Halfway There

Today I achieved a massive milestone – I’ve reached 50,000 word count!

Let that sink in.

50,000 words is a book in its own right, but because I chose high fantasy genre, I have to keep going till about 100,000, which is the standard size for such novel. And yet, from now on, the remaining work will diminish significantly with every word I write.

So, I am halfway there volume wise. Am I halfway through the story? No way.

I mean, I could be if I wanted to. Simply fill the second half with all the events and revelations and voila. But it doesn’t feel right. When I started writing I had no idea how I could possibly come up with 100,000 words, and now I fear it would not be enough. I do have some flexibility – 150,000 words is still very normal for high fantasy genre. You have to build a whole new world and introduce it to the reader, explain the mechanics and rules. And once people feel invested, they don’t want the story to quickly end after they finally got the grasp of this universe, they want a proper plot development and lots of details, so that they can feel immersed into the story.

I can also make two books out of it. Now, hear me out. I know it’s a gigantic task and I am only at the start of my journey with this book. But it is a possibility. For now, I keep telling the story and let it run at its own pace. I feel like everything I have covered is important and should be included. That might change though when I finish the first draft and reread it.

That brings me to the next point.

I am halfway through my word count goal, but that does not mean I am halfway done with my book. Not even close. In fact, writing the first draft is only the first step. After that, I need to reread it and make adjustments. And then reread it again and make further adjustments. And that can go on and on until I am finally happy with the finished result.

I’ve heard some authors only ever have two or three drafts, others go up to fifteen… I don’t think I need that much revision. I always try to produce my best work, so even when writing the first draft, I don’t just dump all my thoughts, I take time to think and structure them. I also review what I wrote the previous day every time I start writing something new, so this should also help me further down the line.

Now, big question. When can people read it?

I had a multitude of ideas, from publishing it here, on my website, chapter by chapter as I write it, to try to go the standard publishing route through an agent. Each option has challenges. As much as I want to post as I go and let you read my story (and nudge me along to work faster), I think I can’t show you the first draft. It might end up having massive plot holes. I must finish it and review, then I can share it with you.

So, we are getting there! Halfway through the first draft is a great progress. Now the task doesn’t seem as daunting. I will keep you posted, but if I don’t, you can always check out the book section on this website. I keep a little diary and progress bar there. Thanks everyone for staying tuned and I really hope I won’t disappoint!

A little progress each day adds up to big results.

satya nani