I Wrote One Million Words. Where's My Ticker Tape Parade?
According to Malcolm Gladwell practicing anything for 10,000 hours will make you a master. (Though lots of people agree that's bullshit.) For writers, the goal is a little bit different. According to Ray Bradbury, once you hit a million words, you're a master. (Though lots of people agree that's bullshit, too.)
I agree with the dissenters that assigning an arbitrary number of hours to mastery is probably pointless. Christ, Mozart died at 35. He didn't do no damn 10,000 hours of practice. Nevertheless, a million words is the agreed upon (arbitrary or not) level of mastery for my craft, and I'm happy to announce to anyone who even slightly gives a shit that I've reached that goal.
I try not to talk about the craft of writing too much on this blog (because it's BORING) but I do like to share my successes and some people are interested in this sort of thing, so here you go. In this non-scientific analysis I'm counting just work on novels that exceeded 10,000 words. So, I've disregarded all of my screenplays, short stories, games, and anything that was basically me writing a chapter and getting bored. If anyone's really interested in a breakdown of every word I've ever written, I'll get back to you on that at a later date when I can hire a team of analysts to work around the clock.
I've also broken this list down by categories which are mostly self-explanatory. However, if you don't know, "trunked" is a reference to old-timey days when an author would stick a mansucript that no publisher would buy into a trunk at the foot of the bed. I have put some of my trunked manuscripts up right here on this blog (I call it "burning" them.) Hence the title of this blog. And now you know!
TitleLast EditedWordcountPublishedBRAINEATER JONESJul-1370000GORE & PEACE I: THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGOOct-13118000BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUSJun-1450000Complete, to be publishedTHE HYENA SERIES I: BLACK SUN, BLOOD MOONJul-14103000BROKEN-DOWN HEROES OF THE WESTERN NIGHTJan-1460000THE TWO AMERICAS I: EVERY KINGDOM DIVIDEDNov-1289000Incomplete, to be publishedMODERN BLOOD I: HUNTER OF THE DEADJul-1423000KINGDOMNov-1338000GORE & PEACE II: NOTES FROM THE UNDEADNov-1250000Complete, trunkedLIFE AND DEATHMay-11140000GRAVEYARD FLOWERJan-1078000THE LAST WARNov-09111000HELL AND BLOODMay-0932000ETERNITY BURNINGFeb-0739000Incomplete, trunkedTHE IRON CROWNSep-0745000LOVE AND HATEDec-06270001073000
I agree with the dissenters that assigning an arbitrary number of hours to mastery is probably pointless. Christ, Mozart died at 35. He didn't do no damn 10,000 hours of practice. Nevertheless, a million words is the agreed upon (arbitrary or not) level of mastery for my craft, and I'm happy to announce to anyone who even slightly gives a shit that I've reached that goal.
I try not to talk about the craft of writing too much on this blog (because it's BORING) but I do like to share my successes and some people are interested in this sort of thing, so here you go. In this non-scientific analysis I'm counting just work on novels that exceeded 10,000 words. So, I've disregarded all of my screenplays, short stories, games, and anything that was basically me writing a chapter and getting bored. If anyone's really interested in a breakdown of every word I've ever written, I'll get back to you on that at a later date when I can hire a team of analysts to work around the clock.
I've also broken this list down by categories which are mostly self-explanatory. However, if you don't know, "trunked" is a reference to old-timey days when an author would stick a mansucript that no publisher would buy into a trunk at the foot of the bed. I have put some of my trunked manuscripts up right here on this blog (I call it "burning" them.) Hence the title of this blog. And now you know!
TitleLast EditedWordcountPublishedBRAINEATER JONESJul-1370000GORE & PEACE I: THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGOOct-13118000BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUSJun-1450000Complete, to be publishedTHE HYENA SERIES I: BLACK SUN, BLOOD MOONJul-14103000BROKEN-DOWN HEROES OF THE WESTERN NIGHTJan-1460000THE TWO AMERICAS I: EVERY KINGDOM DIVIDEDNov-1289000Incomplete, to be publishedMODERN BLOOD I: HUNTER OF THE DEADJul-1423000KINGDOMNov-1338000GORE & PEACE II: NOTES FROM THE UNDEADNov-1250000Complete, trunkedLIFE AND DEATHMay-11140000GRAVEYARD FLOWERJan-1078000THE LAST WARNov-09111000HELL AND BLOODMay-0932000ETERNITY BURNINGFeb-0739000Incomplete, trunkedTHE IRON CROWNSep-0745000LOVE AND HATEDec-06270001073000
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