90 days to write a novel: What could possibly go wrong?
The target wordcount for a debut fantasy novel is somewhere between 90,000 and 120,000. By the laws of maths, I should be able to break into that range simply by writing 1,000 words a day for 90 days. Simple, no?
I'm not very meticulous about my record-keeping. I don't know exactly how long it took me to write The Fortune-Teller's Son, for example. I do know I've been writing, rewriting, and revising over the last three years. But how long it took me to go from zero to a finished first draft ... I don't actually know.
Some days the words don't come. Others they seem to pour through you like electricity through a little slip of metal in an electrical circuit. I do know there are weeks and weeks in which I wrote nothing. There were also a couple of weeks in which coffee overdoses fuelled an output over 10,000 words. Neither extreme is all that fun.
But, 1,000 words a day? That's a doddle.
What could possibly go wrong?
What if I write myself into a corner?
Writing to a quota (set wordcount per day) is very useful for the goal-oriented writer. But working to a relatively tight deadline can make you cut corners, or worse, box you into one.
When writing a novel, I'm not too worried about cutting corners. I can fix clumsy phrasing in editting and fill-in placeholder text wlater. Getting boxed-in, though, is a terrible place to be.
This generally happens because of poor planning, or because I strayed too far from my outline. It's nice to meander a bit. Outlines are guides, not blueprints. But it is possible to write yourself into problems. I'll be 68,00 words only to realise a fun worldbuilding element I spontaneously introduced in act two breaks character A's resolution, requiring either a new ending or a new beginning.
I've had this corner problem many, many times before.
How am I handling the corner issue this time?
Arduous planning. I'm treating the outlining phase of this novel like architecture. I've outlined and reworked that outline three times already. It will likely have another couple of treatments before I start writing on the 1st of October. Currently, the outline itself is 2,500 words long (and that isn't even going to count to my total).
I've developed an extensive worldbuilding bible (I don't even know how many words are in that) using Obsidian and a version of the Worldbuilding Leviathan method.
I'm also plotting every character arc on a graph to look for key highs and lows, moments of contrast, etc. just to make sure everyone in the novel is earning their keep.
Lastly, and this might sound counter to everything I've written above, I'm giving myself some slack. Part of the fun of writing is discovering it as you go. Architects have tolerances. I'll have the same.
What if I can't write every day?
This is one of those pieces of author advice that always irks me. You don't need to force yourself to squeeze words out every single day–or else. The sky won't fall in if you miss a day. Your kitchen knives don't go blunt because you forgot to sharpen them one time.
I will definitely miss my quota on some days.
Firstly, I have a full-time job. It's desk-based. I'm at the computer 90% of my time. I need a break from the screen and, unfortunately, I've never managed to write via dictation. So, some busy work days, I'll let myself off the hook and make up the difference another day.
Secondly, I have a life. I've got a dog that needs walking, Warhammer figures that won't paint themselves, and–most importantly–a wonderful wife I actually want to hang out with (getting some Brownie points before my hyperfixation starts winding her up).
Thirdly, I picked a busy three months. While I've not announced anything, I'll be helping out on an exciting panel at the inaugural Questival this year. We're off to a Bookseller's Association event, a holiday in Cornwall, and that's before we get into Christmas.
What's the solution?
Solution? Make it up when I can, cut myself some slack when I can't. At the end of the three months, this is a deadline I set myself. Of course, I want to take it seriously and will treat it like a job. I can't not write because I'm not feeling it that day. But if there are legitimate reasons why I can't hit the quota, well, I'm my own project manager. I approve my own sick days.
What if my motivation crashes?
This is more of a when than an if. There is no sustaining the excitement for the duration. I absolutely love the concept ... right now. I'm creating fun characters, interesting creatures, cool setpieces. There's nothing quite like this period of pure fun creation. But in a few weeks, it turns into work.
How do I sustain the motivation for a writing project?
I'm extremely fortunate to have met actual swathes of incredibly supporting writers over the last couple of years. While cheerleading from family and friends is endlessly apreciated, there's something about a pat on the back from another writer that serves as the ultimate pick me up. I think it's something to do with the cameraderie I mentioned in my query trenches blog.
I announced this on Instagram partly because I knew the bookish community would be a nice source of support. It's also a way of holding myself accountable. If other people know about the goal, it's not something I can simply ignore. It's out there now: I've got to at least try. But I reckon with the help of my close-knit beta team and the growing Otherworldy Writer's Group from Paper + Word, I've got enough of a cheerleading squad to get over the line.
What if 90,000 words isn't enough?
Honestly, I already know it isn't. Doing this story justice will take closer to 120,000, I reckon. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I'll err on the side of underwriting to try and get the story written start to finish, even if it does feel thin at the 90,000 mark. Pacing issues are something I can tackle in the editting proces, and if that means adding in another 30,000 words, well, I will have proved it doesn't take long to accomplish.
Interested in my 90-day novel challenge?
If you're interested in the 90-day novel challenge, stick around. I'll be posting updates on Instagram, plus the odd round-up blog. I want to get on with some weekly updates via my newsletter, but honestly, I've only got so many hours in the day.
Now, I'm not quite ready to share too many details about the project yet, but I will be doing teases as everything progresses. I can tell you that it's an epic fantasy nautical adventure with a fresh spin on the lost civilisation trope. There's a bit of Mistborn in the magic system, a lot of Treasure Planet in the worldbuilding, and a pretty unique take on dragon riding that I cannot wait to share with you.
