Went through my numbers and realized that since the end of last June when I finally felt decent enough to start using the phone, I have somehow written over 100k words and counting.
When I was healthy and focused I almost always set 200k as my yearly goal, so still some to go, but it's a pretty significant amount. I very much had "bad" years in there where I only wrote 120-140k and this isn't that far off. Considering how much of it is from stolen days here or there...well, was a morale booster.
Is any of it good?
I hate how back and forth I go on that question. This will be my 14th novel and STILL.
Last week was prime This Is Shit, I'm Shit, It All Must Be Shit, Why Am I Writing This High School Bullshit territory.
Last couple days...felt like I'm pretty awesome.
Writing wise I have maybe a couple more days on this chapter (three max) and then will need to tackle all the resolution...which is considerable.
Editing...I have no clue how that's going down.
We will see when we get there! But apparently...we WILL get there!
6/2 Update: Some clarification. First, thanks for the kind comments. But...I don't think I'm bad overall or like...whining for the sympathy you all so wonderfully supplied, however in the middle of writing a novel, especially while you're looking at a first draft that you know needs so much more work before it's published, you can really feel miserable about how you've gotten yourself into this situation and just get occasional periods of intense self doubt.
This has been especially bad with Seismic Semester due to a plethora of reasons. Health problems limiting me. Having to split the story into two books because I didn't accurately outline and had no idea how herculean the task of adding a whole new class of students (30 new characters) at once would turn out to be. The chaotic plot style. The biggest being...its complete school story. I've fully enjoyed writing just two of the school stories (FM1 and FM3) and its given me the most headache out of anything in the whole series. There's a reason why this was supposed to be the last one. I want to get back to the mainline SO BAD. Only now I have to write a whole new one to wrap up War to End All Wars. Which shouldn't be as bad since I've introduced 90% of the new characters in this book, but...
But then you write a great scene or start editing a scene you wrote previously and think...man, I'm fucking good! I can pull this off! I'm not fucking crazy!
Just in case you were wondering, you're writing is NOT shit. It's awesome and fun and silly and deep and embarrassing and awkward and wonderful. I also, for the first time ever, ran into an old friend I hadn't seen for a decade. We gave each other our talk sci fi/fantasy picks (I gave him the Wandering Inn and the Spellmonger series) and when I hit on the Foul Mouth series he grinned and told me it was one of his favorites already. Needless to say, my recommendation cred went through the roof. So, keep at it, you've got fans waiting to catch up with old friends!
ReplyDeleteYou're writing it, because we want more. So write monkey, write. Dude, we like the books, that's why we read and reread them. That's why some of us keep coming here to see what's up with your life and thoughts. Good to hear you're meeting goals. Hopefully it doesn't stop.
ReplyDeleteRR I absolutely love all of KHT that have been released and have been absolutely dreading it might go unfinished. You have no idea how frustrated I've been since I have been unable to entice my GF to start the series because I really really want to see her face when reaching the end of Troubled Boomworm. Such a beautiful gutpunch I really want to share. Unfortunately she got HP'd out and won't read 'Wizarding school' adjacent. Seriously, that twist was so well written I was shaken with incredulity for DAYS! The clues were there but they were masterfully subtle. Don't doubt the wonderfulness of your works good sir.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, you're not shit, which is why I'm eagerly waiting the next one. Otherwise I'd have fucked you off after page 32 on book 1. Life's too short for wank writing.
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