Mist and Shadows

I guess that is one of those question that, like how long is a piece of string, has no real answer, yet is a question many starting authors ask themselves. At least I know I have.

Looking around, the answer varies depending on who you ask. Some say 60-100,000 words, others 100-150,000. It also does vary between author and genre. Some tend to the shorter, while others, most especially fantasy, tend to the epic (in the truest sense of the word), clocking in at quarter of a million words or more, large enough to bludgeon someone to death with. Oft times a story could be told in 100,000 words yet still weigh in at 250,000, in book after book, reduced to a turgidity of shallow, endless characters and plots that no longer make sense, and the only reason they see light of day is to cash in on a name or because of contractual obligations (which, ironically, was the name of a Monty Python album), and should be allowed to die peacefully, but continue on and on, rather like this sentence.

For myself, I am often guilty of over planning things, to the point that they interfere in the doing of the plans. I like to work to a set target, of a set number of chapters. I have always had in mind a target of a prologue (though that is falling from favour) and twenty one chapters, each of around 3-5,000 words, preferably 4000, the chapters split into three parts, the start of the story, the middle of the story and the end of the story. A lot of advice I have seen is not to worry so much about the length, but just write until the story is done. My mind really doesn’t work that way. Hopefully that screwy brain-wiring won’t cause problems for me.

As reported earlier, the first day of the forth week was somewhat of a disaster, but since then things have picked up and I got back into the swing.

The beta draft of Winter Wolves is under way, fleshing out on the recently completed synopsis. The last four days saw around 10500 words done on it, up to part of the way through the third chapter. It will need a polish up once done, but I am happy with the way it is coming along, even with my normally fairly pessimistic outlook on my writing.

These last four weeks I have gone past 50,000 words written, which, when though about, is a decent amount. Almost a short novel in length, just not the composition.

Next week. As some may have noticed, next week is Christmas. This means my writing next week will be all but non-existent. Between last minute shopping and a few days up at my parents with the family I doubt I will have much time to write. I may print out what is done so far and review it while away, but that may be the limit of it.

I am almost certainly going to experience some form of withdrawal while away. I have noticed more of late an itch when I am not writing, a need to be writing, even when doing other things I normally enjoy – reading, watching movies, even playing games – and as a hardcore gamer that is saying something.

After yesterdays meh day, today was much better, a truly huzzah day.  (You don’t see many people use huzzah anymore, but I like the word. Call me odd if you will.)

Got some solid writing done, clocking in at around 4100 words.  I may do some more later but right now I need a break.

If I could some up yesterday in one word, it would be meh.  As a day for writing, it was pretty much a disaster.  I probably managed a mere one hundred words, the first day since I started that I have failed to make progress.

I had planned to do plenty of writing, but it never panned out.  Had a few chores to do, then got side-tracked by other things that should never have done so.  Following that I spent half the day with a massive headache and finally had togo out in the evening to meet some mates.

Today will hopefully be better.  The beta draft of Winter Wolves needs to be started.  The plan is to take the 20K alpha draft and expand it to around four times length, then go back over it for a final polish.

And so ends the third week and the fourth week looms upon us, fresh and uncharted.

But first, the news.

The main is, of course, that the alpha draft/synopsis of ‘Winter Wolves’ has been completed.  It is good to have completed it and ready to engage the next phase.

In addition, the serial story Cara’s Choice has started and been updated four times this last week, though will return to a more regular schedule now, and The Bronze Man has been further added to.   I am about half way through The Bronze Man so the complete (if unpolished) version should be entirely up in a couple of weeks.

At a rough estimate, this was another week of around 13K words. Still lower than I would have liked, but consistent. It makes in the last three weeks a total of around 40K words written, which is more than I have written in a long time.

And now, onwards to week four.

Finally hit 15K on the alpha draft of Winter Wolves, and for some reason it has been a struggle.  It has taken 5 days to do 5K words.

Still, the end of this phase is in sight.  I’m up to chapter 15 of around 20 and should finish the draft/synopsis in around another 5K words.

Once that is done the real hard work begins – fleshing it all out.