Tag: novel

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

I’m at the midpoint of the first draft. This is the point where the tempo of the plot picks up considerably. I am actively not looking to see what my word count is. I don’t want that clouding my mind as I tell the story the first time. I am, however, pleased with the number of pages I have so far. I’m well on my way to wrapping up the first draft somewhere about 240 pages.

If you take into consider that a hardback novel’s dimensions are significantly smaller than that your typical printer paper, then that suggests I’m on my way to a novel that in paperback will be about 600 pages. Really, the goal is simply not to get too close to 200,000 words. If I can get into that sweet spot of about, say, 175,000 words then I’m going to be very happy.

The structure of the novel doesn’t fit the “rules.” My midpoint is actually probably maybe 20% past the actual midpoint. But I’m past the point where I have to lock myself into those artificial constraints. The amount of time the second half of the novel covers isn’t as much as the first part, so that’s another issue to take into consideration.

But the second half of the novel is definitely very action packed. Some pretty spectator things happen. I’m not too worried people won’t buy into the premise because, well, have you looked on Twitter today? So I’m trying to give myself a minor amount of time to clear my mind before I map out the specifics of the rest of the novel. Those six months of development I did really, really made writing the first draft much, much easier. I’m more worried about burning myself out at this point than anything else.

Anyway. Stay tuned.

Some thoughts.

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

Well, I’m almost at the midpoint of the first draft of the novel. I have no idea how many words it is because, it’s the first draft and I don’t want to limit myself when it comes to telling the story.

But as of moment I’m feeling fairly confident. I can’t promise you my writing is all that great, but the story is really cool. I’m already sketching how some pretty significant tactical changes for the second draft. I have a whole lot of work to do, no matter what.

For the time being, my audience is myself. I just want to tell a great story that I enjoy. Everyone else can fuck off for right now. But that is going to change once I start writing the second draft. I’m going to care a lot more about word count once that starts. The point right now is to entertain yourself as the writer. The point is to finish the first draft.

You can’t edit a blank page, as they say.

Anyway. Let’s rock.

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

I’m quite pleased with how things are going right now. I would note that what started off as some heavy petting over wanting to tell a great story has turned into a family of five that I have to provide for on a daily basis. Writing a novel has completely consumed my entire life.

This has happened in large part because I know I have a very specific set of circumstances occurring in my life I have to exploit as quickly and as fully as possible. Some of the obsession comes, too, from having a brutal self-editor who has very extreme demands as to what has to be done with the novel before the second draft is finished and I feel comfortable showing it to people.

And, really, in real terms I’m still at the beginning of the process. I have to finish the first draft first. That’s the first big milestone. Once I have that locked down, then I have even more work ahead of me. At this point, the issue is how long, exactly, is it going to take me to do all the hard work necessary to be where I want to be with development when I buckle down and start writing the second draft.

But in real terms, I just have to enjoy what I have right now. I can’t help that I like to talk and I have no friends. That’s just who I am. Anyway. We’ll see.