But not soon enough
Nov. 1st, 2005 12:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompsonQuote of the day:
"Maybe it's what we don't say / that saves us."
—Dorianne Laux, Enough Music
Writing blah-blah of the day: So I was talking to one of my local betas yesterday about The Novel. "This one's really long," she said.
"It's shorter than Shivery Bones." (Which she also read chapter by chapter, brave girl.)
"You're kidding? It feels longer."
"Hmmm," I said in a worried tone.
"Not in a bad way, just longer. I think it's because of the three timelines."
I think she may be right. And I was also noticing, going over the ms. that the chapter count seems way high because I've got many more fusty little chapters then I did with Shivery Bones. Even at it's bloated first draft word count of 160k there were only 35 chapters. Night Warrior is in the 120k range and it already has 32 chapters.
So starting with chapter 24, I started going through to see where I can combine fusty little chapters into more substantial ones. In fact, 24 and 24, both fusty, combined quite naturally, so I've already eliminated one chapter. Fewer chapters will bring down the word count a bit, too, which is a good thing.
I'll continue going through and checking for combo potential and eventually will do the same with earlier chapters--but probably not in this go round. Finish first, reduce later.
I sure will be glad when I can have my weekends back for writing not moving. Soon. Sooooon.
"Maybe it's what we don't say / that saves us."
—Dorianne Laux, Enough Music
Writing blah-blah of the day: So I was talking to one of my local betas yesterday about The Novel. "This one's really long," she said.
"It's shorter than Shivery Bones." (Which she also read chapter by chapter, brave girl.)
"You're kidding? It feels longer."
"Hmmm," I said in a worried tone.
"Not in a bad way, just longer. I think it's because of the three timelines."
I think she may be right. And I was also noticing, going over the ms. that the chapter count seems way high because I've got many more fusty little chapters then I did with Shivery Bones. Even at it's bloated first draft word count of 160k there were only 35 chapters. Night Warrior is in the 120k range and it already has 32 chapters.
So starting with chapter 24, I started going through to see where I can combine fusty little chapters into more substantial ones. In fact, 24 and 24, both fusty, combined quite naturally, so I've already eliminated one chapter. Fewer chapters will bring down the word count a bit, too, which is a good thing.
I'll continue going through and checking for combo potential and eventually will do the same with earlier chapters--but probably not in this go round. Finish first, reduce later.
I sure will be glad when I can have my weekends back for writing not moving. Soon. Sooooon.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-01 12:47 pm (UTC)NightWarrior, I think, is more epic than SB. That might be why it feels longer to some.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-01 01:47 pm (UTC)there were quite a few chapters that could be combined into more substantive bits.
I think that happens with the organic style because you're just trying to get the scenes down and "Hey, that feels like a chapter," and you end it and it's only in retrospect you see how you can make it better.
NightWarrior, I think, is more epic than SB. That might be why it feels longer to some.</i. That could be. Although SB had a lot of scope, it was really quite an intimate story.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-01 01:49 pm (UTC)That could be. Although SB had quite a lot of scope, it was really quite an intimate story.