Pages and word counts

I keep meaning to write. A blog, I mean. Because the book keeps going and going and going.
Here's my word count (accord. to Microsoft Word, not standard publisher equation): 168,409.
And page count (double-spaced, Justified, Times New Roman, size 12 Font): 563.
Let me I just tell you all that, for first novels in the literary fiction genre, publishers like the word count down around 100,000--maybe 120,000 if it's really worth it. Page count? Somewhere around 300 is nice.
And I'm going to need to write at least four more chapters to fulfill the climax and the outcome of my story. The end gets closer to my reach, yet it moves further away at the same time.
So come that day, when I write the last sentence to the last paragraph for the first full draft, I already know one thing for sure: I will need to cut out about 50% of my novel. 50-f*#king percent. Editing hell. And of course, I'll need to back up every single version, every single revision so if I cut something out that I change my mind on and want to reinstate later, it still will exist somewhere and I can find it. Just thinking about this process exhausts me. Maybe I am subconsciously preventing myself from reaching "The End" because I am so intimidated about the revision process.
Then there's the part where I've re-envisioned the format of my novel somewhat. My anticipated changes will allow me to cut some sections, even a few chapters perhaps. But they also will require extra attention to make sure that vital story information in the cut sections is conveyed fully in the new format. A lot of these changes revolve around the family characters' background and development, and stuff about Mormonism relevant to the plot. I tell you, DOOZY A COMING.
But it is exciting. It is possible. Completion is at hand, somewhere. So my blogging will continue to be highly inconsistent, because I'm frying a big fish. And then there is all the extra stuff in the frying pan: summer travels; maintaining healthy relationships with my lover, friends, and family; my gardening, knitting, and reading obsessions; self-care; doing household crap.... You get the picture. And with a little luck, and the power of Grayskull, I'll be de-boning the big fish next time I blog, getting it ready to serve up on platter with some extra nice garnish.

Words, wonderous words!

About progress:

People often ask me when I think my book will be done. My responses vary from groaning, hemming and hawing, or saying one of the following: "It's difficult to say." "Soon, I hope." "Before I hit menopause." You might notice that these responses fall under either the Vague and Ambivalent Umbrella, or the Somewhat and Really Pessimistic Blue Tarp Shelter. If I'm prodded to elaborate further by an inquisitive mind, I'll regurgitate a variant on this: "I wish I could say it will be done tomorrow, but right now, I'm just trying to finish the full first draft by New Years, and that might be pushing it, to be frank. After I finish that draft, I'm in for massive revisions and cuts. I have a whole shopping list of things to fix in X chapter or with Y character. And it's already too long. First novels shouldn't be that long. So, it's difficult to say and I hope it is sooner than later, but definitely before menopause, unless I start that before the age of 40."


On the other hand, if people ask me how my book is going at present, my response will indubitably reflect my progress in the past three days (weekends not included). If you asked me today, I would say, "fair." I worked on it for two hours and change yesterday and three and a half hours on Wednesday, and today, I indulged in two of the novel writer's guilty pleasures: I did both a total word count and a page count!

The reason I refer to these as guilty pleasures is because these numbers don't hold much weight until I have a finished, edited manuscript to shop to publishers, editors, and lit agents. At that point, these numbers may actually help or hinder me in the process of selling the book. But right now, the numbers don't mean a lot because they are going to continue to change daily, probably until the day when my novel actually goes to print somewhere.

But, like UsWeekly, it is FUN to check the numbers out. It makes me feel chipper and light, just like I feel after seeing a photo of Cameron Diaz without her make-up on or that Mischa Barton has cellulite! It positively fills me with hope and something akin to confidence to look at the numbers every three or four months. You want to see these numbers? Voila:

• THE NUMBERS! (as of 10/26/07)

-Approx. Word Count: 121,500 (121,580 if you include "Chapter 20" and other headers)
-Approx. Page Count: 403 (Microsoft Word, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 font)

Word Count--day three

A better day! And with only an hour and a half to spare!

Word Count--day two

word count--day one

So not lots of words today, but I'm writing an intense scene and every word feels weighted. I hope to crank out more tomorrow. Maybe if I can produce a little more each day than the day before.... I plan to document AT LEAST my weekly word count, if not daily, through out the month, in my own NaNoWriMo of sorts!