How Long Does It Take You To Write?

No more than 25 minutes for everything.

 

From first key stroke to last can mean a lot of things. Covering a game, anyone who doesn't write a little bit of running during the game isn't very bright. So the last key stroke can be 2 hours later.

But from the time I get from the locker room to the press room and sit down at my computer, I'd probably guess somewhere between 15-20 minutes.

Features are rarely written on deadline, but once the reporting is done, no more than an hour, give or take. Sometimes just a half-hour. I've found that in feature writing -- not counting the reporting and research -- more time is not better.

As for columns, again, a regular column doesn't take long because you picked the subject and you picked it because you have something to say. If you're doing a column off a game, then you're talking writing on deadline. Of course, you showed up well before the game and talked to the coach/manager/GM and the players. And it's probably not due till the end of the game, so you could probably take 3 hours total if you don't put the finishing touches in until the final result is in. And the column is not a game story, so it's mostly a state-of-the-team thing that doesn't rely totally on the game.

 

i'm always shocked how fast i write

definitely a point of diminishing returns for me

write it, read it, send it