Maybe I'm just doomed to go up and down and need to look at the big picture.
Monday, I wrote 4,060 and didn't want to quit then but I had to be up really early to work yesterday.
Again I was surpised by my characters. I'd been agonizing over the reason behind her fear and she explained it to our hero. How come I didn't know that?
Now, I'm starting to get concerned that I will go over my targeted word count?
Question: What do you do? Plan a target or write the story? Do you write it and then cut or expand to meet publisher guidelines? Or do you decide first and try to stay as close to that target as possible?
Patience, Leah, I'm working on the Roar Award, will post on that tomorrow.
2 comments:
Hi Marley - I'll tell you what a wise man once told me...
Write the story in as many words as it takes to tell.
If you hold yourself to a word count on the get-go, you may be diluting an otherwise great novella, or restraining an otherwise great epic. AND (this is a big AND) - if your more of a pantser, who knows it the intended publisher will be the right one for it at the end of your ms? Write it and then shop for a suitable publisher -- it's much easier to tweak it (or not) at the end. AND (another big and) a few thousand words either way can be added/deleted with the help of your editor once they accept your brilliant ms ;)
Thanks for the advice over on my blog. I really appreciate all the support and hugs that y'all are giving me.
That said, I still haven't written a dang word!! ;)
I'm with Wylie - write the story and don't worry about the final word count.
As she says, things can be tightened up or added to later. And from what I understand from the published authors, once the editor gets ahold of it, that WC is going to change anyway.
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