My children have been in school for two weeks now and as a result I’ve managed to establish my writing rhythm. People keep asking me when I anticipate finishing this draft. A date gets mentioned, and I say ‘that would be nice’ as though I have no control over it.
Last night I met my friend J in Starbucks. She asked me the question. I said I thought it would be great to finish by the close of 2009. “Actually,” I said, “I would prefer to finish by the end of November, then I could have a month before looking at it again during my non participatory skiing holiday.” I said that I could commit to writing x words a day… Her gaze became vacant and disappeared over my shoulder; I thought she’d seen someone she knew. Then she muttered numbers: “Yes, you could easily do that.” Cor, my mental maths is a bit more of a paper and pencil affair. So then I said “what if I do 500 words per day, five times a week?” She did that vague thing again, which now I knew meant her brain was whirring. “Yes; still possible.”
I suspect the nice round 100,000 words is not realistic. I think now that I’m talking nearer 90,000. I have some dates marked out in October just for writing (I just have to protect them) So that’s it. That’s the aim: the end of November.
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10 comments:
Yay! All power to the Writing Pants! I think mine are getting a bit worn out with the supreme effort I've been making. May the Force of the Pants be with you!
Great aim. 90k should be fine, my understanding is that agents/publishers are happy with 80k for a first novel (unless you're in a fat book genre like fantasy, which I know you're not). Go you and your pants! (And be sure to tell the truth at all times, lest they catch fire;-))
Go you! Don't worry about the word count and focus on getting the story out. I tend to increase my word count on each draft. You're at the 'best bit' now - the end is in sight!
x
You are doing so so well!! I am most impressed and I can't wait to read it!!
Yay to writing pants
C x
Ooh exciting. I found I got faster as I got closer to the end, and it got easier to write as I knew exactly what was going to happen.
Nice one! keep at it :)
Chris, thank you. You've been doing brilliantly, haven't you?
Queenie, until I got a feel for how i was telling the story, 100k was just a random number I selected for its, uhm, roundness. I do think my pants might catch on fire at the rate i am writing at the moment!
Caroline, you're so right. It feels so much better. I didn't like the middle bit: all up hill. But this! Lots of juicy stuff coming out.
Carol, thanks lovely. You will have to be patient...
Helen, I did worry about what would happen without the obligation to send words to my mentor, but look! Lots of words.
Thanks B.
Go, JJ, go.
Oh I know how you feel I keep eying up the end of the year I really do have to finish by then. This has been going on far too long and I must finish for my own sanity. You are doing brilliantly and a source of inspiration because i don't want you to beat me. A mini race to the finish, hope to be waiting for you with the medal for second place. How's that for a challenge?
Woo hoo! That's exciting. It's scary establishing a date, but it's a great motivator. Look at you go!
*rah rah rah*
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