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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Aug 30 2015, 9:03pm
Post #1 of 18
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First draft is DONE!
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Not to my latest fanfic, but to my Origi-fic - I'm so excited!!! Of course, I need to have a copy editor look at it, and it's probably still not big enough. It's only about 187 pages, so I know I'll need to go back and fill some stuff in, but still it's the longest original story I've ever written. AND it's one of only 3 that I've actually finished! I swear, finishing a story is much harder than it sounds. That bit about 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration is so true. Well, I shall enjoy my accomplishment for awhile, and then get back to the nitty-gritty.
Proud member of the BOFA Denial Association
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Aug 30 2015, 9:26pm
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Page-count is much less important that word-count. Any manuscript that you submit to an editor should be easy to read, so double-spaced. 12-point (?) type and no fancy font (at least for the main text). You might want to double-check this, though, since I am basing this on the standards of the typewriter-era. Requirements may have changed. The lower standard for a shortish novel is probably around 75,000 words. Above 120,000 words and we are talking about a long book. The word-count for LotR is about 93,000 words. This might be useful:
Here is a general guide to story length, expressed in the word count: - Short-short stories are under 2,500 words.
- Short stories can range from 2,500 to 7,500 words.
- Novellettes are from 7,500 to 20,000 words.
- Novellas are from 20,000 to 50,000 words.
- Novels are from 70,000 to 90,000 words.
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Aug 30 2015, 9:27pm)
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Aug 30 2015, 10:05pm
Post #3 of 18
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So I guess currently it's in the Novella range - about 47 thousand words. I was hoping to break 50K, I don't know where I read that number but I did read somewhere that most novels were at least 50 thousand words. Like I said, it's a first draft and I'm sure there's room for improvement.
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Aug 30 2015, 10:32pm
Post #5 of 18
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This is a fun site, and it gives a word count for The Lord of the Rings as 481,000 words - a "long book" indeed, as you put it. That does seem to be far more accurate. Sorry for the error.
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
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Eruvandi
Tol Eressea
Aug 31 2015, 12:56am
Post #7 of 18
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As a writer of origi-fic myself, I understand how exciting finishing your first draft must be for you! I've yet to finish a first draft for any of my stories, but when I do I...I'm not sure what dp. Faint, probably! Congrats!!!
Lord I give you everything, Anything you want from me Take my past and my future I lay it at your feet Yeah, I'm after your heart, you've stolen mine I give you my all 'cause you gave up your life I'm not who I was simply because, Oh, you set me free And you change me from what I used to be Opened my eyes, now I can see You're making this life so beautiful So beautiful ~"Beautiful" by Dan Bremnes
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Aug 31 2015, 2:06am
Post #8 of 18
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So many people say they want to be writers, but they never acually write anything. If you actually write something, it means you're a writer. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GNU Terry Pratchett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories leleni at hotmail dot com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Aug 31 2015, 2:07am
Post #9 of 18
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The re-editing can be arduous, as you add and change and reconcile - but you've got the story from start to finish, and that's a big "battle" over! Do you have friends willing to read sections and give you honest feedback? My eldest finds that to be most helpful!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Aug 31 2015, 3:14am
Post #10 of 18
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Well my 19-year-old has offered to read it, and another friend has been reading chapters as I've written them. I plan to take a short break while I finish this fanfic I've been working on, then read the whole thing from beginning to end and start with revisions. I am hoping to find a grad student at the University I'm working at that will act as a copy editor - not sure I can afford a professional one but will go that route if I have to.
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Kimi
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Aug 31 2015, 6:29am
Post #11 of 18
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Just finishing is a fine achievement, and you certainly should allow yourself to enjoy that sense of accomplishment.
The Passing of Mistress Rose My historical novels Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there? - A Room With a View
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Aug 31 2015, 2:39pm
Post #12 of 18
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If you actually write something, it means you're a writer. :-) Also, one is not a professional writer until one is actually paid for what he/she has written (although publication is nice too!).
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
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Annael
Immortal
Aug 31 2015, 3:02pm
Post #13 of 18
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I get people who tell me "someday I want to write a book" all the time, but when I say "are you writing anything now?" they say "no, just thinking about it." The muse never really shows up until you start writing/typing, I tell them. Congrats, Kilidoescartwheels - it's a great feeling, isn't it?
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young. -- Gaston Bachelard * * * * * * * * * * NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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smtfhw
Lorien
Aug 31 2015, 4:01pm
Post #14 of 18
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I'm a very good proof reader/editor and I've been following your blog so I know you're a good enough writer that I'd be happy to take a look at it for you... send me a PM or contact me through Wordpress.
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Elarie
Grey Havens
Sep 1 2015, 12:19pm
Post #15 of 18
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Congratulations, and I hope we all get a chance to read it one day soon.
__________________ Gold is the strife of kinsmen, and fire of the flood-tide, and the path of the serpent. (Old Icelandic Fe rune poem)
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Sep 2 2015, 1:33am
Post #17 of 18
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I hope you get to read it, too!
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I'll keep you posted
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Sep 2 2015, 8:13am
Post #18 of 18
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Well done! That's quite an accomplishment.
You realize that life goes fast It's hard to make the good things last You realize the sun doesn't go down It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round ~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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