Hey Folks,
NOTE: I just popped back in at 6:20 to add this and the next two paragraphs to today’s Journal.
If you want to learn a TON about writing, please consider buying THE BLACK LIZARD BIG BOOK OF PULPS. You can find it at Amazon, in paper or Kindle, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307280489/.
This is nothing short of incredible, even if all you read are the foreword and the three introductions. But there are also at least a few dozen excellent stories. I’ll list this notice for a few days to make sure everyone has a chance to see it.
I’ve spent the last few days reading the works of some very good, and very prolific, writers. (For the record, those didn’t include any from The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps.)
That isn’t to say I thoroughly enjoyed everything I read. But after most of it, all I could do was shake my head and say “Wow.” And that’s the good kind of “wow.”
Then it dawned on me — for a guy whose intention is to write at least one novel per month and is shooting for fifteen novels on the year, spotting the month of March four days is probably plenty. (grin)
At the moment, I don’t have a clue as to what the next book will be. I don’t have a character in mind, or a setting or nary even a bit of dialogue.
I know only that I’d like it to be something that reads fast. I want to practice Pacing, so I want the next novel to be a page turner. I want it to be a story in which the reader can barely catch his breath enough to get from one paragraph to the next.
If I get started today (March 5) I’ll have 27 days, inclusive, until the end of the month. If I don’t get started until tomorrow (Monday, March 6), I’ll have 26 days.
I’d like very much to write two such novels beginning today or tomorrow and ending before the sun goes down on March 31.
To do that, I have to figure word counts again, just for a guideline. I’m thinking of two novels, each 35,000 to 40,000 words.
So that’s 70,000 to 80,000 words in 26 or 27 days. Been there, done that. So that part isn’t spooky.
If I go with the larger word count and the fewer number of days, that says I have to write a little less than 3100 words per day.
There is only one other “rule” I’m slapping on this challenge: The two novels can feature the same (or similar) main character(s), whatever, but the second can NOT be a continuation of the first.
I don’t want even the appearance of this being just one long story that I conveniently chopped in half to make two novels.
But that probably won’t be a problem. I have a feeling these two novels probably will even be in different genres.
Oh, and this is a personal challenge, not a be-all end-all on which the future of the world hinges. If I pull it off, great. If not, so what? I won’t put pressure on myself that it “has” to happen.
This really won’t be all that difficult. All I have to do is come up with two ideas that will make novels, and then trust my subconscious so I can write off into the dark.
Of course I’ll also keep this Journal going, and I expect this challenge to feed me more than one topic. (grin)
Today, and Writing
Rolled out at 3:30. My first thought was that this was closer to my regular time. But I’m gonna try not to worry too much about it.
Turns out an idea hit me at around 10 a.m. I sat down and wrote an opening, then kept writing. This was interspersed with answering emails, checking Facebook, eating lunch, etc.
At the end of a curtailed day (2 p.m.) I had over 3400 words. So a good first day on my new challenge.
Back tomorrow.
Of Interest
Nada.
Fiction Words: 3442
Nonfiction Words: 540 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 3982
Writing of Novel One (tentative, natch)
Day 1…… 3442 words. Total words to date…… 3442
Total fiction words for the month……… 3442
Total fiction words for the year………… 151866
Total nonfiction words for the month… 2190
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 38780
Total words for the year (fiction and nonfiction)…… 194088