maintaining projected length - Writers Forum

starStuff · 06-28-2008, 07:17 PM

So this story i'm working on, Gadon Stone, i've projected to be about 30,000 words long. I've written short stories and have attempted novels, but quickly get overwhelmed. The reason i wanted to keep this story at 30k words is because i don't want to bite off more than i can chew with a novel. It seems a good length for your first "serious" attempt at a longer-than-short-story work. I've done *basic* outlining in that i know it'll be about 15 chapters given the current plot line i have. I've estimated about 2k words per chapter. All was good until chapter 2 which is already at 2k words and I'm not even halfway through. I know i'll do a lot of cutting down, but if this trend keeps up then my chapters will be 4k words or more thus doubling my story length.

Should I even bother trying to stay within a word count? I don't want my story to die like past attempts. What tips or advice do you have for me?

Cyric · 06-28-2008, 08:02 PM

Just write until you feel that the chapter is done. Don't bother with stupid things like word counting.

sdavis2k · 06-28-2008, 09:33 PM

Agreed, your not trying to hit a minimum number of words really, you are trying to tell a story. You should let it flow, especially since its the first draft until you have told your tale. Then you can go back with a red pen and trim some fat, but don't worry about length ever, just telling a good story.

starStuff · 06-28-2008, 09:45 PM

yeah, i keep telling myself that. my story is unfolding before me. i know the general flow of the plot line, but i don't have every chapter outlined. I'm just afraid of letting my story telling get out of control and way off track. in the past my stories have died that way, becoming too logged down since i had "no restraints."

sdavis2k · 06-28-2008, 10:09 PM

I think you should always write without restraints, sometimes I change whole plotlines, add/remove character, or even make subplots more of a main plot while I am writing.

lin · 06-29-2008, 12:37 AM

What reasons would you have to stick to your first impulse on this? 30,000 words isn't any sort of format length or anything, just something you came up with and can change (or better yet, just forget about) at any time.

If you're worried about "biting off more than you can chew" worrying about the length is the opposite of helpful, no? And hey...would it be so horrible if it just sort of grew to novel length on you? Things like that happen.

Big thing: don't worry about it.

sdavis2k · 06-29-2008, 12:52 AM

Mays its because it is very late at night or early into the next morning depending on how you look at it, but the topic title is very suggestive. Seems like I recall email spam with a similar worded title.

lin · 06-29-2008, 01:32 AM

LOL

Were they as snarky to you as they were to me?

starStuff · 06-29-2008, 08:22 AM

lmao thats hilarious. i just checked my spam filter and saw a couple good ones

get a rod of colossal measurements!
Super-dimension for you little soldier!
fulfill your booty duties
Steady and fast increase in length! --when your lassie sees your new big love gun, she'll be beside herself with excitement

this one is even better:
immeasurable wand of pleasure! --Give her womb a good massage with your newly augmented pole

hilarious.

btw, thank you guys for making me feel silly about trying to restrict my...length. its exactly what i needed

sdavis2k · 06-29-2008, 09:27 AM

Yeah I dunno if it was just late or what but I had to read the thread with a topic like that. Anyways keep writing, don't worry about length.

lin · 06-29-2008, 12:36 PM

My favorite was
"Your wife is laughing at you"

Chase · 06-29-2008, 07:12 PM

Create sign posts if you are really worried that your story is going to go too far off track. Sign posts are basically spot light marks through your plot line that have to happen in order to arrive at the end. making sign posts allows you the freedom to just write! As long as you arrive at each sign post. If you don't, take a look at where you are...perhaps you had the wrong signs up, perhaps the real story is taking over, perhaps your characters see the story a different, better way...

Make sure you have strong, fully developed characters and follow the story they have to tell.

Don't worry about word count per chapter or even for the entire work. Write your story. And write it the way you want. Write to entertain yourself. If you enjoy your story, others will too.

~~Chase

starStuff · 06-29-2008, 07:36 PM

thank you Chase! that is good advice. i have kind of done that already, though i don't call them signposts. just events that i know are going to happen.

lin · 06-29-2008, 08:20 PM

It is?

I was just going to say I had NO idea what he was talking about.

starStuff · 06-29-2008, 10:07 PM

i guess i understood what she was saying. i have specific events that must happen in my plot line. everything in between unfolds on the fly, more or less. this is why my word count goes above what i expect, but as long as i stick to these major events my story won't get off track regardless of what my word count is.

at least that is what i got from her advice.