Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-process"

Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!

I finished drafting and polishing chapter 11 of my Work in Progress at 1456 words over the course of 4 weeks—a conservative estimate at that, and not engraved in stone because anything is subject to change until “the end”.

While other writers might draft anywhere from 2000 – 5000 words per session—another conservative estimate—I typically do not. On any given day during a 2 hr. session, if I manage to produce 100 – 200 words, it’s a triumph! During this session, I might detour off the path to conduct research or consult a thesaurus.

I work better when I nail kick-butt words and infuse each sentence with the means to justify the ending of my story. That’s not to say other writers don’t excel at their own speedy expediency. Hey—I wish I could be like them instead of weighing every word and how it translates during the writing process itself.

If anyone reading this blog thinks I’m ready to dig the foundation of chapter 12 straightaway—hold on! As always, I go back to the beginning where the story started 15,687 words ago, roving with a critical eye: Clarity. Alignment of facts. Realistic dialogue. Proofing for typos. For me, it is such a gratifying process to see how writing a novel straight “out of my mind” unfolds.

In real time:

*On September 4th, I received an email from New Apple Literary Services for Independent Authors with regard to the 2018 New Apple Summer Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing:

Your book, '100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s,' was chosen as the solo "Medalist Winner" in the Autobiography / Biography / Memoir category of our Summer eBook Awards!

I view this award as “one for the team” of Indies. Although fame and fortune may elude us, our books deserve recognition.

*A writer’s journey to the finish line should justify the means of navigation.

“How Long Has This Been Going On?”
(Title of the debut single by the English band Ace, from their 1974 debut album, Five-A-Side).

A published author who writes at a snail’s pace, I’m in awe of the prolific fellow Indies among us who churn them out. Out of curiosity, I tracked down some famous authors and the length of time it took for each of them to write a book:

Ray Bradbury – Fahrenheit 451 = 2.5 weeks.

Anthony Burgess – A Clockwork Orange = 3 weeks.

Stephenie Meyer – Twilight = 3 months.

Charles Dickens – Great Expectations = 8 months.

Mary Shelley – Frankenstein = 1 year.

J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone = 6 years.

J.R.R. Tolkien – Lord of the Rings = 16 years.

Since the publication of my last novel in 2021, I’ve been journeying along my Contemporary work in progress for 2.5 years. Having finished drafting chapter 55 at 1069 words, I’ve begun drafting chapter 56 (43 words for starters). I can see the light at the end of the tunnel via chapter 60—no more, maybe less.

*May each of us bide our time and savor the journey along our creative endeavors for however long it takes.

My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco