Well what can I say. This was the next majorly pretty wordcount I could aim for, so I decided to shoot for it tonight. Once I got back home from work and had eaten that meant 6.5k in 4.5. hours (I did a little bit of writing before work this morning). It took me a bit longer than planned to get there, I got distracted by some other issues, but thanks to a good final sprint I did manage it.
In fact final sprints appear to be my big weapon the last few days. By now I’m often more or less banking on the fact that I can get at least 1500 words in the last 40 minutes or so. In a way I suppose it’s just a sign that I’m really getting into the story. I’ve pretty much started to think of 1000 words in half an hour as possibly any time I need them as well.
I am afraid I might have to let go of this chasing thing we do. Not because I can’t keep up, but because my story is somehow coming to a close. I don’t know yet how exactly it’s gonna end, but all the important things have happened and now I just need to tie the lose ends. Of course, if I’d go back and started revising I could probably pump up on my word count, but I think once I am actually done, I need to put it away for a month or two to look at it with fresh eyes.
But still, nice word count you got there. Is this your count or the validated one?
There are a couple of options when you story comes to a close. You could start revising, to add words. Or you could write a part two (or a prologue). But stopping when you’ve finished a story over 80k long is also an acceptable option. I’d miss the chase though.
Trying to keep the margin open has often led me to push on at night, with a sort of “what would Starstuff do” feeling. After all if I stopped while you were still writing that would allow you to close the gap.
Still I’ll probably keep going just to get the 150k for the month (and the 5k per day average), whatever happens. Right now I don’t think I’ll finish my own novel before 150k. But even if I do, I probably will push on with part two. I’ve got some events coming up a while after this novel that should be quite interesting (can we say “first contact”?).
Really, I kept pushing you? Cool! Well, today it looks a little different, I feel recharged and really want to write. But after those first days of the week with the many, many words, I really lost it for a while. I try to get in another 5K today and your idea with a prologue or even epilogue is pretty good, I might try that.
And what about these mysterious events? Now you really sparked my interest. Oh wait! You are just doing that to keep me thinking and not writing! I can through your tactics!
Even I need a break after a big sprint. Which is why I’ve been doing laundry and playing around with yet more site design this morning (more about the design work later). And from what I can remember I was a multi-day wreck after the first couple of times I did 10k in a day as well.
It all goes back to that Muse as a muscle analogy we were discussing over at your blog. Once you get used to stressing your muse more you can get more out of it each day. I can do a couple of 10ks back to back now on most weekends, which is something I was struggling with even last year.
It’s just a matter of building up that word-production skill. The next time you have a 10k day you probably won’t get as much of a kick back. And after a few more days like that you may be turning them out back to back as well. That’s how I learned to do it anyway.