How to write for the story, not the page count.
I’m working on the first book in a series, and have to remember to write in the now.
I am working on the first book in a fictional series, and I have to admit that word count has been on my mind.
I have tried writing pieces over 50k words in the past, only to fall flat on my face and way short. I have heard the platitudes about how when writing a story the word count doesn't matter, and to a certain extent I agree, but I want this book I am writing now to be the one that puts me over the 50k hump.
The problem with writing for the word count, however, is that you tend to add “fluff” to the story that may not need to be there. When you are afraid from chapter 1 that you aren’t going to hit your goal you are not writing free. You're writing in a box.
A story is a story, whether it is 50k words or 20k, but there are times that we need to write a longer piece. Sometimes it is a better experience for the reader, and sometimes more words aid you in telling a better more provocative story.
If you have a hard time hitting your word count goal here are a few tips to help you:
Outline Your Story
In my case, I didn’t have my story developed enough for it to last for 50k words. The book I am working on now I do. A large contributor to that is my outline. I filled about 3 pages in my notebook with notes about the story on. I write about my characters personalities. I write about the setting, and I write about the plot. All of these things help me to stay on track and not forget little pieces of the story that I originally wanted to include.
Be in the moment with your characters and talk about the small details of the scene/dialogue/moment that you see in your mind
When I am writing I am envisioning all of my characters doing the things that I am writing about. If my character is having a dialogue in a field and a storm is blowing in I can see the character’s eyes start to squint. I can see them brace themselves for the wind, and I can see the small drops of condensation form on their faces from the humid air. Take your mind to the place that you are writing about and explain what you see.
Don’t be afraid to write crap
If you are afraid to write crap then you will have an incredibly hard time getting the words down that you need. You will find yourself milling over a paragraph for hours, obsessed with perfection. In my experience, the key to the first draft is simply getting your ideas onto paper, good or not. Later on you will add,delete, and revise, but on your first draft don’t be afraid to write crap. Often, when you are simply writing down your thoughts, you will find that you do some of your best work.
Come back on your second read through and fill in the finer details
After you have your first draft completed you have the opportunity to go back and add some of the finer details that you may have missed. Often, when going back through your piece you want to add a conversation here or some environmental descriptor there. This will add to your word count.
Research story structure
Lastly, do a bit of research on storytelling and story structure. I am not a formally educated writer, so when I started to write I didn’t have much of a sense of what made a good story and what parts I needed to include. Do some research about components of a story. This will hopefully give you additional ideas to add to your work.
I hope this was of help to you! Happy writing!
Cheers
Jarod Dickson
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