Howdy,
I fully realize that I’ve brought the behind the scenes much too much to the front by highlighting the word count so often, like it’s crucial, when really it’s not.
It’s important, but word count shouldn’t be a driving topic or fixation, but it’s the path I’m on with this goal of writing 200,000 words in the course of a year, which will be more than I ever have in that time frame.
Talking so much about word count feels to me like it exposes to some degree that this is all practice. In part that is true, but in another way writing is discovery and you have to put a certain count of words down to have written something — and drafting and creating and practicing and producing can get real blurry. So I like to think I’m just being open and honest, vulnerable and generous. What else can I do? I’m writing.
(I suppose I wonder about this because I know some of the writing is fast, some of it is loose, but it isn’t inappropriate or unfair or disingenuous. Could be too sloppy, overly underdeveloped, a touch [or sledgehammer] lame, or simply dumb [as in speaking without thinking, or in this case writing with editing]. But, also, I’m trusting; I’m trusting the process, and I’m trusting you, and I appreciate your trust of and in me. I appreciate your attention, that you read. And I’m giving. I’m writing. And you’re giving. You’re reading. So, this is a good thing. This is neat. I hope you’re enjoying it, too.)
Today I had to mention word count, because I’ve been waiting for this day — or, more accurately, have been working for this day — the day that in this year of 200K words I would catch and lap 86,000 words. I’ve been keeping my eye out for that number. And today is the day. Eighty-six thousand words, just like my debut novel, Baseball Boys: Collision. 86K. In 169 days. Five and a half months.
Much quicker than finishing my first novel took me.
Now, of course, these are different animals. A book is crafted and structured in a way that this scatterings and smatterings of posts don’t even dare attempt. But …
But, how cool that I’ve recaptured the words again …?!
Learning the lesson that plodding, that consistency, that moving forward with fewer breaks, even in smaller units of effort, can build up into a big block of production (like people say) is something one has to put into play to grasp its power, because it’s hard to believe that these small dailies — in only 169 days! — add up to a count equal to the words in a novel, which is double the minimum amount consider to qualify a story as a novel.
So, all this in the last five and a half months makes the raw material for two (thin) novels!
(Guess, I need to get to that novel writing.)
That’s part of what I’m doing, I’m pushing myself to write more quickly and putting in some push-ups for speed and strength to finish another book. (I could also be stalling — at least a little bit, for sure — but I’m also intending for this to pay off later.) To finish another book I’ll need to buckle down on that type of writing, too, to get it done, but I feel like I’m earning the momentum and good feeling that I’m putting myself in a good position, a good place, to do that — to write a book that pushes past debut.
Today proves that I can write the words for it. The order of them will be trickier, more crafted, but the raw material is in there.
Thanks again for reading my “novels.”
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
Word Count: 86,306 / On Pace: 92,950 / Year’s Goal: 200,000
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