I didn’t make it to the coffee shop for my Super Sunday appointment this weekend. I was out way too late Saturday night at a Sushi Party and just could not get my carcass moving. This doesn’t mean that I didn’t write. I propped up in bed with the laptop and tried to write from home. I managed to crank out a couple of chapters, but that’s about it. Super Sunday usually includes a great deal of thinking in addition to writing. I spend a lot of time playing out the story in my head. Even if I don’t get all of it down on paper, I still feel productive because the story has advanced. That was the part that did not happen yesterday.
In an effort to speed up this process, I have decided to try and write at least a little bit every day. That’s how the great ones do it, or so I’m told. The problem for me is that I need time to sort of ‘get into character’. It’s not easy for me to just spit out a few words and then stop to go do laundry. I write best with a few uninterrupted hours to kill. I figure the daily thing is worth a try, though. I'll continue to upload on Sunday evenings. That should give Brianne a respectable amount of writing to digest on Monday mornings!
My next dilemma is about story length. I’ve read that the average novel (around 300 pages) is about 80,000 words. Right now, I’ve got around 41,000 words. That means I’m only about halfway to the finish line, right? I don’t think so. It feels more than half finished at this point. Two-thirds? Maybe. I’m not sure. Events are falling into place nicely (at least in my head they are) at this point. I think it will land somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 words. That’s my best estimate today. Will readers think less of me if the book isn’t as thick as an ‘average’ novel? Will my not-so-average novel be taken seriously? Surely quality counts more than anything, right? I mean, I suppose I could add enough useless fluff to generate additional pages. Would that really further the story, though? I don’t think so.
In the end, it is what it is. When it’s finished, it’s finished.
Because I know you and know you are not the average person I wouldn't expect your novel to be "average" size or length. I think if you are planning to write more, a slightly shorter novel can be marketed that way. I think you are worrying about nothing anyway. BTW-I don't know what I am talking about either. I am just the hooked reader her!
ReplyDeleteDon't force the writing. It will be much better when you are in the right frame of mind. This is great stuff!