies that slow us down.
• Planning doesn't require extensive outlining: Aaron reveals that just five minutes of pre-writing planning can dramatically increase output, challenging the notion that productive writing requires extensive plotting.
• Writing data reveals hidden patterns: Most writers don't track their writing sessions, but this data can reveal surprising patterns about when and where we write best.
• Enthusiasm is a diagnostic tool: Rather than viewing lack of motivation as a personal failing, Aaron reframes it as a potential indicator of story problems.
• Quality and quantity aren't mutually exclusive: Contrary to the belief that writing faster means writing worse, Aaron demonstrates that proper planning can actually improve quality by preventing narrative dead-ends.
• Small changes yield dramatic results: The book shows that seemingly minor adjustments to writing process can produce extraordinary improvements in output.
• Writing is a learnable skill, not a mystical gift: Aaron demystifies the writing process, treating it as a craft that can be improved through systematic analysis and adjustment.
• Different writing phases require different mindsets: The book distinguishes between the creative phase of planning and the mechanical phase of drafting, recognizing that these require different mental approaches.

FRAMEWORKS & MODELS

The 2k to 10k Method

The core framework consists of three interconnected strategies that work together to dramatically increase writing productivity:

Aaron's Nine-Step Plotting Process

For developing novels, Aaron provides a comprehensive plotting framework:

KEY THEMES

• Efficiency Over Speed: The book consistently emphasizes that productivity comes from eliminating inefficiencies rather than simply writing faster. This theme challenges the common assumption that writing more quickly means sacrificing quality.
• Writing as a Learnable Craft: Aaron demystifies the writing process, treating it as a skill that can be improved through analysis and systematic adjustment rather than a mystical talent one either has or doesn't have.
• Balance Between Planning and Spontaneity: While advocating for planning, Aaron acknowledges that stories change during the writing process and encourages flexibility. The theme develops through her emphasis that "plotting exists to make your life easier, not harder."
• Self-Knowledge as a Productivity Tool: The book develops the theme that understanding one's own writing patterns, preferences, and rhythms is essential to maximizing productivity. This is evident in her emphasis on tracking and analyzing personal writing data.
• Enthusiasm as a Guide: Throughout the book, Aaron develops the theme that emotional engagement with one's work is not just a nice bonus but an essential component of productive writing. Lack of enthusiasm isn't a personal failing but a diagnostic tool.

COMPARISON TO OTHER WORKS

• vs. "On Writing" by Stephen King: While King's work focuses more on the art and craft of writing with less emphasis on productivity, Aaron's book is specifically targeted at increasing output. King advocates for a more organic "discovery" approach to writing, whereas Aaron emphasizes the benefits of planning ahead.
• vs. "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott: Lamott's book focuses more on overcoming psychological barriers to writing and embracing imperfection, while Aaron provides specific, actionable techniques for increasing productivity. Both address the emotional challenges of writing, but Aaron offers more concrete productivity strategies.
• vs. "Writing Into the Dark" by Dean Wesley Smith: Smith's book advocates for writing without planning (pantsing), directly contradicting Aaron's first core strategy. Aaron argues that knowing what you'll write before writing it dramatically increases efficiency, while Smith claims the opposite.
• vs. "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield: Pressfield focuses on overcoming resistance and the psychological barriers to creating, while Aaron provides practical techniques for increasing productivity once you're actually writing. Pressfield addresses why we don't write; Aaron addresses how to write more efficiently.
• vs. "Save the Cat!" by Blake Snyder: While Snyder's book provides a detailed plotting structure for screenwriters, Aaron's plotting approach is more flexible and less formulaic. Aaron's nine-step process is about understanding your story rather than fitting it into a predetermined structure.

QUOTES

• "Writing is a very personal journey, but that doesn't mean it has to be a slow one." - This quote appears early in the book and encapsulates Aaron's core philosophy that writing productivity can be improved without sacrificing personal style or voice.
• "Writing is not a performance art, so don't be afraid to let everything be a total broken mess for a while, if that's what it takes to get your story right." - This quote reveals Aaron's balanced approach, acknowledging that productivity shouldn't come at the expense of the creative process.
• "Characters are more than actors. In a good story, they are the engines whose desires push the plot forward." - From the character development section, this quote highlights Aaron's approach to creating proactive characters that drive the narrative.
• "I'm not a temperamental artist enslaved to the whims of her muse. I am a story architect building glittering cathedrals in the desert for all the world to marvel at." - This powerful metaphor reveals Aaron's professional mindset toward writing as a craft rather than a mystical process.
• "Just like changing your lifestyle can help you lose a hundred pounds, changing the way you sit down to write can boost your words-per-hour in astonishing ways." - This analogy emphasizes Aaron's belief that small, systematic changes to writing process can yield dramatic results.
• "A book is not a battle, nor is it a conquest. A book is a story, and telling it should be an enjoyable exercise." - This quote reflects Aaron's emphasis on maintaining enthusiasm and joy in the writing process as a key to productivity.
• "This one simple change, those five stupid minutes, boosted my word count more than any other single thing I've ever done. I went from writing 2k a day to 5k a day within a week without increasing my 6-hour writing block." - This direct quote from Aaron illustrates the dramatic impact of her first strategy and emphasizes the simplicity of the approach.

HABITS

• Pre-Writing Planning: Develop the habit of taking exactly five minutes before each writing session to plan what you'll write. This can be as simple as listing the beats of a scene or as detailed as outlining dialogue and descriptions.
• Writing Session Tracking: Create a spreadsheet or document to track every writing session, recording start time, end time, word count, location, and time of day. Maintain this habit for at least two months to gather meaningful data.
• Pattern Analysis: Review your tracking data weekly to identify patterns. Note when and where you're most productive, how long it takes you to reach peak efficiency, and when your productivity begins to decline.
• Enthusiasm Assessment: Before each writing session, rate your enthusiasm level for the scene you're about to write. If you consistently rate scenes low, examine whether the story itself needs revision.
• Idea Collection: Maintain an "Idea Bucket" file where you jot down every story idea that comes to you. Review this file regularly to identify which ideas genuinely excite you.
• Character Motivation Check: For each major scene, ask yourself what your characters want and how their desires drive the action forward. This ensures characters remain active rather than passive.
• Timeline Creation: Develop the habit of creating a timeline for your story, noting when key events occur. This helps prevent plot holes and pacing issues.
• Scene Boredom Check: After outlining your scenes, review them specifically looking for scenes that feel slow or unnecessary. Either revise these scenes or consider cutting them entirely.
• Progressive Memorization: As you develop your story, gradually memorize key details like character descriptions, place names, and important facts. This prevents continuity errors and reduces the need for reference during drafting.
• Flexible Planning: While planning is essential, develop the habit of remaining open to changes as your story evolves. Remember that "plotting exists to make your life easier, not harder."

KEY ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

• Implement the 5-Minute Planning Rule: Before each writing session, spend exactly five minutes planning what you'll write. This simple habit can immediately double or triple your word count without requiring more writing time.
• Create a Writing Tracking Spreadsheet: Set up a simple spreadsheet to track your writing sessions. Include columns for date, start time, end time, word count, location, and notes about energy level. Review this data monthly to optimize your writing schedule.
• Identify Your Peak Writing Times: After two weeks of tracking, analyze your data to identify when you write most efficiently. Schedule your most important writing sessions during these peak times.
• Conduct an Enthusiasm Audit: Review your current project and rate each planned scene on a scale of 1-10 for excitement level. For any scene rated below 6, either revise it to make it more compelling or consider cutting it.
• Develop an Idea Selection System: Create a personal checklist for evaluating story ideas, including criteria like "I can't stop thinking about it," "The idea practically writes itself," "I can visualize the finished product," and "I can explain why people would want to read it."
• Implement the Nine-Step Plotting Process: For your next project, work through Aaron's nine-step plotting process sequentially, spending as much time as needed on each step before moving to the next.
• Create a Character Want Statement: For each major character, write a clear statement of what they want more than anything. Use this as a guide for their actions and decisions throughout the story.
• Build a Story Timeline: Create a detailed timeline of events in your story, including backstory events that influence the main narrative. Use this to identify and fix plot holes and pacing issues.
• Perform a Scene List Boredom Check: After creating your scene list, review it specifically looking for scenes that feel slow or unnecessary. Mark these for revision or elimination.
• Experiment with Writing Tools: If you're not already using specialized writing software, try a tool like Scrivener that can help you implement Aaron's methods more effectively, particularly for organizing and rearranging scenes.

REFERENCES

• Personal Experience: The book is primarily based on Aaron's own experience as a professional novelist who increased her daily word count from 2,000 to 10,000 words while maintaining quality.
• Corporate Productivity Studies: Aaron references studies from the corporate world about how planning impacts productivity, though she doesn't cite specific studies.
• Writing Community Feedback: The book incorporates feedback and questions from the writing community, particularly from conference panels where Aaron first shared her methods.
• Scrivener Writing Software: Aaron discusses how using Scrivener enhanced her productivity, though she emphasizes that her core methods work with any writing tool.
• Traditional Writing Wisdom: Aaron engages with traditional writing advice, particularly challenging the notion that writers should "write into the dark" without planning (referencing Stephen King's approach).
• Story Structure Frameworks: While Aaron doesn't extensively reference specific story structure theories, she works with the three-act structure and acknowledges the value of understanding different plotting frameworks.
• Writer Interviews and Case Studies: The book includes examples from other writers who have successfully implemented her methods, though these are presented anecdotally rather than as formal case studies.

Crepi il lupo! 🐺