How many words did you write in 2011?
You know, that was a really good question! I wasn't sure where my number would turn out, but here they are:
Carpe Bead 'em =67,260
The Ladybug Jinx =55,001
Happy New Life = 47,356
Splitsville.com = 79,470
Bead of Doubt=15,030
Superstitious Christmas = 16,138
Color Me Love=14,650
Strung Out To Die = 62,015 (not completed by December 31. I didn't include those numbers after.)
Total: 356,920
WOW!! I had no idea that I had written that many words!! That doesn't include rewrites, edits, etc....
What have I learned writing so many words?
I've gone through two different editors last year, but stuck with Matt Rush, because he really did help me learn. I've been going to my critique group, Heather Webber, Shelley Shepard Grey, Hilda Linder-Knepp, and Cathy Liggett for two years. They have seen me grow leaps and bounds over the past few months. Writing that many words has made my writing stronger! Having a great critique group, that have taken different paths, is encouraging and will help me do anything to achieve my goals. And having an editor that will take the time to really teach me has been proven priceless.
More importantly, how many words did you write? And has it changed your life?
Holy moly! That's a LOT of words - you are one prolific lady!
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised! I had written on some of them the year before, but completely deleted and started over with the same concept. So I was definitely surprised!
ReplyDeleteWow 300K O.o it boggle my mind, and that's only the words you ended up keeping huh.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I wrote 81,202 as part of NaNoWriMo. The rest of my years was spent in editing/rewriting mode, so I can't say how many words I wrote there. Plus I began participating in a daily writing blog (though I don't write daily, but rather both days).
So wow, I've got to be over the 100K mark. And it's all practice! *giggles*
:} Cathryn
I was counting how many words I'd written in my life. Most of them, it would seem, are from 2010 - how annoying! However, this year -
ReplyDeleteWatching version five = 85,000
Destroying = 80,000
Returning = 80,000
Watching version 6 (totally different!) = 86,000
The Quiet Ones = 70,000
That comes to 401,000 in novels! Add to that short stories, novels, the playscript I worked on for the month of April, and all the beginnings that never got further than a few pages... O.o I absolutely had no idea. That begs the question how many I wrote in 2010....
*counts* Hmm, it was actually around 350k, so not as much as this year. Obviously, Camp NaNoWriMo two months running was harder work than I'd remembered, ha ha.
It hasn't changed my life, except to make me never scared by a 2000 word essay ... or rather, worried that I won't fit it into the limit! I think a lot of those words were bad words as three of those novels were, and still are, first drafts. I'm finally nearly happy with Watching, now that it's a sixth draft, and I've just begun work on Destroying. Editing will not defeat me any more!
Hi, Cathryn! 81 is super great! Especially if it was Nano! I had to drop out this year because of a deadline, but not next year! I'll be nanoing right along side of you!
ReplyDeleteI didn't count my blogs, but I do keep a copy of each one, so I could count those~only too many to add up;)
So glad you stopped by!
Delorfinde, that is amazing!! You are rocking! I didn't do Camp Nano either. . .I have to get my butt in gear and get on that this year.
ReplyDeleteBut you are right. Writing that many words makes me laugh when my kids fuss over a one page report. No momma love on that;)
But you did learn something, see~that you aren't scare to tackle that 2k word essay. AND each word you write, does make you a stronger writer. Great job!
Awesome, Tonya! Love when writing is spun in different ways!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa!! I was pleasantly surprised when I added them up. If anyone would've said I would have written than many words. . .I would've laughed. But it all about HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
ReplyDeletehttp://tonyakappes.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-bad-do-you-want-success.html
Wow - that's an awesome number. Same for delorfinde!
ReplyDeleteI do keep track - on an Excel spreadsheet. Unfortunately, I didn't start doing that until Feb 1, 2011, so without January's figures, this is what I have:
1st draft writing = 108,436 (encompasses 2 novels)
Blogs = 29,890
Revisions = 8,388
Total = 146,714
So I could say over 150,000, since I don't have January's numbers. Not as prolific as you, but not too shabby, either!
I love keeping the spreadsheet. When I see I'm doing poorly in a week, it motivates me. I also keep notes as to WHY I didn't write on a certain day (yes, my spreadsheet shows what I write every single day!).
Here's to an even better 2012!!
WOW, Stacy! You are super duper organized!! I'm very impressed. Very cool!! And it's a great motivator!
ReplyDeleteWell, like I said, you more than doubled my numbers, Tonya. All I produced in 2011 -- other than blogs and re-writes -- was my 7th novel ms. Started in May and finished in August --- about 131,000 words before I began trimming it down to about 115,000.
ReplyDeleteJeff, you had a GREAT year! A banner year!! You finished another novel, AND joined a grog! That's amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tonya. But I feel like a big old truck trying to follow a sleek sports car. I'm afraid you'll disappear around some of the curves and I'll loose sight of you.
ReplyDeleteNEVER, Jeff! Never!
ReplyDelete