So, if any of you have read Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, you know how mind-blowingly awesome it is. You probably don't know how it parallels the first quarter of my book rather nicely in length, time-flow and general subject. I've been using it as a pacing novel in my mind (originally subconsciously, now deliberately).
I just used Amazon's "text stats" feature to check the length on it, and I was terribly wrong on how long the novel ought to be. I was thinking that 100k would be aiming kind of high for Only Child. Not so. I intend it to be slightly longer than Assassin's Apprentice (Hobb's first book), which puts it well over 150k.
This is a good thing and a bad thing.
It's good because it means I can take a breather. I've been worried that I was going to have to seriously abbreviate some of the ending scenes to come close to fitting within 100k. I'm writing in a strange style this year, and it's much wordier than what I'm used to. (I like it, but it's throwing off my estimations).
This is a bad thing because there's no way in high hell I have the slightest chance of finishing it this month. At all. Ever. Could not be done. I can write 3k per day on it. That's doable. 5k is getting a little ridiculous. I can write 6k in a day, sure, and could probably do so regularly, but I can't focus all of that energy on one story. I think I'd explode if I spent that much brain power on OC per day. I have too much invested in it.
So that leaves me with a problem. My options are as follows:
-- Scrap OC for the 8th (9th?) time and work on something I can feasibly complete in November.
-- Write at current speed on OC (2-3k per day), do 3-4k in other projects per day (which WILL be finished by November's end) and just finish OC over winter break
-- Write a really dumbed-down version of OC, then beef it up in editing (even so, it'd probably be 100k)
-- Write like a demon from the depths of hell and hope beyond hoping that a decent first draft of a novel of this length can be pounded out in a month.
Mind you, this is the furthest I've gotten on OC, plot-wise. I've had more words before (I think? Not by much if I did), but I've just written the first scene that hasn't appeared in any of the other drafts. (We're ignoring the draft where I started in what is now the middle of the story). To scrap it now would hurt like hell, especially since I've scrapped it at around this stage of the game.. three years in a row. Ouch. I don't want to let go of it, but I also really don't want to lose WriMo again.
Anyone having similar woes, or am I alone in this paddle-less creek?
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http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/MyMonth/95590-goal=200000-pc-day...
Ideal Goal: 200k
Minimum Goal: finish Only Child
25,033 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 11 39
All I can say is Oh My God, Zeus, Buddah, Rah, Allah, and Gaia! That is scary! I am not that practiced in the art of writing to be able to give you good advise, but I guess I would go with what you would mostly likely be able to do. If you can wqrite like a demon out of hell then I say go for it, we write some of the best stuff when under pressure I think. Me though, I know that I wouldn't be able to do it so I wouldn't try that one.
I haven't come across that problem yet, I might towards the end because I am finding that I am writning a totally different story than I outlined.
I hate to say it, cause I love a challenge, but maybe with the easiest option for you.
I hope that helps. xD
----------- What doesn't kill will probably make you wish you were dead -
7,384 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 11 42
I like option B - keep writing on OC and finish it over Winter break. Write on something new for your NaNo reward and to take a break for your sanity from OC. Then you won't need to feel as though you've failed your story for the Nth time - in fact, you'll have two stories and your sanity in the end.
But that's just my opinion. I got so upset with my story Monday that I ignored it Tuesday. Last night I sat down with my character and she's telling me the history of her people and why it didn't bother her at all (Even though I keep glancing at the ceiling of my room for fear of smiting). I think she'll finish telling it today as well as part or all of what brought her to this point. That way, I'll know exactly how she'll react to what needs to happen next - and I won't get so weirded out. Info dump major - and I've colored the text blue until we can get back o the regularly scheduled program... *sigh*
Ah well - its word count, right? =D
22,795 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 18 16
While I can't say much to help you with your goals (other than.... maybe you would do better setting a goal between 50 and 100k for November, and then continuing for another month or two?), I wanted to thank you for mentioning the "text stats" thing because I'd never noticed it before and, at the moment at least, I think it's the coolest thing ever.
And Assassin's Apprentice is an excellent book. Funny, if that's 165k--and this is Hobb's only short book we're talking about--I'm going to have to revise my estimate of how long novels actually are.
33,551 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 07 57
I vote for option B.
And fwiw, even if you don't finish your story at the end of November, if you've hit the 50K mark then you're an official winner...
P.S. Koolkat, fantasy book lengths differ from other genre average book lengths, so you might want to poke around to see what other info is out there on lengths before pegging 165k as something to strive for. Unless you're a fantasy writer that is. :)
----------Trebuchet Club member
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