Wednesday, October 13, 2010

FORTY THOUSAND WORDS!

Yes, you read right!  The above announcement is CORRECT!!  I have surpassed a word count of FORTY THOUSAND WORDS!!!

*throws confetti*  *sneezes*  Wonderful, rig--ACHOO!  

...right?  

So dance your legs off!  Go listen to Press Play's "New York to LA"!   WOOT!

Now, for all of you who are writing a novel; congratulations.  Writing a novel is awesome.  Here's three things that I find keep me going when I want to quit:

1) I never, NEVER look back at what I wrote until I am finished with my novel.  Who cares about the quality of the words right now?  They don't call it a rough draft for nothing!  Just think--this is a new thing you are writing.  No one has EVER written it before.  EVER.  Just remember that.

2) Go tell some people you're going to write.  In an effort to keep yourself from being embarrassed, you will HAVE to write.  And when you do write, those people encourage.  Part of what kept me going in the last couple of days is the encouragement of the Elves at the Underground forum.  I posted my word count and told them I wouldn't be back until I had written 500 words.  And I did that over and over--and got an amazing and encouraging response.  Things like, "WOO!  Finish it!" [the novel], and "You can do it!" abounded.  

3) Just write.  That's all.

Many thanks to Millard for the encouraging post he made about this landmark of 40,000.  :)  

Okay, readers!  Go out there and write!  

Signed, 

8 comments:

RED~Scribe said...

Congrats on 40.000 words!!!!! What's your estimate word count by the time you finish the book?

Mackenzie A. Lockhart said...

AWESOME! Great job Jake! I'm very very happy that you reached 40,000! Your goal is 50,000 right? That's sweet :P I'm just under the halfway mark as I scrabble along behind you with my word count :P I'm at 14,438 XD

Is this your third book or your first? I can't quite rightly remember :P

Anyhoo, extra congrats to you! What awesome excitement would be coursing through my veins if I were at that point!

Signed with a...a...a Flow'st (can't rightly think of the word to put down!)

Squeaks.

Jake said...

@Squeaks

Tis my third novel. :) My first two are finished at about novella level word count. Good luck with the Children of the Song! [that's the title, right? Or was there no 'the' in there?]

@Eldra
As Squeaks said, my goal, recently, was 50,000 (though I expected when I began for it to be around 30k!). However, it could very well end up being even larger. I have 10 thousand words left, and I don't think that'll be enough. XD But my endings always go out quickly and with a bang, so I don't rightly know how this will end up.

Mackenzie A. Lockhart said...

Sweet! You're publishing them right? I'm going to hopefully be one of the first folks on your reader list XD Let me know when they're out and ready for sale!! :P

Yes, you're right it's Children of the Song. Yet I'm wondering (if I make it a series) if it'll be the series title.

Squeaks.

RED~Scribe said...

Jake - A quick note: my email has been a bit fritzy lately so if you didn't get the email I sent, let me know and I'll try again.

Jake said...

@Eldra

I got it. :)

@Squeaks

It may be quite a while until that happens... :)

Son of the King said...

Congratulations Jake! That is a big achievement to reach 40k! Keep up the good work because I want to read your book soon!!!:)

Jake said...

@SOTK

Thanks!