Year In Review

My novel started the year at 65,000 words (draft 1.5), increased to 120,000 words (draft 2) to address developmental concerns, and decreased to the current 96,000 words. I feel like it’s structurally there and am just looking for things like how many times I’ve used the word “look” in my novel. ���� (It was a very large number but I did a search and destroy.)

I remember when it was all done in first draft telling Gene Wolfe, who is the wisest writer I know, that I thought I had now learned how to write a novel. Gene looked at me, and smiled kindly. “You never learn how to write a novel,” he told me. “You only learn to write the novel you’re on.”

—Neil Gaiman

Yeah, I… well, I figured out a process that works for me? Yeah. That’s huge. (I’m a methodological pantser. Very loosely methodological.)

I also worked too much, had a sick cat (she’s a lot better, but also she has extensive food allergies so… that’s a thing), visited my sister for the first time since COVID… but this book is the main thing I did that you would be interested in!