First draft by word count?

EriRae · Jul 11, 2007

I've seen several different sigs with word counts listed and that made me wonder: do you write with the ending word count in mind? Do you sit down to write the first draft knowing it's going to be 80k or 100k? What if it stubbornly wants to end itself at 70? Or 90? Do you fill for 10k words to get your perfect number?

I'm a sit down and let the characters lead me to the end kind of girl. I tried to outline my 2nd WIP and by chapter five, it's already moving away from the outline because my characters just don't want to follow the script. I keep the numbers in mind for the 2nd draft, but I put as many words down in the first to get me to the end.

So fellow writers, how do you do it?

JamieFord · Jul 11, 2007

I don't write with a word count in mind. But I do write with a loose outline so I don't end up with a 50k novel, or a 200k one for that matter. Just enough to tell the story which so far (only written two) has worked out fine.

Willowmound · Jul 11, 2007

Loose outline, no pre-set word count. More than 70k, less than 130k, is all I tell myself -- once -- then go from there.

seun · Jul 11, 2007

I write the first draft until it's done and then edit. My finished books have ranged from 80,000 to 110,000 words although my WIP is looking like it will be a lot shorter.

aadams73 · Jul 11, 2007

I have an approximate goal. It's just a guideline.

Marlys · Jul 11, 2007

I aim for about 72K, but sometimes I'm in such a hurry to get the story told that my first drafts aren't fleshed out as well as they could be. I just dug out an early version of one of my manuscripts, and find that a key scene occurred on p. 57, when in the final draft it happens on p. 122.

That said, I do have two mss. that stubbornly remain too short (54K) and too long (184K). I'll probably cut the long one into two parts at some point once I'm finished with my current project (or the one after that), and might try for e-pubbing the short one--or possibly cutting it down to 35-40K and pairing it with another novella for a two-fer.

scarletpeaches · Jul 11, 2007

For me, I aim at 50k for the first draft. If I have too much story, I just squash it into a few pages or even paragraphs, depending on what it takes to get to the end. My first drafts, though short, are often messy affairs, baggy in places, but they make sense to me.

Depending on whether it's an adult novel or YA, I aim for either 70-75k or 60k on the rewrite, and as that's a difference of never more than 50% at the very, very most, it's no bother at all. In fact I often go over. But I set myself a minimum target and if I go over, it feels great. But I make sure I have enough story to justify the length of the novel. Filler is wrong.

Bubastes · Jul 11, 2007

I do set an ending word count for my first drafts, just as a target to keep me going. It's usually 15-25% higher than my word count goal for the final draft because I've learned from past experience (at least for short stories and articles) that I usually over-write by about 20%. Knowing that I'll be cutting so much later on takes the pressure off of me during the first draft stage.

Sure, I know I'll be cutting 20%, but which 20%? It's like making sure I have more than enough clay to make a pot. I like having options.

Dave.C.Robinson · Jul 11, 2007

I aim to finish the story.

Having said that I usually try to get a first draft between 90 and 110k, using 100k as my aim point. I know I overwrite (and also sometimes need to add plot) but I feel anything much under 80-85k is too short for me. Dunno why. I've read short books I really liked, but for my writing that feels like the least I can call a novel.

Britchik · Jul 11, 2007

I gave myself a target word count to keep me moving forward on my WIP. Seeing the words build up to a substantial number, and actually being able to visualize how much closer I am to my goal, seems to encourage me to keep going.

As far as how I came up with the target number, 120,000 seems to be the generally accepted average for a fantasy novel, from what I've seen and read.

Azraelsbane · Jul 11, 2007

For me it's just a rough estimate. For instance I just had to up my main WIP 20,000 words, because it became pretty obvious that it wasn't going to make it in 160k. I'm hoping to flesh out about 10k or so in the 2nd draft. Here's hopin'.

Captain Morgan · Jul 11, 2007

Well, I ported my WP 5.1 files into MS Word this morning and scanned the total stats.

54 singe spaced pages. Will probably be somewhere under 108 DB spaced.

23K words total, and since a standard novel is ~90K, that puts me at 25% or a quarter of the way there to completion.

So.. I have quite a long way to go but so far, I think the word count is matching my main outline for the story ok. At least I THINK I will have the whole rough finished before the year is out. Getting the final draft, may take years though <cringe>

MidnightMuse · Jul 11, 2007

I just write the story, but I do keep an eye on word count as I see the ending coming up - with the goal of being over 70 and under 240.

Yes, I've written a 240k novel. Stupid? You betcha.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 11, 2007

First draft

I aim at the length I know the publisher wants. The only thing I hate more than having to cut a bunch of words is having to add a bunch of words, so I want the first draft to be within three or four thousand words of dead center.

Pamster · Jul 11, 2007

I understand why you would pose this question and it's a worthwhile question. I am inspired by word count as I am drafting, but I don't know exactly where it will be put since I don't always outline before I take off into a story. My current WIP is non-fiction and 25K words so far in less then a week. I would like to get 60-80K out of this project, and I have hope of finishing the draft after my son is back in school.

It's been nice to get the first 25K down, so I can take a little break when the time comes not this weekend, but the next weekend. It's because school is only for two more weeks, and I have to get what I can written during the time I can squeeze in to write.

I feel better when I can crank out a few thousand words, and seeing the word count going up is gratifying. Interesting topic Erin, thanks for posting it.

Sassee · Jul 11, 2007

I set a goal for myself and I'm working towards it. Really, it's just a general guideline so I can tell myself - self, you need to get to the point already. I already know I'll either overshoot (by a lot) or undershoot, and depending on how the revision goes it'll change again by the time I'm done. I figure 90k was a good goal, because if I fall short or if revisions take out a lot, I should still be above 70k, and if I overshoot I should still be around or under 110k.

WordGypsy · Jul 11, 2007

Well, I had my WIP as being 65,000 when it's done. I write short. I'll be lucky to hit that on the first run through. Hopefully when edit time comes my beta readers will let me know what can stand some extra words....Right now I'm at 42,000ish and feel like I'm coming to the home stretch. I have a long way to go, but it's getting there. I do revise as I go though so that helps alot with not having to cut as much.

swvaughn · Jul 11, 2007

Okay, I feel left out now.

I want a WIP count in my sig!

Well, I'll put one in, then!

Fine.

I will.

See if I don't...

MMWyrm · Jul 11, 2007

I don't have a set word-count goal in mind. I just want to finish the story. I can't outline either. I've tried. All four of my first drafts that I have done have been between 65k and 80k.

reigningcatsndogs · Jul 11, 2007

Word count is something that I never consider when writing. I write till I've told the story and then I stop. I don't count pages either, or chapters. I remember too well in school the days of wondering how many 'very's you could put into a 200 word essay just to make it 200 words. If I can tell the story and do it justice in 72,000 words, why would I want to go through just to add another 8,000 words. I find the counting prejudices my thought process.

Jen_D · Jul 11, 2007

I am exactly like you, erinmiller77. I don't pick a word count, and I let the characters lead me.

I've heard some writers say that's impossible, the writer writes the stories, not the characters. But I tell ya, I have scenes now that I never even remotely saw coming, when I started. They just kind of happened.

Kaytie · Jul 11, 2007

I tend to overwrite in my first draft and cut in my second. So for my last novel, my first draft was 135k, and then I found ways to cut almost 15k so that the final draft was much closer to 120k. It's much easier for me to cut in revision than it is to add.

JoNightshade · Jul 11, 2007

I asked this same question a while ago... I never had a projected word count before. So I decided to try it with this WIP. My novels usually come out between 85 and 95K, but this time I decided to aim for 100K. As you can see from my sig, I'm almost there! Actually I think it's probably going to end up being about 110K. In any case, I think having a goal really helped me pace myself, because I could see "Okay, now I'm about in the middle of things... am I where I should be?" Also, my goal has been to write at least 2K every day. This has been HUGE because it means I have a daily goal and I also have an end in sight. And now that I'm approaching the end, it's very exciting!!!

This is also the quickest book I've ever written, about three months for the first draft.

Hopscotcher · Jul 11, 2007

From start to finish

i didn't start out trying to write a book but when my story hit the fifty page mark, i figured "what the heck!" and once i was committed to the project, I tried aiming for a 90k manuscript because i heard somewhere that its the average amount. My original thought on the story was this character who bumbles into the story almost on accident. As i got writing however, i could not make this character i had created do the things i had envisioned for him. now the novel is complete and i am shopping it around and im afraid the thing is too big since it ended up at 170k. but i like the story and its strong and while i could probably cut out some of that, i like the story the way it is. thoughts?

Lyra Jean · Jul 11, 2007

I have a word count goal because I've yet to complete a novel. The closest I've come is during nano and that was only 30,000.

I do know that the story is done when it's done but it keeps from being overwhelmed and lose confidence. It's just a guideline because I do have people who ask me how my writing is and now I can tell them I'm __% finished with the first draft.

First draft by word count?

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