2804 words today. Today was a very good writing day.
I finished 2.5 chapters today, so I definitely progressed the story, even though it doesn’t feel like it.
I’m sitting at just shy of 35,000 words, which is a great number, which is around the 58% mark if the novel is 60K, the 63% mark if the novel is 55K, and 70% mark if the novel is 50K. So, depending on what the final word count is, I’m somewhere between 58% and 70%. That means I’m almost to the point where I can see the “glimmer”—which is what I call the moment when I know exactly how the story ends, and I start racing toward it. Once I reach the glimmer, I’m not really writing into the “dark” anymore because everything is illuminated. At that point, it’s up to me to fit all the remaining pieces together.
It’s like looking for something in a dark room with just a flashlight, and then someone turns on the lights. Suddenly you can finish your task a lot faster (and not have to worry about stumbling over stuff!)
Also, once you see the glimmer, you usually see the opening for the next book, too. Right now, I have NO IDEA what will happen in Book 3. I will by the time I get to the end of Book 2 though.
For this story, I expect to run into a final (but hopefully minor) rough patch somewhere around 75%-80% when I start bringing plot lines together to lead up to the final battle, followed by the glimmer shortly after. At my current pace, that means I’ve probably got another “clear sky” writing day or two ahead before the skies darken for a day or two. Then it’s a race for the finish line.
Once I see the glimmer, I’ll open up voting for the next book in 24-48 hours after because it means I’ll be very close to finishing.
SOMETHING I THOUGHT ABOUT TODAY
How do you know you’re making progress in your novel?
When I restarted this novel, I felt “stuck” as hell—I was perpetually around the 25,000-word mark. Seemed like I could never get past it. Even now, I’m still not that far past it.
What constitutes progress when you’re writing your work-in-progress? Sometimes it’s not word counts, actually.
- Word counts—having a really good word count day moves the needle forward.
- Finishing a chapter—this is huge, even if you have a small word count day.
- Introducing a new (major or minor) character—this adds complexity and richness to the story
- Plot twist—not much needs to be said about this
- “Glimmers”—when you see the ending, or when you see what needs to happen next. This is a big deal if you start the day not knowing what will happen. Any day you go to bed knowing what’s next is a nice day because you can get started easier.
I judge today as a great success because I finished two and a half chapters, which added visual heft to the story. Plus, I had a pretty respectable word count.
Anyway, I’m going to see if I can hit 35,000 tonight as I have just a small ways to go.
Have a good night.
PROGRESS SO FAR:
Rat City (Chicago Rat Shifter Book 2): 34,671 words.
Writing App Book: 16,900 words. Drafted and needs final touches.
Writing App Tool: 10% complete
Indie Author Confidential Vol. 6: Published.
