I challenged myself to write 50,000 words of a new novel this April for Camp NaNoWriMo.
Halfway through the month, I’ve made it to 40,000 words. I’m sure I’ll be able to reach 50,000 words by the end of this week. Then, I can either finish the novel by April or just sit back and relax and watch everyone else scramble past the finish line on April 30th.
While I’m almost “done” with the overall challenge, I’ve come to realize something about my novel. Is it a problem? Well… I haven’t decided yet.
I outlined half of my novel in March. When April 1st came around I only had about 10 or 11 chapters outlined. When I got to that point in my novel, I outlined the next couple of chapters before writing anymore. That’s how I’ve been working all month.
It’s been going well and my novel has been going at a steady pace, which is something that never happens. It always goes too fast and I end up having to add in more detail when normally most people would have to take details out.
50,000 words is a good word count for a novella or a young adult novel. Unwritten is a literary novel and I’m not quite sure if it would be considered young adult or not. So, I’m not entirely sure if 50,000 words would be considered “too short.”
Of course, I still have to actually finish the novel, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to end in the 50k range. Maybe it’ll reach 60k, but I’m thinking that might be a stretch.
Then I’ll have to edit it, and of course, the point of editing it to take things out, tighten it up a bit. So who knows how long the novel will actually be?
And I realize this is something I should be thinking about when Camp is over and when the novel has ended, the story is complete. But it’s still something I can’t help but think about.
I don’t know about any of you, but as I near the end of a novel, I start thinking about what I’m going to do with it. Will it go on Wattpad? Will I attempt to self-publish it? Will I query agents and try for traditional publishing?
If it’s going to be a novella I’ll most likely try to self-publish it or post it on Wattpad. Then again, I think Unwritten is a decent enough novel with a good message to be traditionally published.
But I guess, we won’t know until the time comes.
In the meantime, I’m trying to add in as many details as I possibly can. Which is good for me, because my description of people and places are usually non-existent. I have to say that I think this is one of the better first drafts I’ve ever written.
How’s Camp going for you? How are your novels treating you? Let me know in the comments below!
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