Short and sweet
will probably describe my word count for the day.
Abby is, unfortunately, still sick, and I'm due to leave for San Antonio in just over an hour. (I'm giving a talk there this evening.) On the plus side, I did finish my bio for Ballantine, which was due today... and I may have to take a brief break (or at least slow down a bit) on Wolf 2 while I add a few more scenes to Wolf 1. Ah, editing... :)
Laura, a quick answer to your question; when I wrote my first book, I wrote it longhand to help quell my inner editor; then I would edit it as I typed it in. (There were times when I remember thinking 'Please let her have fleshed out the description for this scene' -- it was almost as if there were two people writing. The writer, and the editor. Strange, really.)
Nowadays, I write and try to make it as good as possible (within reason) the first run through; then, the next day, before I start my words, I review what I wrote the day before to clean it up a bit and get back into the story. That way I'm not stuck with a huge manuscript that needs a lot of work at the end -- daunting, to say the least. And I'm comfortable that almost everything I've done so far is relatively clean.
And Debra, I don't know why I use word count; probably because it's already on Word, and also because when you've got lots of dialogue and chapter breaks, it means fewer words on a page. Also because when I'm writing, I'm usually shooting for a word count goal (generally 75-80K); by keeping track of daily words, I have a better feel for how much story is left. Once again, though, the key is to find a system that works for you. I keep everything in one document, but I know a lot of writers who keep each chapter separate. To each his or her own!
Well, Abby's waking up, the bunny is squeaking underfoot, and I have an hour before I have to go... more later, and keep the writing going!
posted by Karen MacInerney @ 11:10 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Karen,
Good luck on your talk this evening.
We got the first prairie dog because I sent my hubby to the pet shop to buy a hamster for our cat (Howard liked having a pet himself - he never hurt any smaller animal) My hubby thought that a prairie dog would be cooler. He was right. Then when Wally died I wanted another one. They're great pets, but I don't think they're good for yound children. Hamsters are better.
The dogs love him. Susie just wants to lick him but Billy thinks that Cosmo is like a wind-up toy. LOL. They're play is always supervised.
Today Billy turns 2. I remember when he was just a little puff ball.
I finished my second to last chapter last night. WooHoo. I'll definitely be done by Friday night.
Hope your little girl feels better soon.
Debra S.
Debra,
Thanks so much -- the talk was great! (It was a wonderful bunch of ladies, and I got to see my mom and fellow author Candy Calvert, which made it extra fun). I got home at midnight, but it was worth it.
I wish I had a picture of your prairie dog. Do they dig? And I wouldn't think dogs would be fond of prairie dogs... but evidently I'm wrong!
And congrats on the great work -- you're almost there! Then you get to send it to the agent and wait by the mailbox (oh, how I remember)... I've got my fingers crossed for you that he or she will just snap it up!
P.S. Abby will be back in school tomorrow; I'll send her your well wishes. Say happy birthday to Billy for me!
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