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super56k · 10-11-2011, 09:32 PM

I'm unpublished but have a completed short novel and I'm close to wrapping up a longer novel. The first write through, both times, was a relatively quick process. Over a 7 day period I completed the "last" ~49k words of what ended up being a 70k word novel. I averaged about 1,300 words an hour totaling 54 hours of writing (October through December). It was a Faustian bargain, however, because I easily put another 70+ hours over the next three months tweaking, revising, and in some cases completely cutting sections and writing anew ending up with a focused, but short, 62k word novel.

I started work on a second novel April of this year, but I was still fatigued from the process of the first so it was in starts and fits until the end of May where I had written 23k words in two months. In June I finally locked into a routine with close to 39k words and finished by the 8th of July with an additional 26k words. So all told 88k words on the first write through with a slower pace of around 1,200 words an hour (close to 74 hours). But, again that nasty bargain is adding considerably to the time invested as I have been researching many topics (which I glossed over in lieu of keeping the story moving) and juggling a larger story with more characters and plots intertwined.

If I was a popular author, and had an editor willing to help fix up any cruddy story, I'd be in business, but that's not the case so the real work starts after the first write through. In fact, the first write through is a blast in comparison. At best it's like something tapping into my subconscious and allowing it to flow out as quickly as I can type, but once a full revision starts it's like the hangover after the party where I see the mess I made.

I love it though, I'd be crazy to do it otherwise. And if anyone is wondering, I'm big on keeping lists and spreadsheets so it was a natural move for me to log daily word counts and time spent, for mainly motivational purposes. I don't keep track of revisions and rewrites with the same rigidity though; it might make me sad if I did.

10-11-2011, 09:32 PM	#16
super56k Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Kindle 3	I'm unpublished but have a completed short novel and I'm close to wrapping up a longer novel. The first write through, both times, was a relatively quick process. Over a 7 day period I completed the "last" ~49k words of what ended up being a 70k word novel. I averaged about 1,300 words an hour totaling 54 hours of writing (October through December). It was a Faustian bargain, however, because I easily put another 70+ hours over the next three months tweaking, revising, and in some cases completely cutting sections and writing anew ending up with a focused, but short, 62k word novel. I started work on a second novel April of this year, but I was still fatigued from the process of the first so it was in starts and fits until the end of May where I had written 23k words in two months. In June I finally locked into a routine with close to 39k words and finished by the 8th of July with an additional 26k words. So all told 88k words on the first write through with a slower pace of around 1,200 words an hour (close to 74 hours). But, again that nasty bargain is adding considerably to the time invested as I have been researching many topics (which I glossed over in lieu of keeping the story moving) and juggling a larger story with more characters and plots intertwined. If I was a popular author, and had an editor willing to help fix up any cruddy story, I'd be in business, but that's not the case so the real work starts after the first write through. In fact, the first write through is a blast in comparison. At best it's like something tapping into my subconscious and allowing it to flow out as quickly as I can type, but once a full revision starts it's like the hangover after the party where I see the mess I made. I love it though, I'd be crazy to do it otherwise. And if anyone is wondering, I'm big on keeping lists and spreadsheets so it was a natural move for me to log daily word counts and time spent, for mainly motivational purposes. I don't keep track of revisions and rewrites with the same rigidity though; it might make me sad if I did.