If I type one more word, I'll have accidentally written my first novel.

[TheRedChamber]

Writing 1,500 words a day is pretty ambitous. I've never come close to that. What should the next word be? (I assume you ended with a sentence, or did you just stop in the middle?) If it's a new sentence, then "The" or "He" or something like that might be inevitable.

It wasn't a hard limit. If I was in the zone and had time I'd write 4000 words. Other days, I missed my target or didn't write at all. I can write 1000 words in a hour or two assuming things are flowing, but I plan out what's actually happening mentally first otherwise I'd be a lot slower

I know I've mentioned this before, but about a year before I joined Lit I was doodling around on computer. (I was recovering from surgery.) As this thing grew, I started to think "Hey, I'm a novelist!" I was a bit premature, however. I eventually used parts of it later in short stories. The beginning premise was just awful and completely improbable. I later used a version of that as a fantasy by a male character.

So that was some of my issues with writing something that long.

One thing I've noticed about writing a novel is that you really have to deal with the whole 'Is this idea strong enough to actually support something this long's?' nagging at you from about a week into the process. That coupled with this NEEDS to be good so every part of it needs to be good or I've wasted my time, makes novel writing a lot more stressful?than tossing of a short story or ten.

 

[gunhilltrain]

It wasn't a hard limit. If I was in the zone and had time I'd write 4000 words. Other days, I missed my target or didn't write at all. I can write 1000 words in a hour or two assuming things are flowing, but I plan out what's actually happening mentally first otherwise I'd be a lot slower


One thing I've noticed about writing a novel is that you really have to deal with the whole 'Is this idea strong enough to actually support something this long's?' nagging at you from about a week into the process. That coupled with this NEEDS to be good so every part of it needs to be good or I've wasted my time, makes novel writing a lot more stressful?than tossing of a short story or ten.

Even a series is not quite like a novel, even though some of them are quite long. Yes, you do need a strong premise to get it started. And there are exceptions, but usually there more characters and settings to deal with. Updike pulled off quite a feat when he wrote four novels (and an epilogue) over the course of forty years about his Harry Angstrom character. Thus he had to show Harry's son Nelson at the age of three in 1959, thirteen in 1969, twenty-three in 1979, and so forth. And he has many other people for which he has to do the same thing.

Of course, some of them become so old that they pass away long before the end in 1999.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Even a series is not quite like a novel, even though some of them are quite long. Yes, you do need a strong premise to get it started. And there are exceptions, but usually there more characters and settings to deal with.

Yep, had beta readers wondering if I'm going to be providing fully satisfying arcs for at least five characters...I'm like 'I need to do that? Huh'

Of course, some of them become so old that they pass away long before the end in 1999.

This reminded me of one of my favourite Onion articles.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Yep, had beta readers wondering if I'm going to be providing fully satisfying arcs for at least five characters...I'm like 'I need to do that? Huh'


This reminded me of one of my favourite Onion articles.

If I had just read that Onion article cold, without knowing its source, I probably would have believed it. The best part is Oprah Winfrey dropping it from her book club. They've got Janet Maslin in there too. Even the photo of the "author" looks plausible.