Hey, I have been writing a first draft for a fantasy novel for the past week, and so far I have a bit over 3,000 words at about 8 pages. About how far should my plot have developed by this time?
Thanks,
Ben
Thanks,
Ben
How far should I be?
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Each book is different, so it varies a tremendous amount even with the same author. As long as you're continuing to write, you're right where you "should" be.
3k words isn't really a lot, I personally don't think you can get much plot into 3k words but I guess every story is different.
How far are you into the plot?
Or if you take your question a different way. I write up to 8k words a month and then the next three months would be barely twenty. Different for everybody, depending on time input, or writer's block.
How far are you into the plot?
Or if you take your question a different way. I write up to 8k words a month and then the next three months would be barely twenty. Different for everybody, depending on time input, or writer's block.
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Probably the inciting incident (the pebble that starts the avalanche of the story) should have happened by now.
You must know the answer to that. People write as fast as they can, or as fast as they want to. Some folks can grind out 3000 words a day with no sweat. Others may take a month. Some can only get a hundred words out on Tuesday, and 5000 on Wednesday.
Your pace is fine. Keep it up, and you've got a first draft in six or eight months.
It's really hard to tell by word-count alone where your story should be. There are novels where you meet the antagonist on the first page and it all goes from there. Then there are others that need 10K to get everything rolling and in place because there's so much happening. Only you can tell by reading over what you've done whether you're making appropriate progress or not.
As Deleyan said, just keep writing. And I also agree with Forlorn--3K isn't that much, considering how much more there is to come. That's especially true given that you're writing a fantasy novel. You probably already know that fantasy tends to run longer--lots more world building stuff is needed. I don't write in that genre, and when I mention, say, a tree, readers pretty much have an idea of what I mean. But a tree in fantasy? Well, does the tree talk? Does it walk around? More words are needed to let readers know what a tree is in a fantasy world.
As long as you've written in such a way that a reader would be pulled in (and you're not putting in too much background information--weave that in later), you're probably doing fine. When you finish this draft and get started on revisions, you may end up with something quite different. Again, just keep writing.
As long as you've written in such a way that a reader would be pulled in (and you're not putting in too much background information--weave that in later), you're probably doing fine. When you finish this draft and get started on revisions, you may end up with something quite different. Again, just keep writing.
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Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it until you're in the edit stage, where you want to start looking at pacing.
Just keep plugging along until you get to The End. Then worry about it.
Good luck!
Just keep plugging along until you get to The End. Then worry about it.
Good luck!
By the 3k mark, I'm always involved in the inciting incident(s). Oops, no, I just highlighted my first chapters to the 3k mark and only the fantasy mystery is actually doing its inciting incident at that point. The two action fantasies are still going through the opening action sequences which will lead to the inciting incidents in a few thousand more words.
The advice I've heard is to have your inciting incident within the first 10k, though I've definitely read fantasy novels that are way outside that. They have other more minor conflicts holding reader interest in the beginning, sometimes for as much as 25 or 30k. Then there are books which have their inciting incident on the very first page. Both can work brilliantly, and so can everything in between.
The advice I've heard is to have your inciting incident within the first 10k, though I've definitely read fantasy novels that are way outside that. They have other more minor conflicts holding reader interest in the beginning, sometimes for as much as 25 or 30k. Then there are books which have their inciting incident on the very first page. Both can work brilliantly, and so can everything in between.
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Don't sweat that sort of thing on the first draft. Just tell your story and take all the time you need. There will be good, productive days and days where you can't seem to write a single word. It's great to have goals, but don't try to force it.
Took me two years to write and edit/have edited my first novel.
It's different for everyone! Just do what feels natural.
It's different for everyone! Just do what feels natural.
I completely misunderstood the question. This is why I don't like having to use my brain after work.
Some of the above answers are already very good, so I'll just say this:
Have the story be as developed as you'd like it to be. Then during editing and betas, figure that out.
Make this part of writing happen, then let the other part happen.
Some of the above answers are already very good, so I'll just say this:
Have the story be as developed as you'd like it to be. Then during editing and betas, figure that out.
Make this part of writing happen, then let the other part happen.
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Yep, I would just focus on writing for now. There's no general answer to your question, I don't think since both stories and writers differ (a writer with a very sparse style may be able to pack more action into 3000 words than some other writers, for example).
But also, what you have written right now doesn't have to be set in stone. You can revise the beginning later. You might not even know exactly how the beginning should set up until you've written more. If you're keeping up with the writing, that's the big thing right now.
But also, what you have written right now doesn't have to be set in stone. You can revise the beginning later. You might not even know exactly how the beginning should set up until you've written more. If you're keeping up with the writing, that's the big thing right now.
How long's a piece of string? I can't add much wisdom here that hasn't already been said, but I'd say just go with it and don't worry too much about it until you're done. Err... like somebody else esaid.
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