50015 words - a book update

With the increased time at home, I am keeping to a more regular writing schedule. Although I find my mind wanders easily, so a bit of a crap-shoot on the productivity front, but this week I did pass the 50,000-words mark.

Why does this number make me happy? Because its my light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel number.

The first 15,000 or so words of a manuscript tend to come a little easier for me. I'm fresh. I'm introducing characters and setting up the story. 

I'm usually in a positive frame of mind.

Then around the 15,000 to 30,000 word area, particularly with this book, things got murky. I started to question some of my plot decisions and got a bit mired down in the process. I think I ripped apart and re-wrote my outline for this book about five times around this point. 

I felt a little lost.

As I went through the 30,000 to 45,000 word portion of the manuscript, I definitely decided...

1) The story is a rambling mess that makes no sense.

2) Who thought that plot twist was a good idea?

3) Who thought writing a book was a good idea?

4) Why didn't I write under a pen name so no one would know who wrote this?

My writing sessions became more difficult and sometimes frustrating.

This was also the time I found myself easily distracted and wandering aimlessly through memes when I should have been writing.

But somewhere approaching the 50,000 word mark, I had (mostly) wrestled these questions to the ground and made my peace with what's on the page. I also reminded myself that this is just a first draft...and that the fate of the world is not hanging on my little work of fiction. So relax.

And now, with approximately 15,000 words to go, I'll begin the process of tying the story together and resolving all the unanswered questions. 

In this case; who did the murdering and why, what's going on with Carol Ann and Steven, and why is Mattie being so cagey lately? Then I'll send the first draft off to be edited. 

Which will begin a new phase of anxiety.

Although, anxiety seems to just be a component or our lives at the moment. Here's hoping it won't be too long before we're headed to the 50,000-word portion of our current situation. We could all use a little light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel right about now.

Hoping this finds you and yours well and safe 💙