The Week of Awesome continues on with THE VIOLET FOX by Clare MarshallI have to say, the Violet Fox is type of heroine I wanted to be when I grew up. Of course, I became a writer, but I can still appreciate a bad ass girl in a cape. Her bravery, and ability to save her own people as well as her own neck are the things legends are made out of; and her fierceness was somehow refreshing and sharp at the same time.
If you want a book that reads like polished A list piece from a top publisher this is your book. Clare is a phenomenal writer and editor and you don't notice at all. Trust me, you will find no better complement than that.
Follow Clare on Twitter:@ClareMarshall13
and Find her writings at: http://www.faeryinkpress.com/
ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WRITE
90,000 WORDS IN ONE SITTINGOne of my good friends from back home asked me, “How do you write so much?!”
My first thought was, I really don’t write that much.
Okay, let’s back up a bit. I have three novels that are in progress right now, one sitting at 37,000 words, another at 12,000 words, and a children’s chapter book at about 5,000 words. In completed unpublished works, I have six novels or novellas, ranging from 30,000 words to about 110,000 words. They need to be re-written, or divided into smaller novels before they ever see the light of day. I have some plays and short stories I’ve written as well, but I don’t really count those.
I don’t spend all day writing. I think part of the reason people think I have a lot of words under my belt is because I’m young. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a writer, so write I did. When I’ve been grabbed by a story, I devote time and I try to see it through.
I see it this way. A novel is about 60,000 words (less than that is generally considered a novella. Within is 50,000 words, so it’s a novella!). It takes me about an hour to write 1,000 words. I can write more than than in an hour once I get going. So, if you were extremely diligent, you could write a 60,000 word novel in 60 days.
Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way. Life gets in the way sometimes. Distractions are abundant, especially in the face of a deadline. I find that I tend to put a project down when it’s 90% complete. I don’t know why I do this. It’s like I need the last push, one last ra-ra team before the race ends. I told myself to finish The Violet Fox in December 2011, but it didn’t actually get finished until May 2012. I put it down to focus on building my freelancing clientele, and I was successful in doing that.
Contests and writing initiatives like the 3-Day-Novel Contest (where I first wrote Within) and NaNoWriMo are great opportunities to get words down on paper (or on the screen). For the 3-Day-Novel contest, you have to write 100 pages (about 25,000 words) in three days. For NaNoWriMo, you have to write 50,000 words in a month. I haven’t actually completed NaNoWriMo yet. I started one year but life got in the way. It would be nice to use it unofficially to finish up some of the works I’ve got in progress.
Writing is only part of completing a novel. Research is another part. Even if you’re writing a fantasy novel, you still have to develop a world. I keep a separate document of world-building information for The Violet Fox handy when I write, in case I need to reference something.
I also have an advantage that others may not share. I work from home. I don’t have to waste time sitting in traffic. I’m usually very busy with clients, but I set my own schedule. This allows me to set aside the time I need to work on my writing, or the marketing of said writing.
So how can you improve your word count?
1. Time management
How long will it take you to write 1,000 words? 500 words? Choosing a smaller word count like this will give you a small goal to work towards. Once you figure out your writing speed, you can judge the amount of time per day or per week you have to set aside to complete the novel.
2. To-Do Lists.
Making a to-do list is the first step. Following through on it is another. I find that writing down 3 things I want to do in one day works for me. Three things is manageable. Writing down 10 or 20 things and then trying to accomplish them can make you feel stressed, which will discourage you completely. To tie in with the first point, writing down an estimated time it will take to complete the task next to the task itself also helps me manage my day.
3. Stop talking, start writing.
Stop talking about how you’d like to write a novel and set aside the time to do it. You are only a writer if you write.
Oh. And one more thing. Surrounding myself with positive people who encourage me to write more also boosts my word count. Don’t take your built-in support--your family and your friends--for granted. They are your foundation for continuing your writing journey.
That, and sweet, delicious energy drinks. Mmmm....
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