My book has gotten bigger than I wanted it to.
It seemed like such a nice, little idea: take a bit of family lore that no one seems to know much about and make up the details. I thought it was a smallish story, a domestic piece. Admittedly, it was quite a dramatic little bit: threatened suicide thwarts a marriage, but still, I expected to tell it in 85,000 words or so.
After all, I'd written two other books, and they were both around 85,000 words. I figured that was my comfortable length.
So, I've written 65,000 or so words into this one. And the end is nowhere in sight. In fact, I suspect I'm
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(Sigh). I really didn't want to take on something quite that large. Up until about seven years ago, I hadn't written anything longer than fifty pages. Novels are still pretty daunting creatures. Epic novels? Holy crap!
One of my critique group friends suggested thinking of it as more than one book. That helps a lot. There are already some clear and natural breaks in the story that could be End of Book One and End of Book Two. So maybe I'm actually writing three or more books.
And I love this story. It might be the best thing I ever write. It's definitely the best thing I've written so far. It's just . .. when I got on this boat, I thought it was a skiff, not the Titanic! Let's hope it doesn't sink me!
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I usually have the opposite problem--coming up with too short of novels. They only usually grow to a manageable size on revisions.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you know this is perhaps an epic or needs to be divided into two.
Sounds like you have a great critique group!
My critique group is amazing! And, I'm usually more like you: I write short and flesh out in rewrites. That's why this one is such a surprise!
DeleteWhen you get to the end, you'll know what needs to be cut and what needs to stay. Don't worry about it now. Best wishes.
ReplyDeletePerhaps writing a book that is 200,000 words will be a good experience. It was for me.
ReplyDeleteI find it daunting right now, but I hope you're right!
DeleteI mostly write epic fantasy, so a long word count doesn't faze me much, but my current WIP is testing that. It's spiraling into an even larger than intended book (it's recently passed the 221k mark and still going strong). Something will likely have to be done about it when it's all said and done, but until then, I'm just going to write and see where it goes. And try not to worry.
ReplyDeleteWhich is always easier said than done, I know.
Best of luck to you!
Write the story that needs to be written. You can always trim during edits.
ReplyDeletehttp://lucindawhitney.com/
I have the same problem and came up with the same solution you have. Divide it into do-able chunks. The story I originally came up with has turned epic on me. It's divided itself into three books in my head but I've found that each book naturally divides itself into three parts. I still have decided if I'm going to do big books or divide it into the smaller pieces of about 50-65K. I've heard that the trend is toward shorter word counts but who really knows and how do you make the right decision?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time to sail on the daunting Titanic and leave the comfortable skiff behind?
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the project(s)!
Writer In Transit
How exciting! As a reader, I love multi-part stories. I often find myself disappointed when stories are 'only' one book long. Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteAJ Lauer @ Naturally Sweet
@ayjaylauer
Good luck figuring it out! Kind of exciting and fun, especially now that you can look at it as a continuing story, rather than one that desperately needs to end.
ReplyDelete85,000 words? Wow! That's so amazing! Diane is right. Just do what you can do now, and worry about those things you may need to cut out later. GL!
ReplyDeleteI often write children's books, but I have a novel that has reached about 40,000 words. I'll go back to checking it again and see if I can add more after I'm done with another children's story.
Have you considered the possibility that you aren't writing a single novel but perhaps a trilogy?
ReplyDeleteYes . . .it appears I am writing a trilogy. I worry the rest of my life isn't long enough to write all I need and want to write, so I was kind of hoping it would be shorter. But it is what it is :-)
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