Just 500

Right now I’m a word counter.

The other day I wrote that I’m flipping ole Sunset Perfect on it’s head. I’m simplifying a lot! Like a lot a a lot. Which is good. I think the story through the years had taken on a bit of a Frankenstein’s Monster look. It had become something it wasn’t. It was several stories lumped into one. Worst of all, it was boring. 

Now, I think it’s far sleeker, far more to the point. TOTALLY brand new characters who are all an amalgamation of the ones that were in the Frankenstein version, and the EXACT same plot and story, just told from a different, more appealing angle. 

Another thing I’m doing? 

I’m only writing 500 words a day. Well, wait. I may write more . . . But I have a goal to just hit 500 a day. I’ve done this before, but it feels so much better now. Maybe it’s the lack of PhD classes and so much less academic writing to get in the way . . . Maybe it’s the time in the early morning to sit by the fire and scratch out a draft, . . . Maybe it’s that for so long this story has been sitting on the shelf evolving and changing, that now I’m finally digging in. Regardless, just 500 a day is working so far. 

Let’s see, a just 500 words a day (minimum) we should have a final 1st draft by . . . Monday June 3. 

I think it will be before that. But, if we consider, the last few novels I wrote ended up between 85K and 90K words. I think the first drafts were a little less, actually. But that’s a good target number. At a minimum of 500 a day, that’s about 170 days to get to 85K. 

Remember, though, that’s minimum. This morning for instance, I wrote 824 words quite easily. I’ll probably throw down another 300 to 500 by the end of the day. BUT, it’s good to have a deadline right? And as anyone from my PhD study group knows, I try to get my stuff done early. 

Anyone reading this . . . On Monday June 3 you better write me and ask to see draft 1!