write a novel

I’ve just reached the 75,000 word mark and it feels great! Only another 25,000 to go to reach my goal. Yes, and a lot of editing too! Thanks again to all of you out there for your support and stories. I really enjoy reading how other people are going with this goal. My tip: Save the perfectionism for the editing process. In the meantime, just write!

Thanks!

Waz

Well, I just passed the 50,000 word mark. Although I know I’ve got a long way to go, I feel like I’m getting there, one word at a time. Thanks for all your support guys!

Hi, I’m writing a fantasy novel (first time) and I’m wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how long it should be for a first time novel- I know it’s a long shot, but I’m also hoping to publish it when I’m done, so I need to keep an eye on the word limit. Cheers, Waz.

I’ve become very good at ‘sneaking’ in a paragraph here and a paragraph there. I’ve just spent the last month doing a plan and creating a glossary, after writing 25,000 words without a hint of a plan. Back to writing now, because this is what it’s all about. No criticism, no endless editing, no excuses, just writing. And I can’t tell you how good it feels to do something that seems like a crazy thing to do, when you’ve got so many other things on your plate. But I love writing and it makes all of those other things that I have to do, so much easier!

It’s easy to feel isolated when attempting to write a novel. The words of encouragement posted here have been great in keeping the flow of words going, particularly when the mind is searching for distractions. As for me, my secret is just to write, whether trite or fantastic, at this stage it’s just a case of bashing away on my keyboard. And like a lot of people I’m really busy with other things, so I tell myself 5 minutes of writing is beter than no minutes at all, and it’s strange how when you look up at the clock you’ve been typing away for an hour. Anyway, thanks- time for a cup of tea.