Numbers as Distraction
The other day in my writing group, I inquired about how many words are in an average fiction novel since I am nearing the point where I need to start piecing together the various scenes I have written into a workable / readable flow.
Since, as I wrote about before, I am not really a good planner when it comes to my writing, I haven’t been so disciplined at following my outline for my novel. However, as every book coach and experienced author will probably nod in agreement, I have needed to return to that outline to review that I am on the right track.
A Google search 🔍 and the group response confirmed that the range for a word count is between 70K to 120K. That seems like a healthy flexible range, right?
Being a lover of balance ⚖️ and finding middle ground, I’m going to aim 🎯 for somewhere in-between at about 95K.
Still, I wonder 🤔 what makes me feel more comfortable and motivated when I have a target random number to focus on. I mean, shouldn’t I just be first concerned with getting the story onto the page and ensuring there is a flow before worrying about whether or not I have too many or, as is my wont, too few words?
I suppose it is probably my way of distracting myself from writing the hard parts, which is where I am in the storyline. Maybe by convincing myself that I have enough words, I won’t need to write so much of the hard sections. Or, alternatively, perhaps my psyche is dying to pour out all of the tough stuff and preparing to view the word count as a goal rather than a minimum. If I figure out which one is the winner, I’ll let you know. 🤪
At least now I have something to aim for whether as a maximum or a minimum. That has got to count for something! 😬
How about you? Do you spend time focusing on how many words it takes to open 📖 the sunshine ☀️ into your heart ❤️ to tell the stories📚 you have waiting to be told?
