A Quickie . . . Writing Update, that is.

[jpskewedthrone]

Finished Chapter 24 today after a serious marathon run of writing. Most of it was action, and I tend to get large word counts when I write those kinds of scenes. I'm now at the point where the main, huge battle is over (for the most part) and so I need the main character to do his thing so I can wrap things up. I feel like I have a ton of loose ends though. Can I do it all in one chapter? We'll see I guess. Most will revolve around the same issue, even though they're different loose ends. Which is why it seems so complicated I guess.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Or rather, thinking out loud, which isn't as helpful as it sounds since I can't write down any particulars without spoiling the book. *grin* In any case, here's the current word count.

190,000 / 100,000 (190.0%)

Well of Sorrows

Comments

[ruthannereid.livejournal.com]

I swear if you spoil us, we'll still buy the book! :D *speaks for the audience*

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Well, I might get a little more spoilery once I start blogging about the revisions. Especially since those revisions will have to be extensive.

[rosinavs.livejournal.com]

Wow. Will your editor take a book from you that long, or will you have to do serious cuts? I know you'll have to edit somewhat; how much do you usually lose in the editing process?

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

My editor will NOT take a book from me that is this long, so I'll definitely have to do some serious cutting. I'm hoping to get it down to 120,000 words in the end.

I cut more from the first book in a series than in later ones, because I'm still playing with the world here.

[jaxom92.livejournal.com]

I just noticed that you're approaching nearly twice the length you started out with. I too echo the question from the above comment.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm going to have to do serious cuts. I'll try to get it down to 120,000 words in the end.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

I still say that you've got enough for two full books! Of course that depends on how much you edit out later. And, as I'm not at all familiar with the story or plot line, there may not be a point in which you could break it into two.
And it may be that you may not want to. You may have progressed sufficiently in your writing career, that publishing folks won't be nervous about a longer than normal work.
Just for grins, at the end of Chapter 24 in my first manuscript (the final chapter) I was at 99,000 words. Evidently your chapters are more stocked with adventure and excitement than mine are.
Dave

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I do have enough for two books if you just look at the word count. But I know there are some long chunks of just worldbuilding and backstory that I won't need in the final version (but that I did need at the time for myself in order to clarify things as I was writing). I do NOT want to take this book and break it in two. If I can't cut it down, that's what they'll want to do though.

And yeah, my chapters tend to be alot longer than most, usually around 30-40 pages. I usually only have 12 or 16 chapters per book. This one is turning out to be very different. Which is probably good since it's a different type of book from the others, new series, new characters, etc.