Word Count vs. Content

So. My WIP is evil. You see, I have a final word count for the manuscript in mind. A nice lil' goal I want to meet. Knowing myself, the first draft will be much longer than my intended goal. 

When I sit down to write, I try not to dwell on word count. It's not about how much I write. It's about what I write--content. Otherwise, I'd just put whatever sparked my fancy on the page in order to get to X amount of words, you know? So, like the word count rebel that I am, I haven't cared that much about it. Until now. You see, there's this chapter that WILL NOT END. 

Well, I sort of... finished it this morning, but... you get the point...

Anyway, Chapter From Hell is long. Very, very long. And it hits the 30k mark of my first draft. Which is supposed to be the halfway mark of the manuscript. Problem? Chapter From Hell isn't the halfway mark. Not even close. That makes my first draft much longer than my intended goal.

In a way, keeping that goal now is sort of useless, right? I'll just surpass it, then meet it again during revisions. Which leads me to the following tips:

1) For the first draft, focus on content. 

I get it all out, even if it's messy and makes zero sense. Blocking scenes, playing with dialogue, raising the stakes and putting my MC face-to-face with more conflict--you name it. I tend to write chronologically, so I go from Point A to Point Z without losing myself or the story. Yes, content is a top priority in every stage of the writing process, but during that first draft, I think it should be the only one.

2) For revisions, focus on everything else.

Here's where I pull out my axe and start cutting, cutting, cutting. Or improving, which means keeping something, but making it sparkle to the best of my ability (with help from others, of course). Word count should matter during this stage to me, mainly because here's where I decide if Chapter From Hell is as relevant as I thought it was when I wrote it. But I can only see that in hindsight--after the deed is done. Word count for the sake of word count will only give me the worst headache of the century during revisions. And it'll probably happen to you, too.

There you have it, folks. For me, content wins every time. 

Now tell me: what do you think about this epic battle between word count and content? Who takes the lead during your first draft?

Fess Up Friday: Flipping The Script

No trend questions this week, folks. In fact, I've decided to not always feature them. Spice things up a bit :)

So. Today, I'm fessing up about something else.

My question: are you afraid of change?

Confession: routine is my happy place. Schedules, plans... me likes them. Throw in something unexpected, or something that takes me off course, and I'm stumped. 

But only for a little while.

Whether you're writing an urban fantasy and come up with an idea for a dystopian, or you've been taking the same bus to Wherever, USA and it stops going down your route, change can be scary. The one thing you have to remember is this: it's going to happen anyway, so you might as well deal with it. And you're only going to get stronger after it happens. 

I'm trying to deal with the change that came out left field right now, actually. The next few days are going to be full of moments where I crease my forehead and think harder than usual. In the end, I'll get a fresher perspective on life... and a headache.

So tell me: does change scare the bejeezus out of you, like it does with me? 

Writers, Embrace The Power Of Suck

I know writing isn't just about writing. It's about editing. Over and over and over and over. Oh, and one more time after that... 

But this is not a post about polishing that draft to a blinding shine of awesome. This is a post about the pile of crap you call your first draft. This is also a post about taking that crappy first draft and embracing it.

Why? 

Because the power of suck changes lives.

Think about it: do you give your best when things are great? When the odds are in your favor? Is that when you whip out the blood, sweat and tears (and chocolate)? No. 

And if you do, come a little closer to the screen. I'm going to give you a cyber slap in the face.

A friend of mine is going through a tough time right now. Her little brother is sick (leukemia) and she's lost all hope of recovery. The power of suck has taken over, but in a bad way. She's not embracing it in order to let it teach her something, whether about herself or about life. My job is to remind her it's not over yet. It won't be until it is. There's always something good hidden behind the messy bad, and it'll teach us a heck of a lot more than we expect. 

So instead of thinking ahead and saying 'Oh, I need to fix this and that to make it better' or 'Things will only get worse if I don't do something RIGHT THIS SECOND', stop and smell the pile of crap for a while. There's only one Superman and one Wonder Woman. Guess what? It's not you. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Embrace the power of ordinary. Suck out loud with all your might. 

Then hit Delete and start over. 

What do you say? Join me in my suckfest? 

Veronica Roth Is A Genius

I've chosen to be lazy with my blogging this week. That means no new material from me, but doses of brilliance from others. My previous post was all about writing a breakout novel. Today, I want to share a link to another piece of awesome.

Veronica Roth, an upcoming YA author you should be on the lookout for, blogged about something she learned in college. Thankfully, she's not only a genius, but was awesome enough to share the lesson with her readers.

And save my drafting life in the process.

What did she blog about? Find out here.

Your welcome, buddies. Your welcome.

Now tell me: do you have any other advice for me this week?

Why Not Writing Every Day Is Okay

Let's face it. Sometimes life gets in the way of your writing goals. I sure as heck know. For my current work in progress, I've been aiming for 2k a day. I have a deadline in mind, mainly because I'm starting my Master's in the fall and want to only work on editing during my classes. So far, I haven't even reached 30k. Pathetic, huh?

Or is it?

Most writers beat themselves up if they skip a writing day. I can understand their determination to get things done, but I also encourage them to have something that's essential to the writing experience.

A life.

Go shopping. Hang out with friends. Jog for five miles. Travel the world. That's what summer's all about--being free to experience something new and exciting. Sure, writing is exciting for most, but so is that life you keep neglecting.

My advice? Write when you can. If that includes every day, so be it. But try to do it in reasonable amounts, i. e. two hours a day. That way, you'll be accomplishing a writing goal and have plenty of "life" time. Trust me, I've beaten myself up for not writing my 2k a day, only to realize the time I spent away from the computer wasn't wasted at all.

Why? 'Cause I was having fun. And as long as it's fun, it's not wasted time.

How about you? Do you berate yourself for not writing every day? Or do you have a more mellow approach for your writing goals?

Go All Out, Or Don't Go At All

I talked about The Big Idea earlier this week. Now I wanna talk about what it takes to tackle The Big Idea.

Balls.

How do writers get them? Why are they so easy to find for some and super tough for others?

*shrugs* Don't ask me.

But I recently read a book in which a character says this: "Go all out, or don't go at all."

Writers. Athletes. Scientists. Everyone has goals, small or big, that they're dying to achieve. 2k a day. A Super Bowl championship ring. The cure for cancer. Doesn't matter what it is, only that it drives us forward.

In a way, I don't think people have balls until they want something. Sure, some leap before they look, but most gather courage after identifying what it is that fulfills them. And I invite you to do the same.

Go all out. Your future will thank you for it. *fist pump*

Now back to that WIP...

You vs. The Big Idea

My little brother recently informed me that our diva dog is in love.

With a male three times her size.

And a very loud bark.

*face palm*

Naturally, I likened my diva dog's infatuation to writing. I'm currently working on a manuscript that's challenging me in more ways than one. The genre isn't my forte, the voice is too dark for my funny bone, etc. Why am I writing it, you ask?

Because I wanted to take on The Big Idea.

Let me explain. The Big Idea is that project you can't stop thinking about, but prefer to leave behind for a much more comfortable story. Let's say you write contemporary YA, but a dystopian slips through your mind's cracks and won't let go. You think it's out of your league. It is the toughest thing you will ever plot in your life. Everyone always says to write what you know, anyway. Because of this, you convince yourself you can't pull it off. Only Cormac McCarthy and Suzanne Collins can do it, but not you. You're not as talented as they are.

But The Big Idea looks so good in your head. All those scenes would be great on paper. To you, they're the very definition of awesome. You're just not up to par with it.

Here's a tip: you're wrong.

If you can dream it, you can do it. The Big Idea is in your head, and only you can write it. Literature is not about being safe. What's it about, then? Way too many things to mention here, but one of those things is balls.

Yep. I said it. Writers need balls.

And apparently, chocolate. But that's for another post.

I encourage every writer out there to be like my diva dog--stop comparing and start embracing. Trust me, she'd embrace the heck out of that T-Rex if I let her, and the threat of being eaten by him doesn't faze her in the slightest.

So tell me, have you ever had The Big Idea? Did you put it aside, or did you face it with your head held high?

LOST. TV show? Nope. Just me.

Confession: I've never watched LOST.

*waits for gasps of shock to die out*

So I guess you could say that I'm lost when it comes to LOST. Am I ashamed? A little. What am I gonna do about it? No clue.

But I wanted to post something about LOST that had nothing to do with the show's finale. I wanted to proclaim my ignorance, wave it in the air for everyone to see, stalling my Draft #4 edits as much as possible.

Some of you saw how the show ended last night. Some of you hated it. Some of you loved it.

And I enjoy scratching my head while I read your reviews.

Why? Beats me. But I have a feeling it's because there's too much going on in my head at the moment. Too much thinking for my taste. And I like the blankness of not knowing about a TV show that's been on the air for a bazillion years. It feels... nice.

There you go, peeps: my review of last night's LOST finale is...

Well, I wouldn't know, would I? But here's my review of myself: I'm lost. And doubtful. And scared.

But I'm still writing this baby anyway :D

Happy writing to everyone!