Blog Post No. 357
I’m not sure what to talk about this month (which, I believe is the first time this year). It’s strange. I feel like I’ve done fewer things (and in terms of events, I have) but I’m just as busy. Right now, I’m still charging forward on Broadcast Wasteland. I’m sitting at 27 000 words as of Tuesday (hopefully 29 000 by tonight) and I’m hoping to be sitting at 33 000 by the end of September. I’m not going to be finished, though. The way the story is right now, I think I’m going to be sitting over the 35 000 first draft mark, but I also fell like there is a good 2 – 3000 words just itching to be cut. At least a chapter or two, nearly in their entirety. Maybe. It’s hard to see the whole picture when you’re in the middle of it. So, I’m going to be continuing this mad dash past September and into October. Where I’m going to stop is up to the story. Maybe I just need to hit the 38 000 mark and will be done in the first week. Maybe I’ll burn out and join the circus. Who can tell?
Wanting to get the third novella finished in one month was really secondary to wanting to write every day for a month in pursuit of the first draft. If I go over by a week, but still get a good thousand words in every day, I’ll feel like I succeeded. So far, I’ve written more in a month than I have ever before. I’ve written more days in a row, too. It’s a nice feeling to know that I’m capable of it. As much as I long to be a full time writer, there’s that part in the back of my mind that doubts that I’ll be able to write every day (or at least on a heavy weekly schedule). I know that I can’t keep up this pace forever, but I’m also working a day job gumming up the works. I still have a way to go before I’m capable enough to write full time, but I feel like I’m a big step closer.
Having a single project with a relatively short word count is helpful. Novels are daunting things. The longer the project, the more everything. The more mistakes, edits, stumbles, missteps, and on and on. On the other end, a good short story is a challenge, too. There’s this thing where as soon as you get a little better at writing (and writing longer pieces) the skill to write a concise, tight story go out the window. It’s something I hope to get back to next year (the rest of this year and then some, is spoken for). The invasion novel is looming in the background, I made promises in order to get the Broadcast Wasteland cover (which is already almost done and it amazing) that I have to keep. And since the cover is so good, I feel like I have to give my all to the project. And, and, I still have those damn ebooks to figure out (and so help me, I will figure them out).
But, none of that matters right now. All that matters is getting this fist draft done. Then, getting the second draft done. Then getting more drafts done, and beta reads. Do the layout, set up the printing, organize a launch, and a dozen other things that will pop up from here to April. I started early, though, and I’ve actually gotten the lion’s share of the first draft done in one burst (or however you describe writing about a thousand words every day until it’s finished). I couldn’t have done it without having friends to go and write with. There is no power more motivating than obligation. Having other writers willing to meet up and spend a few hours writing together at a coffee shop is amazing. Christian has been the longest running writing partner, but Elly and Brittni have also been massive help. I hope that they’ve felt that the month long push has been good for their writing too, because I plan on doing this every September, and I’m leaning towards doing it twice a year.
Ben Van Dongen 