So, today is the last day of the MYWYN challenge of writing 80,000 words in 80 days. You'll notice I'm blogging instead of writing any more of the novel - although, there'd be more words to my overall total if I included all the blog posts I've written since 1st May. However, I haven't counted, so I'm not adding them in.
The grand total is.... 43,457 words!
I thought, as I've already psycho-analysed my attempt, that I would list the things that I've learnt during this challenge:
- my family like clean clothes, but they're not so fussed about ironed clothes (until 5 minutes before they're due to go out!)
- the school day is not very long at all
- red pens have a habit of disappearing just when you really need them
- I write best with Absolute Radio, but Homes Under the Hammer works just as well
- I can't write without editing as I go along
- I'm probably not cut out for novel writing, but I've got my fingers crossed that a publisher is at least curious enough to read it.
Well, I think there are enough lessons there for one day.
I've really enjoyed this challenge. I've enjoyed the actual writing every day, the companionship of knowing others are attempting the same thing, keeping up to date via the Facebook group and everyone's blogs. I'd like to thank Sally Quilford for setting up this challenge, and I'll definitely be joining in with the next one. And also thank you to all the new followers of my blog on the back of this. I hope you've enjoyed reading my exploits as much as I've enjoyed reading all of yours!
Showing posts with label 80k in 80 days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80k in 80 days. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Random thoughts on what I think is Day 74
On Day probably 74, I've got to the end of a third-ish draft and have 42,351 words of my novel(la) sorted. The second draft was printed out and covered with blue ink additions and rewites. Then I put it aside for a couple of days and out came the green pen, and further re-writes.
I think what I really need is one of those pens with 15 (?) colours in it, like I had at school. As I remember it, there was one year at school when everyone had one of those pens; it became a necessity, although I don't ever remember using many of the less common colours, mostly because they were too light/faint to be clearly read. But right now, with this penchant for covering one manuscript with colour-coded rewrites, it would be very useful.
I'm just about to print this newly completed draft, and then the coloured rewrites will happen all over again. Printing it out is always a big thing for me. For a start it will take a wad of 189 sheets of paper (which is a lot, when by now I though no one would be using paper - that's what they told us in the 1990s!), and also it makes what I've written so far permanent. I can't distance myself from it. If I stumble across a section which doesn't flow, which is just plain daft, it's mine - I can't deny it.
In much the same way, I'm also delaying passing it to anyone to read. I love having people read my short stories (although I do pace or walk out of the room) because I pretty much know my short stories are ok. But I'm not a novel writer, however much I would like to see, at some stage, a couple of them published, alongside - hopefully - a few collections of short stories...
I have my dream back-catalogue already in my head - is that weird?
Well, that's all for this post - I told you it was random!
I think what I really need is one of those pens with 15 (?) colours in it, like I had at school. As I remember it, there was one year at school when everyone had one of those pens; it became a necessity, although I don't ever remember using many of the less common colours, mostly because they were too light/faint to be clearly read. But right now, with this penchant for covering one manuscript with colour-coded rewrites, it would be very useful.
I'm just about to print this newly completed draft, and then the coloured rewrites will happen all over again. Printing it out is always a big thing for me. For a start it will take a wad of 189 sheets of paper (which is a lot, when by now I though no one would be using paper - that's what they told us in the 1990s!), and also it makes what I've written so far permanent. I can't distance myself from it. If I stumble across a section which doesn't flow, which is just plain daft, it's mine - I can't deny it.
In much the same way, I'm also delaying passing it to anyone to read. I love having people read my short stories (although I do pace or walk out of the room) because I pretty much know my short stories are ok. But I'm not a novel writer, however much I would like to see, at some stage, a couple of them published, alongside - hopefully - a few collections of short stories...
I have my dream back-catalogue already in my head - is that weird?
Well, that's all for this post - I told you it was random!
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Day 60
Apparently it's Day 60 of MYWYN and I should be happily swimming around in 60,000 words. But I'm not. I'm paddling about in precisely 39,103 of my novel plus 2450 words of a short story. A grand total of 41,553 words since the beginning of May.
Ummm.... what happened?
Well, as I said at the start, I didn't expect to write 80,000 words for the same novel. I've never written that much. That would be akin to writing a saga, with sequels, for me - because I write very bare prose. It works well in short stories, and I've found it can work well in longer length pieces, including novels, if I plan it right and don't ever expect to sell it - because unless the font is very large and the paper very thick, it would look very slim on a Waterstone's bookshelf.
Not that it hasn't been done. I own novels that are less than 150 pages. But to manage publication I think you need to be a tried and tested author who fancies a bit of a change.
But that's beside the point. This post is to ask myself where I've been going wrong - not gone wrong, you'll notice. The challenge still has another 20 days to go, and I fully hope to get over 45,000 words. The first problem is I've done a lot of research - not too much, which is a different problem altogether. I do what I need, when I need it. But I didn't fully understand how much research I'd need to do to write maybe one or two paragraphs. This is more a problem with the planning, and not realising the full extent of the story I was hoping to tell.
The second problem is starting with a distinctive voice. It fitted the opening chapters well, but has become forced and stilted as I continue. I'm having to revise as I go along to keep the voice true. Now, I have no idea which bits are still in voice and which aren't. Hopefully that will be clearer when I read the whole thing, but I have no idea how I'll resolve it.
The third problem is simply trying to write 1000 words every day. Although, that is also the joy. I started full of hope and expectation. But life does get in the way. A child is off sick from school for a day. Suddenly the house looks as though it's never been cleaned. All the clothes in the world need washing. A husband changes jobs and is around the house all the time. (Admittedly - in case he reads this - we've been able to keep out of each other's way quite well, but sometimes it's nice to go out for lunch, or have a coffee, or go to the DIY shop, or do DIY or...)
So, the problems have all been my own fault, to some extent. Not terminal, but certainly something I can learn from.
Well, now that's sorted, I'll get back to it. See you in 20,000 words (-ish)!
Ummm.... what happened?
Well, as I said at the start, I didn't expect to write 80,000 words for the same novel. I've never written that much. That would be akin to writing a saga, with sequels, for me - because I write very bare prose. It works well in short stories, and I've found it can work well in longer length pieces, including novels, if I plan it right and don't ever expect to sell it - because unless the font is very large and the paper very thick, it would look very slim on a Waterstone's bookshelf.
Not that it hasn't been done. I own novels that are less than 150 pages. But to manage publication I think you need to be a tried and tested author who fancies a bit of a change.
But that's beside the point. This post is to ask myself where I've been going wrong - not gone wrong, you'll notice. The challenge still has another 20 days to go, and I fully hope to get over 45,000 words. The first problem is I've done a lot of research - not too much, which is a different problem altogether. I do what I need, when I need it. But I didn't fully understand how much research I'd need to do to write maybe one or two paragraphs. This is more a problem with the planning, and not realising the full extent of the story I was hoping to tell.
The second problem is starting with a distinctive voice. It fitted the opening chapters well, but has become forced and stilted as I continue. I'm having to revise as I go along to keep the voice true. Now, I have no idea which bits are still in voice and which aren't. Hopefully that will be clearer when I read the whole thing, but I have no idea how I'll resolve it.
The third problem is simply trying to write 1000 words every day. Although, that is also the joy. I started full of hope and expectation. But life does get in the way. A child is off sick from school for a day. Suddenly the house looks as though it's never been cleaned. All the clothes in the world need washing. A husband changes jobs and is around the house all the time. (Admittedly - in case he reads this - we've been able to keep out of each other's way quite well, but sometimes it's nice to go out for lunch, or have a coffee, or go to the DIY shop, or do DIY or...)
So, the problems have all been my own fault, to some extent. Not terminal, but certainly something I can learn from.
Well, now that's sorted, I'll get back to it. See you in 20,000 words (-ish)!
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Day 28
My full-of-good-intentions resolution to submit short stories hasn't got off to a flying start. I was a little disheartened to be not included on three competition short lists this week, which knocked my sense of being able to write anything good ever.
So, I've been concentrating on the novel challenge. After typing The End sometime last week, I printed it out - all 149 pages of it - and have been reading through and scribbling notes all over it. I've added some sections, I've worked out more research that needs to be done, I've rearranged sentences so that they now make sense. I'm going to ban myself from working on the computer until every page has at least one note on it. Then I'll let loose and see how many words I can add.
I've used this method before, but without the willpower of not touching the computer. I've sat down, altered a sentence or two, but then immediately wanted to type it up. Hopefully, the way I'm working through the chapters this time will make a much more fluid read by the end.
A benefit of working on the page is that I can curl up on the settee, music playing in the background - actually, that should read foreground - with a cuppa in my hand, and enjoy the words I've written. It's much more comfortable that sitting at my desk in my cold study, rubbing my hands together to get the circulation flowing again.
So, I've been concentrating on the novel challenge. After typing The End sometime last week, I printed it out - all 149 pages of it - and have been reading through and scribbling notes all over it. I've added some sections, I've worked out more research that needs to be done, I've rearranged sentences so that they now make sense. I'm going to ban myself from working on the computer until every page has at least one note on it. Then I'll let loose and see how many words I can add.
I've used this method before, but without the willpower of not touching the computer. I've sat down, altered a sentence or two, but then immediately wanted to type it up. Hopefully, the way I'm working through the chapters this time will make a much more fluid read by the end.
A benefit of working on the page is that I can curl up on the settee, music playing in the background - actually, that should read foreground - with a cuppa in my hand, and enjoy the words I've written. It's much more comfortable that sitting at my desk in my cold study, rubbing my hands together to get the circulation flowing again.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Day 12
Wow - day 12 already, and I'm still - for the most part - managing to write something meaningful every day (apart from today, that is).
My word count currently stands at 16,097! (I feel this should have a drum roll and someone announcing the figures like they do on Comic Relief, but I'll make do with hearing the voices in my head - please feel free to announce this number Comic Relief style too.)
Yesterday evening I hit another wobbly plot problem, so out came my trusty fountain pen. Somehow, writing longhand, with a pen that I love to use, helps the words and ideas flow better than through a keyboard. My wobbly plot problem came from the fact that one of my characters is deeply upset by world news events (all the bad war stuff and climate change - for those who know me.... yes, it's a little bit me, but I'm not going to react the way my character does). And in writing all this in my minamalist style I realised I was missing out a lot, and probably not conveying the true horror my character feels.
So, do I change the style, do I make his problems not quite as bad...?
At the moment, I haven't decided. I cheated, and wrote an entirely different section instead. It made me feel good that I was writing, and made the problem vanish, if only for a little while. I haven't added it to my word count yet, as it's all very scrawly longhand with lots of crossings out.
Today, instead of writing, I had a chat and hot chocolate with a friend, and then went shopping.
My word count currently stands at 16,097! (I feel this should have a drum roll and someone announcing the figures like they do on Comic Relief, but I'll make do with hearing the voices in my head - please feel free to announce this number Comic Relief style too.)
Yesterday evening I hit another wobbly plot problem, so out came my trusty fountain pen. Somehow, writing longhand, with a pen that I love to use, helps the words and ideas flow better than through a keyboard. My wobbly plot problem came from the fact that one of my characters is deeply upset by world news events (all the bad war stuff and climate change - for those who know me.... yes, it's a little bit me, but I'm not going to react the way my character does). And in writing all this in my minamalist style I realised I was missing out a lot, and probably not conveying the true horror my character feels.
So, do I change the style, do I make his problems not quite as bad...?
At the moment, I haven't decided. I cheated, and wrote an entirely different section instead. It made me feel good that I was writing, and made the problem vanish, if only for a little while. I haven't added it to my word count yet, as it's all very scrawly longhand with lots of crossings out.
Today, instead of writing, I had a chat and hot chocolate with a friend, and then went shopping.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Day 8
Phew! I've written 10,122 words in 8 days - and that includes one day where I didn't write a thing.
I'm impressed. You might not be, but that's fine. Unless you're a writer, you won't really give much thought to the number of words you're reading. There's no need for you to know. I, on the other hand, am always trying to estimate the word count of my favourite books, or the books from publishers I want to submit to. I've always been low. 60,000 is the longest a novel of mine has been - and that took a lot of re-writing.
Judging by the plan I'm trying to follow, this novel which is now 10,122 words long may only end up being about 30,000 words. I'm writing it in three parts. The next part will hopefully be slightly longer, but the third part is probably going to be less. As I'm aiming for 80,000 words, I'll either have to do some major additions to the plot or just add some fluffy descriptions - some authors can take 10 pages just to butter toast, or answer the phone (not me, though, I've never been that verbose, and I'm not sure I want to try now).
Apart from word count, I'm quite pleased with the work so far. I solved my wobbly plot problem by adding a new section where a character is watching some depressing news stories, and that tied in nicely and gave him the motive to do what he does next. So I'm back on track and raring to get stuck into the 2nd part.
I'm impressed. You might not be, but that's fine. Unless you're a writer, you won't really give much thought to the number of words you're reading. There's no need for you to know. I, on the other hand, am always trying to estimate the word count of my favourite books, or the books from publishers I want to submit to. I've always been low. 60,000 is the longest a novel of mine has been - and that took a lot of re-writing.
Judging by the plan I'm trying to follow, this novel which is now 10,122 words long may only end up being about 30,000 words. I'm writing it in three parts. The next part will hopefully be slightly longer, but the third part is probably going to be less. As I'm aiming for 80,000 words, I'll either have to do some major additions to the plot or just add some fluffy descriptions - some authors can take 10 pages just to butter toast, or answer the phone (not me, though, I've never been that verbose, and I'm not sure I want to try now).
Apart from word count, I'm quite pleased with the work so far. I solved my wobbly plot problem by adding a new section where a character is watching some depressing news stories, and that tied in nicely and gave him the motive to do what he does next. So I'm back on track and raring to get stuck into the 2nd part.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Day Four
I thought posting every single day would be a bit boring for you to read. It would be along the lines of: wrote some words, crossed out some words. So I'll do a round up of a few days at a time.
At the end of last night, day 3, I'd written 3492 words in total, so I feel like I'm buzzing along quite nicely. Because I knew about this challenge weeks ago, and couldn't wait to get started, I wrote copious notes and did lots of research. My characters fly around the world quite a lot, so I needed to know what kind of sand they have on the beaches near Perth in Australia, and I still need to know whether there is a lake at Leicester University.
Some of the plot-lines which made sense in my head, have started to unravel. but today I decided to swap a couple of chapters around, and it solves the problem. If only all the problems could be sorted that quickly.
I've also noticed that I keep changing the voice I'm writing in. For the challenge, it doesn't matter too much - I suppose - but I need to have it right before I can move on. People who have done this kind of challenge before just write down the story, fly through it, and at the end they can go back and edit. Word count is important, not whether said or replied would fit better.
Hopefully I'll get the hang of it in time. And now... to the keyboard... (Oh look at that... I'm already here!)
At the end of last night, day 3, I'd written 3492 words in total, so I feel like I'm buzzing along quite nicely. Because I knew about this challenge weeks ago, and couldn't wait to get started, I wrote copious notes and did lots of research. My characters fly around the world quite a lot, so I needed to know what kind of sand they have on the beaches near Perth in Australia, and I still need to know whether there is a lake at Leicester University.
Some of the plot-lines which made sense in my head, have started to unravel. but today I decided to swap a couple of chapters around, and it solves the problem. If only all the problems could be sorted that quickly.
I've also noticed that I keep changing the voice I'm writing in. For the challenge, it doesn't matter too much - I suppose - but I need to have it right before I can move on. People who have done this kind of challenge before just write down the story, fly through it, and at the end they can go back and edit. Word count is important, not whether said or replied would fit better.
Hopefully I'll get the hang of it in time. And now... to the keyboard... (Oh look at that... I'm already here!)
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Day One
The challenge begins! 80,000 words in 80 days. Sounds easy enough. Just 1000 words a day... I had a look at the blog, and the Facebook page, and some people have done over 4000 words already. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to sustain a pace like that.
Today I wrote... nothing.
I have excuses! I had to work this morning, helping make the population of South East Cornwall fit and healthy. Then, when I came home, I had to watch the Man City-West Ham game. A good game, and City won, but all the same I'm left with a feeling of fear that the dream might come crashing down. It's what happens when you support City, crushing realism!
Anyway, this isn't a blog about gyms and football, it's a blog about writing, and about how I am talking about not writing when I could actually be doing some writing right now.
Perhaps I will get a few words down on Day One after all.
Edited 20:04 I have just completed 1001 words. Yay!
Today I wrote... nothing.
I have excuses! I had to work this morning, helping make the population of South East Cornwall fit and healthy. Then, when I came home, I had to watch the Man City-West Ham game. A good game, and City won, but all the same I'm left with a feeling of fear that the dream might come crashing down. It's what happens when you support City, crushing realism!
Anyway, this isn't a blog about gyms and football, it's a blog about writing, and about how I am talking about not writing when I could actually be doing some writing right now.
Perhaps I will get a few words down on Day One after all.
Edited 20:04 I have just completed 1001 words. Yay!
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Four days to go!
In four days' time, I'll be pounding my computer keys determined to write 80,000 words in 80 days . And I think I'm just about ready to start. I'll be putting away my current short story and finishing off some research. I'm having an SAS/FBI/Special Forces problem at the moment - namely, I'm not sure who would be involved in the situation my characters will find themselves in. (I know it won't be the FBI, by the way, but it's their equivilent I'm struggling over.)
I've also got my title finally sorted. This was worrying me slightly, as I'm really bad at starting anything without a title. I had one, but as I thought about the plot and made notes, that title became obsolete. So, after a while I came up with 'THE SLEEPER' which fits at the moment. I didn't say it had to be a good title, just a title!
I've also got my title finally sorted. This was worrying me slightly, as I'm really bad at starting anything without a title. I had one, but as I thought about the plot and made notes, that title became obsolete. So, after a while I came up with 'THE SLEEPER' which fits at the moment. I didn't say it had to be a good title, just a title!
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Impatience is not a virtue
This is just a quick update, to prove I haven't forgotten I write a blog. The school Easter holidays have eaten - very slightly - into my writing time, and for some reason Facebook has featured prominently in almost every session at my computer recently. I'm determined to get that in check before it becomes a full blown addiction. I like it too much to have to delete my account.
I'm still planning to do the May - You Write Your Novel challenge, but boy! - is the wait tough. I just want to get started. I've written notes so copious that I have actually started and finished the novel - albeit in 21,000 words. So the 80,000 challenge is still on.
Today, as I pummelled my body at the gym, the ending popped into my head! Yes, Reader, I have an ending! The last page, the last paragraph and even the very last sentence. Which is exciting in itself, as I wasn't sure what would happen to all these strange people I've created. This ending will be kept in hand-written form until the rest of the novel is fully written after the 80 days, so that I can say that I have kept - however loosely - to the concept of the challenge.
12 days to go!
I'm still planning to do the May - You Write Your Novel challenge, but boy! - is the wait tough. I just want to get started. I've written notes so copious that I have actually started and finished the novel - albeit in 21,000 words. So the 80,000 challenge is still on.
Today, as I pummelled my body at the gym, the ending popped into my head! Yes, Reader, I have an ending! The last page, the last paragraph and even the very last sentence. Which is exciting in itself, as I wasn't sure what would happen to all these strange people I've created. This ending will be kept in hand-written form until the rest of the novel is fully written after the 80 days, so that I can say that I have kept - however loosely - to the concept of the challenge.
12 days to go!
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