I did it. I smacked myself on the butt and said – this weekend you’re doing it.
Locked in my room on a comfy chair with my tiny new writing laptop on my knees frantically typing away, I hammered out the last twelve thousand words today – in six hours. It’s only a first draft, so it’s not amazing. I find it extremely easy to type fast when I’m not correcting as I go – but still. The feeling of accomplishment is freaking awesome!
See how pretty that looks? I mean, finished.
Now, I’m not exactly sure how I did it. When I started the first book back in June, I was aiming for 75k, but I hit 50 and realized it’d be longer than that. I aimed for 90k and managed 90280. Do we notice a similarity there? 2nd book is sitting in first draft format at 90208 – I believe Jami calls this creepy.
Anyhu! I’ve started outlining the 3rd book in the series – and I’m thinking of making a few blog posts about my writing process since I’ve had a few people ask me what I do. And, if I write it down, I’ll always remember, right?
The plan is to finish the basic outline, followed by the extended outline and then go into the point by point plot. In my dreams I’m hoping to get the third book finished by the end of September so I can start revisions on the first of the trilogy in October, but I think that might be pushing it. Still, I can dream, right?
This story is a lot bigger than it was originally going to be. In a way, I think I like that. Before I wander off to go do my writer campaign like duties, I have a question for people.
Do your stories ever go off track, grow on their own, develop to become even better than you’d planned and dreamed? I’d love to know how they behave for other people!
The first story I did ended up in a totally different direction. I had an outline for it, but what started out as a paranormal novel ended up, halfway through, without a trace of the paranormal in it. I’m still trying to figure out a way to edit it – sometime š
Forgot to add, huge congratulations on getting the second MS done. Good luck for the third š
Oh that’s fantastic to hear. Your first book that is – I hope that doesn’t sound bad. It’s just the 2nd novel I pantsed to completion started out as a murder mystery and 2 chapters in had turned into this scifi stop the aliens from invading the planet thing… It’s really nice to know I’m not the only one!
I hope you get to edit it sometime soon š
And thank you – I’ll the luck! The third is going to kill me, keeping so much straight!
Congratulations on finishing the 1st draft! I’d also love to read about your writing process, because it’s really amazing that you’ve written two first drafts since the beginning of June. Good luck with the 3rd book!
And thank you for visiting my blog. I hope to get to know you better through the Campaign.
Thank you! I’m still all excited about it and stuff lol.
Oh, really? I’ll do a few posts on my first draft process then (and then maybe on my revision process once I have it better organized). The sad thing is the first book took 9 days, the second book took 2 months lol. So that’s what? 5 months for the third hehe?
Thank you for stopping by my blog too! I think this campaign will be a lot of fun!
Hey K.T., I’m in your YA campaign group. Congrats on finishing your novel! I only have spurts like that during NaNo. I always end up procrastinating the first two weeks, and then I am forced to write like a mad person the last two weeks in order to make the deadline. Also, I saw you are originally from Brisbane – I was lucky enough to visit there when I did a semester of study abroad in Australia.
Thank you! I can usually keep spurts up for a week or two. It’s the outlines and plot details I can’t seem to do in spurts – those take me time so I cement them in my mind and it’s easier for me to write freely.
Yep, I’m from Brisbane! Love the city, miss my family, but my hubby is definitely worth the move here hehe.
Great to meet you š Looking forward to the campaign!
Congratulations! That deserves a bubbly drink. My stories and characters always take me to places I don’t want to go. But are they better? Perhaps.
Every Savage Can Reproduce
Thank you! I did treat myself to dinner lol – I’ll save the bubbly for when I finish revision and am ready to query lol
I think sometimes the characters know our story better than we do, so the places they take us are often better – but not always š
I know I’ve had to adjust some plot points to compensate for elements my characters introduced that were so much better for my story hehe š
Awesome job, hon!!
And yes, mine explode like that too. Drives me nuts, but it’s a good thing too!
Poke when you get up, and we’ll help with the outlining etc.
<3
*huggles* The character introduced elements have made the story stronger.
Just ducking out to exercise and I’ll be online to storm š *loves*
Way to go! 12000 words in 6 hours…that is amazing!!! You must share your secrets š
Yes, even with the most detailed of outlines, my stories ALWAYS have a mind of their own and tend to grow and branch out in ways I would have never expected.
Thank you! Yeah I didn’t realize I’d done it so fast until I realizes I started just after 1pm and finished just after 7…
Secret? I gave myself 1 hour word war timers – and just wrote and wrote. Usually 2400-2500 per hour timer. Took a small break, got coffee and went back at it. No real secret – I just knew how many chapters and scenes I had – and forced myself not to get distracted and hammered them out lol. Still first drafts are easy – I’ll get back to you in tears about my revision haha
Even with my detailed outlines my characters always introduce awesome ideas I have to include. Branching out can sometimes be good š
Congrats on finishing!
Fellow campaigner here – we’re in the same dystopian fiction group. I write just about everything – from PBs on up to adults. Looking forward to getting better acquainted!
Thank you! I love dystopian. I keep getting more and more dystopian ideas popping in my head lol. They just won’t go away.
I’m really looking forward to the campaign. It’s been fun so far!
Congrats! There’s nothing like finishing a draft! š
So true! Thank you very much! I’ll celebrate a little more when I finally finish a revision lol
Woo-hoo! Congrats on completing draft 1.
As for whether my stories ever go off track…oh, yeah! I always outline–in great detail–but the story seldom ends up following my neatly-laid plans :).
Thank you! Yeah, mine do the same thing lol. I tend to have to rewrite some points half way through lol