Yesterday, after another 3,300 words, I got to the end of The Jeweller's Daughter!! Hurray! Couldn't believe it. But it was not exactly as I had planed either. The characters took over and and took it to where it should stop. In fact two of them changed the ending slightly. And I think it is probably right.
Of course this is not really the end. I know that. This is just the end of the first draft. But it is where I take a breather. Where I can do something else. Make bread. Do some gardening. Help out with my favourite charity. Write a short story...something I don't do much of, but should. Or, start on the next book...
Good News!! ...Recently I entered a short story competition and a few days ago I got short listed! That is a first. Will not know for another month how that goes. So that has given me some incentive to do some more short story comps.
The next stage after I put it away for a couple of weeks, will be to start the editing. I am trying to look forward to this part. I need to layer my writing with historical happenings to make sure it looks and sound authentic to its time - 1918-1919 Trinidad.
Must go! Thanks for reading my post. Drop me a comment!
Bye for now
Marilyn x
About Me
- Marilyn Rodwell
- The Wedding Drums - my novel set in an early 20C village in Trinidad is almost here. Two young girls, Amina and Sumati plot to escape their arranged marriages and plan to live life following their own dreams. But Sumati falls in love and runs away, putting Amina's plans in jeopardy. Neither of them bank on what is in store for them. Soon they face the adult world of scheming men, corruption, prostitution and violence, and life in the village will never be the same again.
Showing posts with label The Jeweller's Daughter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Jeweller's Daughter. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Friday, 2 March 2012
STIFF TARGETS
Sometimes it is useful to have targets.
Mostly it is good to always have targets ....
but sometimes it is more effective.
How else it is possible to almost double my word count of 7 months, in 2 months?
Here it is -
May - December 2011 = 51,777 wds
January 2012 - February = 95,236 wds total
Here is how I did it - Easy
Objective - to finish the book. I wanted it to be approx 70,000wds complete.
1. Target for January - 20,000 wds
2. That is a break down of approx 5,000 wds a week.
3. I write mainly during the weekdays, so that is a definite 1,000wds per day.
4. Going over the daily target makes up for the days I am not able to achieve the 1,000wd target.
5. By the end of January, it was not finished. Characters were taking over...
6. February - I estimated 2 weeks to finish. That meant another 10,000 wds.
7. End of two weeks into Feb - still needed another 10,000 wds in my estimation (wd count = 79,000)
7. Repeat - another two weeks to end. End of February wordcount = 95,236 wds.
Today, 2nd March 2012 - I am writing the last chapter of The Jeweller's Daughter,
another 3,000 - 4,000 wds.
Targets work.
Deadlines work.
The adrenaline to achieve makes it work.
Competing with oneself works.
Mostly it is good to always have targets ....
but sometimes it is more effective.
How else it is possible to almost double my word count of 7 months, in 2 months?
Here it is -
May - December 2011 = 51,777 wds
January 2012 - February = 95,236 wds total
Here is how I did it - Easy
Objective - to finish the book. I wanted it to be approx 70,000wds complete.
1. Target for January - 20,000 wds
2. That is a break down of approx 5,000 wds a week.
3. I write mainly during the weekdays, so that is a definite 1,000wds per day.
4. Going over the daily target makes up for the days I am not able to achieve the 1,000wd target.
5. By the end of January, it was not finished. Characters were taking over...
6. February - I estimated 2 weeks to finish. That meant another 10,000 wds.
7. End of two weeks into Feb - still needed another 10,000 wds in my estimation (wd count = 79,000)
7. Repeat - another two weeks to end. End of February wordcount = 95,236 wds.
Today, 2nd March 2012 - I am writing the last chapter of The Jeweller's Daughter,
another 3,000 - 4,000 wds.
Targets work.
Deadlines work.
The adrenaline to achieve makes it work.
Competing with oneself works.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
The New Novel
Since my return from Trinidad and Tobago I have got 1/3 of the new novel finished. To date, 27,483 words. All these are new words and do not belong to the start of the previous novel God of the Cocoa.
This WIP is called Granville Girl, or maybe, The Jeweller's Daughter.
I'll have to see as time goes on....
It is about the dilemma of a devoted mother who is torn between traditional practices and modern ways of thinking. It is modern - 1919! Why does a mother arrange a marriage for her 10 year old daughter? It goes against all wants for her daughter, and she knows that she is breaking an understanding between them both. Why has she done it? And will it come to pass?
It is about arranged marriage vs education.
It is about new opportunities, or old traditions.
It is about the diversity of religion - Hindu practices and Christian teachings.
It is about similarities in religion, and freedom of the individual.
It is about childhood and innocence.
It is about broken promises.
It is about the bond between mother and daughter.
It is about the power of pride and shame in a family.
It is about truth and honesty.
It is about lying for a good reason.
It is about immaturity and innocence.
It is about abuse of vulnerable young people.
It is about growing to understand - maturity.
It is about the process of taking responsibility.
It is about knowing when bad can be good, and good can be bad.
It is about making the biggest decision of your life.
It is about friendships.
This WIP is called Granville Girl, or maybe, The Jeweller's Daughter.
I'll have to see as time goes on....
It is about the dilemma of a devoted mother who is torn between traditional practices and modern ways of thinking. It is modern - 1919! Why does a mother arrange a marriage for her 10 year old daughter? It goes against all wants for her daughter, and she knows that she is breaking an understanding between them both. Why has she done it? And will it come to pass?
It is about arranged marriage vs education.
It is about new opportunities, or old traditions.
It is about the diversity of religion - Hindu practices and Christian teachings.
It is about similarities in religion, and freedom of the individual.
It is about childhood and innocence.
It is about broken promises.
It is about the bond between mother and daughter.
It is about the power of pride and shame in a family.
It is about truth and honesty.
It is about lying for a good reason.
It is about immaturity and innocence.
It is about abuse of vulnerable young people.
It is about growing to understand - maturity.
It is about the process of taking responsibility.
It is about knowing when bad can be good, and good can be bad.
It is about making the biggest decision of your life.
It is about friendships.
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