Monday, August 1, 2011

The numbers of writing

I'm writing a book.  I'm not trying to make it a very long book, nor is it non-fiction and requiring an abundance of facts and figures collected from outside sources.  It's purely fiction (as pure as fiction can be while rooted in reality).  And it's still not easy to do.  I have a good idea of where I want to be going with the book, but it's more an exercise in trying to actually write everyday and to a high number of words.

If you figure at only 350 words a page for a 200 page book it's 70000 words.  It seems like a lot, and depending on how well I'm writing on any given day I might be able to produce 1000 words.  Those are still the good days.  I'm hoping for closer to 2000 words a day.  I figure if I can average about 750 words a day over the course of a week if I'm doing well and actually able to write in the direction I want the story to go.

So with those numbers and assuming I actually average 750 words a day it will take me 93 1/3 days to write the book.  Or, at 5 days a week 18 2/3 weeks.  About four and a half months or so.  This isn't really fast enough to suit my liking as it's becoming more and more difficult to continue with the book I'm trying to write.

It's one of the reasons I've started writing here as well.  I wondered if perhaps my mind was starting to get one dimensional in my writing and I needed to add another facet to my writing to both pursue the other random thoughts bumbling around my mind like the people leaving a bar after last call.  In less metaphorical words, randomly with no discernible rationality to them.

That's my question then for today.  Is it possible for a person to become too lost in one idea or thought that even it starts to suffer in it's isolation?  And does anyone have any tips on how to write more productively?

2 comments:

  1. i absolutely think it's possible for a thought to die in it's own isolation. it's similar to when a person works alone and cannot solve an issue on their own. many minds work well when in collaboration with others. for example, a brainstorming session is most productive with many minds coming at it from different vantage points. why don't you try bouncing your ideas off on other people. or if you want your book to be solely your own creation with no interference from others' thoughts, try creative writing. in that aspect, i think you have the right idea with this blog. it will be a great outlet for your thoughts and you can throw the bar hoppers out of your brain so you can have peace and quiet to focus on your book. nice analogy by the way.

    good luck with your writing!

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  2. Perhaps there is even some connection between space and writing. Maybe a thought dies when there is too much space between one thought and the next and that's why reducing the space between writing sessions is important. I think the blog may be a way to clear out some of the mental clutter while working on your book. It's possible that some of your blog entries may take on a life of their own. Plus it is important to move some of those ideas arguing for brain space onto the proverbial page, so your mind can consider your thoughts through your eyes as you look at what you have scribed. Keep sharing your thoughts.

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