I finished chapter 21 today. I knew I'd zoom right through it! The next one should be the same (knock on particle board), as it's full of action. I seem to do well with action. It's the quieter moments I struggle with.
So, because I had some bored moments today, I got to thinking about how long it's taken me to write this particular work. I knew that I'd started in May, so I figured it was around five months, so far. Being the anal creature that I am, I went to look at just exactly WHEN I started.
The "created on" date, for chapter 1, is May 21st. I wrote the first five chapters in 8 days. Then, I struggled with six weeks of writer's block before I touched anything again, around July 18th.
Taking all that into account, carrying the 1, dividing by Pi, I figure I've written this first draft in 2.5 months. That...astounds me like you cannot believe. Granted, it's no where near finished. (for my purposes, finished = publishable) But still, I've managed to create a full story, with great characters set in an interesting world, in just under three months. I never dreamed that possible.
Chie tells me it's becuase I outlined this first. I'm inclined to agree with her. That idea makes me rather skeptical about the fate of project number 1, which has languished on extended hiatus. I didn't outline that one, and in retrospect, it shows. Badly. I wonder if it's even salvageable.
I find outlining invaluable. I don't necessarily keep everything in its original order, but being able to tick off chunks of the story makes the process easier for me. My new WIP is a mystery and if I didn't have an outline I'd lose track of where I'm supposed to go in the story and what clues to drop when.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing 21 chapters! That's fantastic!
As to your other work? Can you go back at some point and at least make notes on your ideas for it? Not an outline, per se, but a general guide to head you in the right direction when you get stuck.