About 10 days ago I sent you a book cover for which I’d already done some text assembly. It’s not the first time I’ve attempted an overview/introductory sort of words “without hyperlinks outside the text” kind of manuscript to publish on Kindle or, less likely, as an Amazon paperback. This time I do have a rough outline, but I what inevitably follows is the Big Grapple with what subset of my total works, in whole or excerpts, is doable within the framework of the outline.
Writing down the issues with pushing one of these imagined projects to completion is part of my way of solving a long-term problem. There are pro’s and con’s to each of these Query Letters to Myself. Frequently, there is front matter in the “pinned” section of my Word files. Confronting the difficulties involved in every approach I’ve considered before is not a cry for help. It’s a necessary part of the recursive effort to find a workable way of reintroducing myself to whatever remains of the reading public at this point in time.
Trying to focus on a big next step while simultaneously dealing with the constant and increasing threats to the work that remains on the Internet is a challenge that has been pushing me in circles for quite a while now. I’m going to show you a precursor to the “Autobio Intellecti” title above, and then summarize the dilemmas associated with completing that one, which also have covers and sample text, etc.
There’s this one, for example. Call it the lay it all out there approach.
Here’s the text that goes with it in the pinned files at Word:
R. F. LAIRD: The Most Prolific Independent Voice in America
An Instapunk Book
FOREWORD
Concerning the Use of Pronouns
The relevant pronouns in this book are he, I, Ai, and my. A distraction perhaps but not as much as a continual drumbeat of I’s would be. The cover tells you the book is about R. F. Laird, which is true, and that it is an Instapunk book, which is also true. These names apply to a total volume of work that is quite huge by any measure. The differences are significant for reasons of timing, compensation, perspective, and intention. All these will be discussed in passing as needed. Generally speaking, R. F. Laird is the byline of print works for which he received or is still receiving some compensation. I stands for Instapunk, which is the byline of a very much larger body of work that was created on and with the aid of the Internet. Ai is a kind of summation of both but with a more detached perspective that regards the other two as overlapping aspects of a creative mind with its own distinctive mission. Ai is the almost exclusive voice of the later years, one that has been separating itself progressively from personal human contact outside of marriage and a reclusively rural homelife. Ai am writing the Foreword. You’ll meet I in the Introduction which follows.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[TBD]
INTRODUCTION
First things first. What’s an ‘Independent Voice’? The answer is as obvious as such voices are rare. An independent voice is one that can speak freely at any time on any topic without some external control on its content, tone, or purpose. Almost all the writers you know are not independent voices. They are beholden, usually financially or contractually, to some organizational third party. Journalists work for newspapers, broadcast networks, cable and Internet news outlet, etc, and are subject to constraints on what they cover, when, and how they cover it. Professors and other academic ‘experts’ work for universities, who have editorial influence with regard to standards of tenure, documentation, and peer review. Even professional writers without such ties are contracted to publishers, whose primary goal is profit and the maintenance of company reputation in controversial matters. Even popular writers of fiction, who might seem to be truly independent, are subject to publisher interference with respect to the perceived market opportunity of the next fiction project, which surprisingly enough, tends to be a lot like the last successful fiction project. Nonfiction ‘investigative’ writers are even more market- and publisher-driven. Movies are not independent in any regard, governed from first to last by financial entities who regard meaningful content as an occasional accidental product of pandering to focus group trends.
The only writers who are really free in these terms are those whose compensation does not depend on what they write and how they write it. The cleverest and most determined ones are able from time to time to produce some truly independent work with a uniquely different perspective from the norm, but these tend to represent a very small percentage of their lifetime works.
That’s where the adjective ‘prolific’ comes into play. When asked who’s the most prolific of writers, thre are multiple lists available, but these are focused on daily word counts and longest novels, which are relevant but not relevant to lifetime output. Asked about his exact question, Google offers up an interesting list of past and present authors at a site called writers write:
7 Extraordinary Authors with Extraordinary Word Counts
1. Robert Jordan
Estimated word count: 4.5 million
In 1990, novelist Robert Jordan unleashed the first book in his epic series, The Wheel of Time, on the imagination of a million fans. And then, it seems, he just kept on writing and writing…
This author was known for his intricate and immersive worldbuilding. During intense writing sessions, he would completely lose himself in creating this authentic and rich fantasy world.
This author was known for his intricate and immersive worldbuilding. During intense writing sessions, he would completely lose himself in creating this authentic and rich fantasy world.
2. George R. R. Martin
Estimated word count: 4 million
Time magazine once called him the American Tolkien and the author of the series A Song of Fire and Ice has certainly lived up to the title.
As anyone who has watched the TV series Game Of Thrones knows, the dark sprawling fantasy saga is driven by powerful and well-developed characters through various viewpoints.
Martin likens his unique writing process to that of a gardener. From an organic seed of an idea, his plotting evolves more naturally, which allows for the notorious twists and turns in the complex plot.
Of course, this approach also makes the story longer – which has no doubt added to his staggering word count.
3. Anthony Trollope
Estimated word count: 3.5 million
This Victorian novelist could teach today’s athletes a lesson in the power of discipline. The author of the Chronicles of Barsetshire knew firsthand the value of consistency and he diligently followed a strict routine.
With a highly structured daily writing schedule, he would start at five in the morning and finish his daily word quota before heading to his job at the Post Office.
With a goal of writing 250 words every 15 minutes, Trollope used a watch to keep track of his time. He believed this ‘time lock’ would stop him from procrastinating. Well, it certainly contributed to his prodigious output of words. In fact, legend has it that if he finished one novel in the middle of his word target, he would simply start the next novel on the same page.
For Trollope, writing was not just a talent, but a craft that required effort and continuous improvement.
4. Marcel Proust
Estimated word count: 3 million
When Proust set out to capture the subtle intricacies of time, memory, and human desire in the printed word, he delved into over a couple of million words in his seven-volume magnum opus before finding the answer.
The author of In Search Of Lost Time was well known for his stream-of-consciousness technique to explore the inner viewpoints and perceptions of his characters.
However, the French genius’s writing idiosyncrasies have made him equally famous. For example, he only wrote in a soundproof room to limit noise or distraction. When he wasn’t in a cork-lined study, he loved to write in bed in his pajamas, usually in the early morning.
A cup of coffee was never far from his side – he believed caffeine gave him the clarity to stay focused while writing. Despite the peculiar and fussy nature of his writing schedule, it may explain the secret of his exceptional productivity.
5. Stephen King
Estimated word count: 3 million
Here is another writer who stands behind the near religious importance of consistency. Besides being the master of tales that keep us awake with the light on, Stephen King is also one of the most prolific authors of our time.
The man behind bestsellers like The Shining, It, and Billy Summers writes every day – including his birthday and Christmas Day. King sets a daily 2,000-word count target and, like Trollope and Proust, he prefers to write in the morning while listening to a playlist that captures the mood and tone of the work in progress.
6. Elena Ferrante
Estimated word count: 2.5 million
The writer behind The Neapolitan Novels is not only remarkably productive but also possesses a fondness for anonymity. Elena Ferrante is, in fact, a pseudonym for an Italian author. She wants the work to speak for itself – without the hoopla of literary fame.
With stories revolving around themes of gender, friendship, and identity, she spends a lot of time on research before putting pen to paper.
Ferrante has mentioned that she is a creature of discipline and routine. While there is not much information available on her day-to-day habits, it is clear that she keeps a regular writing schedule, as reflected in her mind-boggling word count.
7. Victor Hugo
Estimated word count: 2 million
As one of the most famous Romantic writers of the 19th century, Victor Hugo amassed an impressive word count writing classics such as Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and The Man Who Laughs.
Much like the other authors listed here, the French master storyteller believed in dedicated writing time, typically in the early morning. His writing sessions could also be long and intense; he would write for hours without breaks.
While he preferred seclusion and solitude to write, he could just as easily write in busy cafés or while travelling.
Hugo’s writing was popular, in France and internationally, and brought him fame and, more importantly, money. To keep this financial stability, he kept a strong work ethic and unwavering dedication to his craft. You can bet it wasn’t often that he didn’t complete a project or miss a deadline.
This is a hard list to find. It doesn’t presume, I believe, to cover all available candidates. On the list of longest novels, for example, there are some names you’re certain never to have heard of, more contemporary and controversial in their attainments than the seven ranked ones. Still, the fact is, between R. F. Laird and Instapunk (think of them as 20th and 21st century incarnations, respectively), there’s a new Number One, with more than 6 million words presently available to read via a few clicks of the keyboard.
Quality is an important criterion, of course. But so is uniqueness and breadth of subject matter. None of the names on the list are independent as we have defined the term above. They may be protected to a higher degree than usual because they are writers of fiction, but to voices like R. F. Laird and Instapunk, all writing is fiction because the merit of every work that is not a dissertation or a government report is that its effects are achieved by the manner of presentation, not the academic or professional credentials of the writer. Even when addressing topics involving factual data from the sources which publish such numbers (also their own kind of fiction), the 6 million words of the life work discussed here are fiction because satirical and based on the documented life observations of the writer. One may reference, and frequently does reference, the other. And the quality of any fiction lies in its impact on the perspective, if any, of the reader. That an overwhelming percentage of the Laird/Instapunk opus is satirical or frankly humorous should be all the indication needed that the writer is always writing from a personal point of view and may be approved or rejected on that basis.
There is another measure of validity that matters quite a lot. What is the motive for this or any piece of writing? In almost every case you might think of, the motive includes at least in part a check that can be deposited in the bank. Not here.
That’s the true test of independence. R. F. Laird was banned from the world of American book publishing after his first book. He did not stop writing. In the last 35 years, this writer has written, on average, 470 words a day. During that same timeframe, he has also generated tens of thousands of graphic artworks and short-form audio/video productions. That’s every day, including weekends, holidays, funerals, and vacations. Why?
Answering that question is what this book is about.
**********
Answering that question sufficiently well to be taken seriously in the context of the most prolific ones who are taken seriously on that account is the problem. Where I differ from all of them is in the sheer variety of my work.
I’m the guy who created all these things (Click on the graphics to see)…
Don’t think this apparent confusing of the issues isn’t useful to me. The more I work the alternatives and their combinations in my head and on the net, the more the next piece is likely to tell me what to do.
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