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  1. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    How far are you in writing your novel?

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by deadrats, Apr 7, 2018.

    So, after a break to write some short stories and focus on some other things, I came back to my novel this morning. I had forgotten how much I've actually written already. Today was the first day I felt like it was just too much to read from the beginning before continuing. I read the last chapter and went from there. But, man, does it feel good to have such a large chunk of writing down. Bonus: I don't hate it. I expected to cringe while rereading where I left off. How is this so much better than I remember? Anyway, now I feel like I have the motivation to finish. I think that was something I was struggling with and questioning if I even wanted to finish this story. But now it's deep enough in that it's almost stupid not to continue. I would say I'm about a third in. Not too much, I know, but it's definitely got a story going on at this point. I wasn't sure I would make it this far. Novel writing is super hard and takes a really long time. So, just wondering how far in you guys are with your novels. I feel like I just reached the point where I can finally say for real I'm writing a novel. Fellow novel writers -- How far are you into your book? Did you need a break to recharge like I did? If you did take a break, did it help you power through to the end (those of you who have finished a novel)? Or if you don't take breaks, how do you power through? I feel like it's time to finish this baby.
     
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  2. Night Herald

    Night Herald The Fool Contributor

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    The one I'm working on now, which will be my debut, is at 53k word. I can't say for sure yet, but that's probably a bit over halfway through. There might very well be sequels, though.

    You're right, it feels great to have such a big chunk of writing done, and to have a fair percentage of it be actually decent!

    I do take breaks, yeah, several days at a time, either to work on short stories or just kick back and think about the novel. I find I have little trouble returning to it, because I've devoted a lot of time and effort towards making it what it is, and there's just no way I could stand not to see this project through. It's the closest I've come to a complete novel, and I am going to finish it.
     
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  3. GlitterRain7

    GlitterRain7 Galaxy Girl Contributor

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    I finished my manuscript a few weeks ago. I'm on revisions now.
    Honestly, the first probably 14 chapters of my WIP were made during an "on/off" break. I wrote when I felt like it. It wasn't that serious because I wasn't sure if I could even do it. At some point, when I was about 14 or so chapters in, I sat down and made a decent outline so I could write faster. I also decided that I needed to take it more seriously since my goal is to get this novel traditionally published one day.
    As to what made me get that outline made and power through to the end? Two things. I had a really great, constructive conversation with someone about my WIP, which in some way gave me a huge boost. And then I told my dad that I was writing a novel. Most people probably think that's not a big deal, but my family doesn't know I write, so it was for me. So after that I was like "Well, I really want to finish it in a couple months so I can tell him I finished it." I did, and it was nice. Now he knows that I'm serious about writing.
     
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  4. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    I write when I feel like it, so sometimes I work on a manuscript every day until it's finished, other times I start it then forget about it for three months and pick it up again.

    I had a break during my current novel, and it was a very pleasant surprise to come back and find I really liked the 20k I'd written. I then got sidetracked by another project so I'm only up to 23k, but it's going well.
     
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  5. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I take breaks from my sequel WIP. And it is at 84,651 words at the present.
    Also juggling some shorts as well. :)
     
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  6. xanadu

    xanadu Contributor Contributor

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    My current project is at 16k. I'm coming off a break--I started it about a year ago, and really got a lot done near the end of 2017, but have been distracted by other projects until now. I'm trying to build up my momentum and get back into it.

    Another project I'm working on is revising my second novel (the first had been laid to rest a long while ago). That one's currently around 86k, fluctuating slightly as I take words out and put new words back in. I'm on chapter 7 of 17...probably 30k or so.

    Turns out it's really hard to work on both at the same time. Who knew?

    ...Me. I knew.
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2018
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  7. John Grant

    John Grant Member

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    I was were you are a couple of months ago. I had mostly finished two novels and then I took an almost year long break from writing. I waited until I had a aging need to revisit the novels. I finished them up and re-read for editing purposes. Once they were spruced up I sent them out to my beta readers for comment. Right now I'm waiting for their responses. Waiting is the hardest part of writing.
     
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  8. Alex R. Encomienda

    Alex R. Encomienda Contributor Contributor

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    I'm towards the end of my 2nd draft or rewrite. It still needs another draft before being submitted but I can honestly say that I am happy with how it is so far. It reminds me of some of my favorite prog concept albums bordering Sartre but who knows how it'll come across to someone else.

    I agree though, novels are hard work. I feel like I should be getting paid to write it sometimes but at the same time it's too enjoyable to be considered a job. I have a job and I fucking hate every second of it.

    I'm at 140k words right now... Perhaps in another six months it'll be trimmed down to 120-130k, but if not then that's a lot of words to stew on.
     
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  9. OB1

    OB1 Active Member

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    I am almost 4k words in nearly finished my first chapter of my first novel. Struggling a bit with trying to translate my thoughts and ideas into words on a page! so much for finishing my first draft this year :meh:
     
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  10. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    That pretty much sums up what writing is - getting the things in our head to translate on paper. It gets easier, promise :)
     
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  11. Ksenia Tomasheva

    Ksenia Tomasheva Member

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    I normally write no less than 2k words a day, but never work on one project at a time, normally it's two or three. I know, it might sound like a bit too much, but this strategy really works for me: having at least two things goin on at the same time helps to avoid that mythic "writers block" people are used to complain about. The trick is that these are to be two very different stories, so that mind switches completely.
    So, as of today:
    fantasy/romance novel at 64k (2/3 done)
    Sci-fi/crime mystery action novel at 35k (halfway)
    translation of the novel, first chapter of which I've posted here in workshop at 3.5k (first chapter and half of the second one)
    Translation goes pretty slow, but I hope to speed up as I learn and get more comfortable with the language.
     
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  12. ThunderAngel

    ThunderAngel Contributor Contributor

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    I have the larger portion of my first novel completed; doing revisions on it until I get the later chapters planned out.
     
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  13. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I don't know if this is stupid or not, but I feel like I have to go back to the beginning. I thought I could just continue writing, but I'm so worried about things not adding up or repeating myself or the whole thing just becoming nonsense. I'm editing and revising as I read through it simply because I can't ignore things that I can now make better. Already my novel is twenty pages longer from this start-at-the-beginning process.
     
  14. Jane with dyslexic flag

    Jane with dyslexic flag Member

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    hi, hmm lets see I think I am about 67% through my novel its been tough but also fun :).
    I already have plans for a book 2 and idea for book 3.
    (honestly probably going to have to cut my books in half so would be better to make them into 6 book series in seeing how bulky my book is so far:superthink:.
    Lets see, I started writing my book for 10 or so months now.
    I write when I can get some time in, I am old school I write on paper, and I am also a dyslexic which makes its more frustrating my pace more slow then others :superidea:but when I get in the zone its totally bliss:supercool:.
    I suppose u could say I take breaks mostly I notice when I do it is when I am stuck and brooding on a problem I run into now and then in my book, which makes me take time to wait for a answer to bud in my mind and grow into a solution before I can continue on.
    :cheerleader:good luck with your book I am cheering you on
     
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  15. Moon

    Moon Contributor Contributor

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    Little further than yesterday.....
     
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  16. exweedfarmer

    exweedfarmer Banned Contributor

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    Wow, first novels. That was a long long time ago for me. Writing a novel is like anything else you have to do it badly until you do it well. The big trick is admitting the first one sucks, somewhere down the road and just plain throwing it out. My first 3 sucked, badly. They were resigned to the circular file and no one has missed them. I hope you don't suffer my fate. Or the suckage.
     
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  17. AlphabeticNumber

    AlphabeticNumber Banned

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    Researching
     
  18. John-Wayne

    John-Wayne Madman Extradinor Contributor

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    I'm on the last chapter of Part Vi of Vii parts (hopefully) and then an epilogue. So should be done in a few months, barring any walls or hurdles.
     
  19. John-Wayne

    John-Wayne Madman Extradinor Contributor

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    Yup, :). Thankfully none of them were published nor anyone read them. gives me a chance to revise them. But one of my first Novels I can't even read without cringing, or making fun of it in an attempt to get through it (which I can't). It's god awful, in 2013 I had to strip it to the bone and restart, the restart is a million times better. I actually wrote a poem dedicated to that novel called the "First Daft", I misspelled Draft. :p . It's in the poem section.
     
  20. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I did it again. I took another break to write a short story. I was all set to focus on my novel, but then... I don't know. I really like short stories. Reading them. Writing them. Finishing them. But I've got to focus or need more discipline. The real money is in books. So, I haven't been making much progress.
     
  21. eidolo

    eidolo Member

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    You'll hate me for writing this, but it's still in my brain. I have the characters and their vague personalities, and maybe a story, but I just had the realization today that one of my fanfics I'm thinking of writing is remarkably similar to my original novel idea. Either I read a lot in one particular genre and have absorbed the plots from there, or I just have no original ideas. So I'm back to square one. Or zero. Aish.
     

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