How to Get More Writing Done

Don’t try to be better than someone else. Try to be better than yourself.

People often ask me how I write books so fast.

And if they’re nice, they ask how I write good books so fast.

Some great writers are just naturally slow, but one shouldn’t discard the fast writer by assuming their work isn’t as good because they put it out quicker, or that they don’t put the same enormous amounts of time and energy into their work. They do, they just jettison the things that slow down the process.

My advice on how to do this will not be for most people. It’s my newsletter and I’m not going to tiptoe around your emotions or cater my ideas to fit nicely into the life you already have. I’m just going to tell you how I do what I do. I will get to the list later in this piece but first I want to give you some background.

In eight years, I’ve released twenty books. This isn’t even counting all the short stories, magazine articles, and other writings, such as this newsletter. It also doesn’t count the books I’ve already written that just haven’t come out yet or the ones I don’t like enough to ever release. While I do write full-time now, that wasn’t always the case. I’ve had some grueling day jobs that were time vampires, age accelerators, and firehoses of depression. But through them all, I kept working, kept dedicating my free time to my craft. And when I couldn’t write, I read.

I’ve been writing stories since I was a child, and I started reading books on writing and the history of the horror genre when I was fourteen. Over the years, many people told me I probably wasn’t going to make it. Most of them were people close to me. One by one, I cast them out, and one thing I’ve learned about myself is that when I’m done with something, I’m done for good.

The way I see it, love makes creative people do crazy things, the craziest of which is getting married and having children. While this may be ideal for some, no one will ever convince me having a family isn’t a major hinderance to any creator’s output. It’s the main reason I’ve never had the slightest desire to have children (though there are many, many other reasons). The relationships you forge need huge amounts of love, time, and attention.

But here’s the tricky part: so does your writing.

No need to point out all the successful writers who have families. I’m very aware they exist, so save your snide, sanctimonious comments for your virtual enemies on Twitter (which is also a big waste of time, but more on that later). I’m not saying having a writing career and a family can’t be done. But every situation is different, and the art people create has always been far more valuable to me than human beings themselves. No relationship I’ve ever had with a woman has brought me the lasting joy books, music, and horror entertainment have. Though I adore scary movies, they’ve never demanded my personal time or space. Individual books may have let me down, but reading and writing never has. These things have been the only consistent source of happiness in my life—okay, maybe dogs too. Some people may misinterpret this as me badmouthing women and children, but rest assured I would feel exactly the same way about this if I were gay or even had roommates. I love and cherish certain individuals, but don’t love anyone enough to want them around all the time.

An excessive amount of time alone isn’t something I ask from people in my life; it is an absolute prerequisite to being in my life at all. I need this time not only to write but to fuel that writing. I need long road trips alone and solo journeys to foreign lands. I need nights of solitude in my rocking chair listening to music from 70 years ago. I need to disappear into the wilderness without anyone knowing where I’ve gone.

Most of all, I need regular doses of prolonged contemplation to explore the darkest corridors of my mind, of which there are many. This means no screens, no calls, no people. It’s something I think everyone can benefit from. Everyone is wired into their devices and in constant contact with others through texts and social media. When was the last time you turned your phone off? When is the last time you left it at home when you went somewhere? If you can’t remember, that’s a problem. When is the last time you spent a whole day outside with no technology? Probably not recently enough. As Bill Waterson once said, “if your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously reexamine your life.”

I’ve lived alone for the past six years. In that time, I’ve been more successful in my career than all the years that preceded them combined. Some feel having a life-partner can be the backbone of one’s success, but that sort of Hallmark mentality has never rung true to me. I’ve never experienced it on a personal level. And this is not to denigrate the women I’ve been in serious relationships with, because I know I am abnormal and impossible to live with. But I also don’t see the value of being involved with someone who is going to pull me away from my craft. This isn’t totally their fault either. Having a significant other also means you’ll use them as an excuse to stop writing when you should keep working.

A social life itself is toxic to the dedication and drive of the author. All the parties, brunches, concerts, church socials, Spider-Man movies, and days at the arcade you enjoyed this year? I wasn’t there.

Family life adds even more obstacles. All the recitals, parent-teacher nights, pee wee sports, in-law visits, and marriage counseling you did this year? I wasn’t there.

I was alone. And therefore, I was writing.

What it really comes down to is sacrifice.

If you’re going to succeed at something to your full potential, you must give it your full attention. The more you divide that attention into ever-increasing fractions, the more your art suffers, and the quicker your creative spirit dies.

Now look, I’m just sane enough to know I’m crazy. I know some people would see this hermit lifestyle as a miserable existence, and perhaps they’re right. Maybe I’m solipsistic and broken. But when you love writing above all else, my way of life is as close to paradise as you can get. And I still have friends I adore with my whole heart, some of which I’ve been close with for decades. I just don’t see them every month. Working remotely in my bunker of one, I sometimes go days without contact with another human being, and I’m content with it.

Yes, I still get out and do things. But most of my activities are solo ventures (or with the company of only my dog). I travel around the world but always take the writing with me, absorbing new experiences to write about and recharging my artistic battery. And I greatly enjoy the company of women who understand these things about me. I’m still a romantic at heart. I have a strong affinity for women and have them in my life, but I don’t hide from them that I’m a ramblin’ man and an eccentric weirdo. And I never ask someone to give to me that which I cannot reciprocate. This attracts the right kind of women for me (well, that and the beard) and allows me to enjoy fulfilling yet unconventional relationships.

My books are my legacy. You need to decide for yourself what yours will be.

Okay, so maybe you can’t quit your day job. It took a long time before I was able to, and even then, I knew I was taking a huge gamble. But working harder on my writing than I ever did at the day job makes it possible.

If you’re a young writer and don’t have a family, think long and hard before proposing to anyone. This is not a popular thing to say, but marriage might just be the biggest mistake you’ll ever make. More than half of people over the age of 35 will tell you that. I have learned to never engage in anything where the risk outweighs the gains.

Many of you already have families. Obviously, I’m not saying you should leave them. No one should abandon their children—that’s why I’m warning people to think twice about having any. But you can demand things from your family the same way they demand things from you. Make one of those things personal time. Work with them to figure it out.

No matter what your situation is, there are plenty of other time-burglars you can ditch and hard changes you can make to your life that will improve your writing.

With all these things in mind, here are the bullet points of my advice on how to get more writing done.

Turn off your smart phone while working. Get a landline phone and only give the number to people who would call you in an emergency. Most of the time people won’t need to.

Throw away your game consoles. Unless you want to write scripts for them, only play video games with your friends, and only in person. It’s good to unwind with some mindless fun, but games make you spend time learning how to do something worthless, and even more time trying to succeed at something that is more of a failure if you win. No one will ever care that you defeated Sonic the Hedgehog. In the end, even you won’t. No matter what you want to accomplish in life, gaming is a cancer on what little time you have on this earth.

Abandon your other creative efforts. You’re gonna hate me for this one but you need to hear it. Hobbies are fine, but a jack of all trades is truly a master of none. No exceptions. Plenty of people can have more than one creative outlet but they will never excel as much as they could have if they gave their all to a singular thing. No one is a great medical surgeon and a great airplane mechanic. You need to focus. If you want to be the best writer you can be, stop trying to play in a band. If you want to be the best painter, stop writing. There’s no way around it because there’s only so much time. Splitting your attention will weaken you. So be excellent at something or mediocre at multiple things.

Tell people to leave you the fuck alone. Don’t be shy about it. You need personal time to do this, and they need to understand that. If you live with these people, chances are good they’ll enjoy the break from you anyway.

Write something—anything—every day. Keep a journal. Write a blog. Start a self-absorbed newsletter. Even when you’re not writing, you can daydream and take notes. Remember daydreaming? No matter who you are, I’m guessing you could use a lot more of that. Lay under the stars and come up with fresh ideas.

Read more. A writer who doesn’t read will never be that good of a writer. Read the modern hits to see what audiences want, read your peers to stay current, read the classics because they’re classics for a reason, and read old books you’ve never heard of because you never know what treasures you’ll find. It’s like a band’s album as opposed to a “greatest hits” mix.

Your excuses are bullshit. If you have time to binge-watch ten streaming services, scroll five social media platforms, and jack off twice a day, you have time to read and write. And if you really don’t have time to do anything you enjoy, you aren’t valuing your short life and need to make some real changes.

Learn to tolerate loneliness. After desire, isolation is the greatest muse you’ll ever have.

If your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse discourages your writing in any way, leave them, and leave them fast.Value their constructive criticism of what you write, but never tolerate someone who tells you you’re never going to make it and need to get serious about a “real job.” You should only be hearing this if you aren’t getting any writing done. Anyone who doesn’t believe in you or support your life’s dream obviously doesn’t love you. And I promise you, nothing they offer will ever be as wonderful as all the things you’ll achieve without them. There are some great people in this world, but most people aren’t, and you have enough exes to know that.

Get off the goddamn phone. I know I already said to stay off your smart phone while working, but here I just mean phone use in general. Texting, social media, games, videos—I don’t care what you’re doing with it, just stop. Once or twice a day, social media should be used to promote your work and engage with your awesome reviewers and fans, but that should be the extent of it. Nothing kills the imagination like constantly having a screen in your face.

Pick a place to write and stick to it. Have a room or a corner where you come to write and do nothing else. There should be nothing there to distract you. A dedicated writing space creates a sort of fortress of solitude for the mind.

Stop blaming others for your failures. This is a delusion that will ruin your soul and rightly cause peers and readers to avoid you.

Stop fucking whining. Nobody wants to hear it and you should be ashamed of yourself for doing it.

Don’t try to be better than someone else. Try to be better than yourself.

Your goal as an author should be to hate what you wrote five years ago. Not because it isn’t good, but because you’ve been working hard every day of your life to be a better writer than you were before. This should be a monastic obsession. No one is ever done learning how to write. There is always room to improve and a never-ending valley to explore. If the stuff you wrote five years ago doesn’t embarrass you a little, you are stagnant and vain, and the flame within you will die.

No one will ever care about your work as much as you do, so give it everything you have. Burn and scream and cry. Howl at the moon and stare at the walls. Be angry. Be depressed. Be alone. But get that writing done. Have fun, get laid, get stoned, but get that writing done. Make excessive sacrifices, especially when it hurts, and get that goddamn writing done.

Some of you may not agree with this advice. You may feel the need to tell me so. I can assure you I don’t care. I will not argue or debate with you or even finish reading your comment. These days, everyone wants to correct people on their opinions, especially online where there’s no risk of getting punched in the mouth. But there’s no point to it. It’s just another waste of time.

Some of you will find this advice too hard to stick to. Some will cherry-pick what works for them. That’s fine. But I hope there are at least a few out there who will take these truths to heart. Y’all asked how I write so much and what the keys to my success are. I have given my answer.

Writing isn’t easy. Nothing worth doing is. 

I have a new novel out called The Prettiest Girl in the Grave and a new collaborative effort with Edward Lee, Aron Beauregard, and Daniel J. Volpe with the fourth issue of The Obituaries. The latter is quadruple signed and limited to 500 copies, and half of them have already sold out, so get it while you can. I also plan to release two more novels before the year ends, one with Cemetery Dance and one which hasn’t been officially announced yet. Stay tuned for that.

Currently listening to: Otis Rush Mourning in the Morning. One of those perfect albums where I never skip a song. But “My Love Will Never Die” and “Reap What You Sow” are my favorite tracks.

Current read: Since his recent death, I have been revisiting some of my favorite passages in my Cormac McCarthy collection. The Borders Trilogy especially. Along with Jack Ketchum and Hubert Selby Jr., McCarthy was one of my biggest influences as a writer.

Celebrity deaths always come in threes and this June had one crazy lineup. We lost Cormac McCarthy, Iron Sheik, and The Unabomber. What a mix. Goes to show that the bell tolls for us all.

Currently watching: Black Mirror.

Current snack: Simply Lemonade.

Until next time, keep reading and writing, and try to be happy.

Your pal,

Kris