I've been having loads of fun writing my novel for NaNoWriMo and am now totally obsessed with word counts. The little word count widget I have on the blog sidebar doesn't seem to be working very well for me - it seems a little erratic - so I'll have to keep a note of my word counts as I go.
As I have already bemoaned, my weekend attempt was pretty crud. Having not actually started writing until the 2nd anyway, I did manage to get my fingers going and the word count has become as follows:
03/11/08: 4032
04/11/08: 8049
Obviously I am still going today, but I have just cranked over 9k so now I am fully committed and have to keep going! In addition to all that heart-stopping news I also now have a title - "Taking the Fast Lane".
I was quite interested to work out how many words per minute I am writing at the moment as this whole process is so totally different to screenwriting. Bearing in mind I am 'making it up as I go along': I had no outline, no characters, no plot - in fact I had nothing until I sat down to start writing on Sunday - my average 'creation speed'* is 500 words an hour or 8.33 words per minute. However, this obviously varies greatly, as I know I managed to write 500 words in 15 minutes yesterday. It amazes me how hard it can be to think up many different ways to depict bad language, smut and loose morals without sounding repetitive. ;) Ho hum.
I must admit, I have never actually checked to see how many words made up any of my screenplays, so I set about looking at them as a little bit of procrastination and an excuse to spend ten minutes away from the ridiculously crass life my novel characters are leading. Needless to say, I was quite shocked when I picked a random short and realised it was only made up of 2,245 words. How very funny.
Anyway, I really should get off and dedicate a couple of hours to 'real' life now, before I re-embark on more 'Novel Hammering' (it's a new game, don'tcha know?) again this evening. All I can say is I am so glad my life isn't as complicated and/or sordid as my 'Novel Lot". *shudder*
Sometimes my brain scares me with it's contents, you know.
;0)
Onwards.
*please note this is "raw creation speed" - not typing speed. If it was typing speed I would indeed be looking for another vocation in life.
Woo! Way to go on the word count. That's very impressive! i'm happy if I reach 3k :-) x
ReplyDeleteHey don't get too excited Laura - that's 9K total so far...not 9K a day! Feckin' hell, girlfriend I hope you don't think that's what I am managing!!!!! I'd have it written in a week! lol. 2.5k a day (or more if I can manage it) is my aim! xxx
ReplyDeleteHow many words do you both aim to end up with?
ReplyDeletex
We have to reach 50,000 or more by the 30th November to 'win'! Not many more words then. Loads of time. LOLOLOL. x
ReplyDeleteCrikey, I'd better get weaving! But I find it very liberating, the whole stream of consciousness thing...
ReplyDeletexx
50,000... that's quite a scary lot! eek.
ReplyDeletegood luck! xxx
El - get going, girl! You'll soon be into the swing of it! x
ReplyDeletePots - Yup, 50k words...that quite a few and, or, it, he and shes...lol. x
Good going on the word count Lara! I'm v impressed. Guess I should try and catch up with you buggers but you know what?? I'm too busy causes waves, man... lol (details over at my place)
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Juicy. Yep, get your fingers a-tappin' and not a-slappin'! Lol. x
ReplyDeleteIt's bloody hard work this NaNaNeeNeeNooNoo isn't it? Yours looks pretty good to me! keep it going, girl.
ReplyDeleteAs we live fairly close to each other, we'll drown our sorrows in beer in December if you fancy it!
Jardin Moist? Brilliant!
Why, thank you, kind Sir. And yes it is certainly hard graft. My word count is a bit more than my counter shows but I want to get today's creation out of the way before updating and faffing around for ages on the nanooonanooo site...A December beer would indeed be a splendid idea once all this silly nonsense has finished.
ReplyDeleteI love Jardin Moist - she is actually a character I wanted to write about but her life is a little too complicated for me at the moment! Another time. LOL. x