A new milestone

Another big hinge for a first draft is hitting the magic 85.  85k worth of words.  At this point, you officially have enough words to just stop.  You’re long enough for a novel. Hurrah!  But, of course, you don’t stop, because at 85k you’re probably nowhere near the end of the story.  You are dealing with volume of words in novel writing, but you are also telling a story and I never know how long a story will take to tell, though I’m sure other writers do.  So here, at 85k, I can pause again, look up from my desk and my appalling cup of tea and be assured that I have story enough for my novel.  At 85k I’m roughly 2/3 through my story and there’s no stopping me now!

While I am still mindful of word count, to make sure I’m being productive at my desk rather than just noodling around, my new goal is to get to 1944 and Berlin by the time I leave this desk in Toronto and head back for my own desk in Whitstable.  The countdown begins.

Can I do it?  Why not?  You have to set a goal if you have any hope of reaching it.  And if I don’t reach it, only I will know.  Except, now I’ve told you, too.  Oh dear.