Happy Birthday, new book. May you grow up into something readable.
Today is the first day of the rest of your…book.
It’s odd, really. My first book was a very organic creation, one that was noodled over for years even prior to the process of writing it. I can honestly say I didn’t even pay attention to how many words I wrote per day. It just grew over time, with revisions blurring together in my head, if not in my filing system.
My NaNoWriMo book was merely a notion that was leapt upon by my agent, Sara. Her enthusiasm led me to try to find a way to do it, and then I remembered NaNoWriMo. I quickly outlined and developed the characters, and did everything else that I’d normally spend weeks and months doing.
And here I am, 3,606 words into my new book on the first day of November. If I have only 19 more days with that level of productivity, I’ll easily crack 50,000 words by Dec. 1. Makes me wonder whether I’m wasting my time with all the pondering. I will say, though, this already feels like a 70-80k book, and it’ll will likely require more revision in December, January and February (and March and April?) before I’m satisified it’s nailed down.
Point is, I’ve enjoyed the process as much as the story, and I think this kind of forced discipline can help me be a more productive novelist down the road. Hear that, publishers? I’m totally ON those sequels. Efficiency incarnate. Bring it.
And…like you need the reminder, but I’m still holding a contest for Twitter followers, with either a writing critique or a sneak peek at Spacebuckler as the prize come Dec. 1. So follow me on Twitter!
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Michael J. Martinez 