Day: February 25, 2013

Novel #2 Progress: Easy Peasy

Standard

I’m feeling pretty good about this week’s progress on Novel #2. Not only did I manage to get through a week without a major crisis, (a victory I celebrated with a much deserved nap), but I got a good bit of writing done! Two more chapters are done, leaving only nine more chapters to edit. If my calculations are correct and I don’t lose focus, I should have revisions done by the end of March. Hold me to that goal, readers!

Word Count Progress:

Draft #1 Word Count:

  • Start Word Count: 48,749
  • End Word Count: 52,576
  • Total: 3,827

Draft #2 Revised Word Count:

  • Start Word Count: 50,025
  • End Word Count: 54,012
  • Total: 3,987

Writing Process Notes:

  • As it stands today, there are 59 pages left to revise. To reach my goal of finishing revisions by March 31, (which is 35 days away), I’ve calculated that I need to revise 1.6 pages a day. Considering how hard I’ve been working over the last couple of months, this number is very reasonable. Barring any major distractions, I should have no problem staying on track. If anything, I’m going to treat the next 35 days like the final push of “NaNoWriMo.”

Novel Tidbit:

Chapter Breaks in Reverse:

  • Last week, I explored the last lines of various chapters, so I thought it might be fun to get a peek at some first lines. One of the things I’ve learned in this process is how the start of a chapter is just as important as the end. Make the reader glad she decided to keep reading even though it’s 2:00 a.m. and she has to get up at 6:00.
  • With this novel in particular, I’ve noticed I like to stop a chapter in the middle of a key conversation and then pick it up again at the beginning of a new chapter. Tricky? Yes, but that tactic has kept me up way past my bedtime more than I care to admit. For example, I’ll pull a line I revealed last week and pair it with the first line of the chapter that follows:
    • Last line: “I’m not. I just want to know what you are.”
    • First line:  “Amanda, I can’t,” Ian says. His face twists in pain; he wants to tell me, but those unspoken boundaries continue to bind him.
  • These are some of my favorite first lines, only because I know every teenage girl has felt these emotions at least once in her life:
    • I wake up the next morning with a ridiculous grin on my face.
    • I remain pretty raw for a few days.
  • The best first lines, however, will remain a secret until the book is finished and ready to read!

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c.b.w. 2013