Last week I spent a lot of time not writing. I did a lot
of research—a great excuse for watching videos about Scotland! I’ve
made spreadsheets and character webs/maps. I have not even opened the document
with my rough draft.
 |
| This did not happen last week. |
One of the great things about ywriter, a program like
Scrivener, is that it tracks your word count. There’s nothing like seeing Added today: 5000 at the bottom of the screen. (Though I assure you that
almost never happens.) Sometimes when I’m editing it’s in the negative. And this week,
when I felt like I needed to go back and do some more character work before I
went forward it says, Added today: 0.
It’s enough to make you feel like a failure.
But what I’m realizing is that I need to do this not-writing
to get to the good stuff. If I don’t research, I have no details to include in
my story. If I don’t do some brainstorming, I won’t have much of a plot. And I
need to sometimes write myself lists of “what if” questions to patch plot
holes.
There’s so much pressure sometimes to report word count. You
see it on Twitter and writer’s forums, and so when I have nothing to report, I
feel like I haven’t done anything.
But I have. The words will come and maybe more quickly, if
I’ve done the underground building. I do better writing when I have immersed
myself in the world and am not writing blind.
So, my word count for last week (at least
according to ywriter) is 0. But stay tuned, it will come.
How do you feel about word counts?
How do you feel about word counts?
Word counts can be motivating, but you're right, the writing goes faster (and they tend to be the *right* words) if the research is done first.
ReplyDeleteYvonne
Yes, exactly. It's so much harder to go back and fix a scene when you realize all the facts are wrong.
DeleteI never track word counts while writing. I'm a big picture person, so all that matters is that the novel gets written, one word at a time.
ReplyDeleteOoh, that's interesting, Barbara! What a great way to keep the focus on writing the novel instead of just a number.
DeleteVery true. I often feel like I'm getting nothing accomplished when I spent so much time researching. But then I realize that the book will not get written without researching. Still puts me in a sucky mood, though. I'm also guilty of obsessing over word count. Although, the longer I write, the less it seems to affect me. I'm more concerned with where I am in the story line.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one obsessing. :) That's great that you can keep your perspective on the storyline.
DeleteAw, shucks, I am the queen of using research as a procrastination tool ... so I make myself a deal. I can read (ahem, research) all I want if I write a page. Some days I fail.
ReplyDeleteHappy researching and writing!
That's a great idea, Vijaya! I'm going to borrow that, because research is such a treat for me, research junkie that I am. :)
DeleteI'm part of a writing group that checks in daily with a word tally. For every day we don't write, we donate a dollar to charity. What we've come to accept as writing is any kind of research, revising, blurb/query writing, synopsis work, outlining, and even writing blog posts. My feeling on the whole process is as long as you're making progress, there's nothing to fret about.
ReplyDeleteWow--I'm not sure I could handle checking in so often, but I love that you include all those other things as part of your daily goals.
Delete"How do you feel about word counts? "
ReplyDeleteSince you asked...
Important not to confuse these numbers with the real deal- the art of storytelling.
Yes, Mirka, that's so true. Great way to put it.
DeleteResearch and editing count, because without either, the story will suffer. I don't stress word count.
ReplyDeleteExcept during NaNo...
So true! I'm not a regular NaNo-er, because I tend to stop and have to go do research a lot...but it did help me finish a rewrite once.
DeleteI'm totally with you. I spend a ton of time plotting and researching and developing characters - not to mention thousands and thousands of words on all of those topics! I have to remember, and remind myself, that these things DO count. They might not make it into the final word count when the book is finished, but the book wouldn't be there without them. So, I say include your word count for all of this developmental stuff while you're working on it, because it'll help you see how much you've gotten done!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, Liz! We should really count our word counts for developmental stuff too.
DeleteI totally get this. I have one WIP that is a YA historical mystery that requires a lot of research. When I spend my time taking notes on the 1950s and not adding to word count, I feel twitchy, like I didn't do my job today. But writers have to make time to research. It moves the story along just as much as putting words down.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel sometimes too, so it's been great hearing that I'm not alone! I write historicals too, so it seems I'm always stopping to check details...
DeleteMy word counts are so up and down. Good when I'm on a roll, but so easy to spend my one free day posting, researching, etc. Little by little, I guess we all get our stories out eventually.
ReplyDelete