Update Schedule

There was once an update schedule. It lived a good life, a peaceful life. A quiet life. But then... things began to change. It became more and more erratic, sometimes completely disobeying its very reason for existance. And at last, the update schedule could take no more. It cast off its chains and went free, seeking new lands where it would be appreciated. This message it left where once it had lived, to warn other schedules of the peril.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Why is there such a thing as a word count?


I made the mistake of googling what my word count should be. I was aiming for 85,000 or so, because it's a YA novel.
Except it's a YA Fantasy/ Science Fiction novel. Which brings the target word count up to a mind-blowing 120,000 words or so. Maybe that doesn't sound like so much. Probably every other writer has written many 100,000+ word novels before. But here's the thing: I'm at 75,000 words, and this is the longest thing I have ever written.
Don't even mention the word novella.
I'm already terrified at the idea of actually sitting down and seriously editing this. I'm having doubts as to whether anyone will ever want to read it. My plot is probably awful. And now I have to write 35,000 words more than I thought I would have to. My plot should stretch that far. It really should.
But what if it doesn't?
Day _ of editing, and all sanity and hope are gone.
75,000 words.
50,000 to go.
Then editing.
Suddenly I feel as though I've only just written the first word, I've achieved so little when I consider everything that I'll need to do before there's even a chance I could try to get it published.

Oh, and it's back to Wheel of Time, which combined with serious writing and sleep is making being able to write another review soon seem highly unlikely. Which has not improved my mood.

Thank you for sitting through my grumpy ranting.
-HH

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