Word Count

SarahWoodbury · Post by **SarahWoodbury** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 5:20 am

Folding laundry . . . .

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 7:23 am

A lot of people's houses and apartments will be cleaner after reading this thread!

Julianne Douglas · Post by **Julianne Douglas** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 8:17 am

Thanks for your input, everyone. The idea has to do with an historical detail I stumbled upon yesterday that I feel would make the mc's situation and relationships more conflicted and her situation less cliched. Now that I've thought about it for two days, I don't think I <i>can</i> go back to thinking about her in the old way! The problem is, although the idea works well for one plot, I haven't quite figured out its value for the subplot...and like Christopher says, extra plot points mean extra words, which I definitely don't need! The historical setting, event, and cast of characters I'm working with is rather vast and so interesting, I'm having a hard time fitting all the plot lines together--I could probably get several novels out of it instead of trying to cram it all into one! I really need to sit down and do a synopsis or I'm going to have a 3-volume Gone With the Wind on my hands.

Anyway, things happen for a reason, so I shouldn't ignore what I learned...

Husband is doing a read through of what I have so far, so I'll see what he thinks when he's done (so he can compare the new twist to the old ms)...
"Dear, you know those two hundred pages you just read? Scratch that. They're all going to be different now." I can just see his face.

I appreciate all your great comments about your own experiences.

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 12:43 pm

[quote=""Julianne Douglas""]Husband is doing a read through of what I have so far, so I'll see what he thinks when he's done (so he can compare the new twist to the old ms)...
"Dear, you know those two hundred pages you just read? Scratch that. They're all going to be different now." I can just see his face.

I appreciate all your great comments about your own experiences.[/quote]

Your husband reads your work? I'm impressed. Mine will let me try out public presentations on him but declines to read anything on the grounds that "I've already lived it" - having brainstormed the ideas with me in the first place.

What happens if he doesn't like what you've written

Luckily I have an awesome friend who is more-than-happy to be my 'first reader'!

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 3:51 pm

[quote=""Julianne Douglas""]
Husband is doing a read through of what I have so far, so I'll see what he thinks when he's done (so he can compare the new twist to the old ms)...
"Dear, you know those two hundred pages you just read? Scratch that. They're all going to be different now." I can just see his face.[/quote]

My husband reads primarily non-fiction, but always reads my final manuscripts. If I can hold his attention, I know I've got a winner!

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 4:16 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]Oh, whew. Good to hear it's not some freakish trait of mine. I actually do a lot of my best thinking in water. Interesting . . . Of course, it's not very glamorous to say on a panel: "Oh, yes! I thought of that while I was scrubbing my pots!" but the truth is, I often do.[/quote] Interesting -- my "aha" moments often happen in the shower. Not with regards to a manuscript, obviously, since I'm not a writer. But when I've struggled with a problem/puzzle at work, or a situation in life, the answer has often just come to me in the shower! Wonder if water has anything to do with it....??

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Thu December 9th, 2010, 6:37 pm

After all, our bodies are largely comprised of water. Do you suppose we all think better when we're properly hydrated?

Julianne Douglas · Post by **Julianne Douglas** » Fri December 10th, 2010, 2:35 am

Wendy, I'm lucky. My husbands reads my work chapter by chapter as I churn it out. He's hard to please and not shy to tell me when something's boring or not working, so like fljustice, if I've pleased him, I know I'm on the right track! He keeps me working--if it gets too long between the times I show him something, I'll get hints like "Isn't there a new chapter coming soon?" I like to think he's genuinely interested, and not just checking up on whether I've been goofing too much (although I'm sure there's some of that, too.

)

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Fri December 10th, 2010, 4:23 am

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Do you suppose we all think better when we're properly hydrated?[/quote] I'm sure the bottled water companies would say so.

Julianne -- you are indeed fortunate. When it comes to critiquing writing, I find it very hard to be brutally honest with a friend, or even an acquaintance, much less a loved one. So to have a built-in critic who wants you to succeed and yet at the same time will be brutally honest with you is a blessing.

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Fri December 10th, 2010, 4:48 am

[quote=""Michy""]Interesting -- my "aha" moments often happen in the shower. Not with regards to a manuscript, obviously, since I'm not a writer. But when I've struggled with a problem/puzzle at work, or a situation in life, the answer has often just come to me in the shower! Wonder if water has anything to do with it....??

[/quote]

Absolutely. We are made mostly of water, we float in the womb before birth in water: I feel very connected when I'm in water. The fact that many of us are actually dehydrated most of the time accounts for much. I always have to remind myself to drink more water.

Julianne, good luck with the curve-ball the muse has thrown you. It'll all work out; just remember, "vast" is a tough sell in today's market so if it complicates things too much, well, something else must go. Let us know how it turns out.