Book FAQ
You’re writing a book? For real?
Yes. It’s a crazy undertaking, but no one else is going to write it, which certainly puts a somewhat flattering amount of pressure on me to commit the words to page.
What is the percentage based off of?
It’s based on a more realistic calculation of what the outline is shaping up to be and which chapters are full fleshed out “long” chapters, and which are the “short” chapters. It’s kind of bogus math, but it works for now. The first draft outlines got really close to 55-60,000 words, so given that this is a much fuller version of the story, I think we’ll probably pass that number. Roughly estimated, I think it will come out to around 70-80,000 words. I realize that’s imprecise, but a big part of writing is simplifying and removing words (not just coming up with them). The percentage comes from the current word count divided by the current number of chapters then multiplied by the number of chapters total and rounded up or down to a full percentage.
Why does the wordcount/percentage fluxuate?
I do a LOT of rewriting. Recently, I began writing the book from scratch, with strong notes, taking a lot of the work I’d already done verbatim, or using it as an outline to flesh out from. Consequently, the word count is not entirely accurate as a full account of everything written, but a literal inventory of the number of words in current chapters of the current incarnation of the book.
LOL. I don’t have to update this section. Rewriting: it’s the story of my life.
What does the updated status mean? What’s the second draft, vs. the first draft, and what are you editing now?
Writing is such a fucking process. That’s all it is. It’s a form of self-inflicted insanity, in which you do the same thing over and over and over again and convince yourself you’re getting something better out of it every time. In my case, I’m continually revising, polishing and tightening up the plot, characters, descriptions, etc. Draft I differs dramatically from Draft III, and when I’ve finished editing draft III, the word count will be between 50,000 and 80,000 words. Which is a wide range. I’m shooting for somewhere around 70,000 words. This stage is cleaning up dialogue, fixing awkward phrases, cutting unnecessary sentences, filling in descriptive blanks, (e.g. what are the characters doing when they’re talking to each other? describing scenery, etc.).
This is the first version of the book I’ve actually printed out. It’s taken three complete drafts before I’ve started printing out any of the pages. That should tell you something. Not sure what, but something. When I print them, I read through and take a red pen to them, cutting entire sections out, rewriting, revising, checking for spelling and grammatical errors, etc. So it’s really a two part process this round – the major revisions on the computer, then the pen and paper, then typing it back up. Round four will be a final polish to make sure nothing was missed, and having a few close, trusted friends and family members read through it and give honest feedback.
Guess what, mom? It doesn’t read like a movie script anymore. It’s beginning to look like a book instead of a series of scenes with a lot of dialogue holding the entire thing together.
Update: I didn’t want to delete the previous stuff I’d written, because it’s truthful and might be relevant to anyone else who’s trying to write a book. At this point, I’m filling in the blanks and awkward spots. I’ve changed a lot of things from draft three to draft four (and truthfully, the previous draft I was working on was named “book attempt 5,” so that should tell you something – I’ve had a lot of tries that didn’t even make it into the count). Critically, I’ve changed how I’m using point of view. I’ve given interesting minor characters more space to exist because they have a lot of stuff to add to the story and the plot. This helps explain things satisfactorily for the reader and saves us all from forced dialogue. Yay!
That’s insane. How the hell do you manage to do that much work?
It’s really hard, mostly because there’s this perpetual struggle going on, where I want to think about the book constantly while this other part of me wants to set it on fire and never look at it again. I get so exhausted from thinking about it and looking at it that I find some weird distractions and hobbies. It’s not easy to switch mental focus, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I have designated time to manage work projects, designated time to manage the book, and so on. Ultimately, there’s a disparity between work time and relaxation time, but I try to indulge it when there’s a strong momentum, and I don’t force it too much when there’s not.
I recently updated my office which has helped tremendously. A lot of writers will tell you they just need some sort of writing implement and a good idea and they’re ready go roll. That’s true for drafts one through three. For draft four, everything had to be perfect. Don’t ask me why, but this draft definitely seems to have achieved something the previous ones haven’t, so I’m not gonna knock it.
Do you have a deadline set?
Yes and no. I try to get a certain amount of writing done per week, but requiring a set word count or a hard date would be unfair at this point, simply because it’s not about that. For me, it’s about the process, enjoying writing the story as it comes. That being said, my goal is to have the book complete in its first draft form by the end of the year.
Will you try to get it published?
Probably. Right now, it’s enough simply to be writing a book, but if I do complete it which looks pretty likely at this point, it would be silly not to try and get it published.
What’s the book about?
Adventure, magic, time travel, love, friendship, loneliness, piracy, witches, and which dragons have the worst breath, regionally. Stuff.
Why do you keep blogging about your book?
Mostly because it’s what’s on my mind right now. It’s hard not to talk about it, or writing, or other stories I’ve been interested in, be they great television shows or books I’ve read. There are so many wonderfully talented writers (both of screen and page) that I admire and think about when creating my own characters and stories.
What will you do if you don’t get published?
Keep trying, probably, but I’m not that concerned about it at this point. I’m mostly concerned with writing an interesting story with compelling characters.
What will you do if you do get published and make it really, really big?
Hey, anything’s possible. While a part of me has always been wary of celebrity, I’m sure that if I make it really, really big I’ll figure something out. My bucket list of things to do if I win the lottery, or make a fortune somehow is pretty much the same as the one if I didn’t. I want a nice place to live, I want to redecorate our bedroom, and I’d like to get a dog. It would be nice to have some extra cash to pay off loans a little faster, and maybe travel a bit.
Curious to know more about my writing? Read my interview on whohub.
2 Comments »
I just came here to see how the book was doing. And to apply a bit of intl pressure.
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and it is going how?