Planning the novel

I know this novel will be a work of fiction. I’ll have made it all up. No characters will be like anyone I know living or dead and the story will be completely fictitious so don’t consider bringing a claim, even if you’re distant family and you think there’s a part of you in there.

It crosses my mind that the more I write in this blog, the less I’m writing my new novel. For every 500 words on this blog I could be 500 words closer to my 75,000 target. However, if everyone that reads this blog tells a hundred others, then I might have one or two people waiting to buy the book as soon as it’s finished. Am I getting ahead of myself in the marketing plan before I even know what the book is about?

There’s two types of planning at this stage; the practicalities and the story.

The practicalities tell me that the book should be around 300 pages long. That means that each page will require some 250 words, totalling a book word count of 75,000. I might end up adding a few more or even writing a few less; it all depends upon where the story takes me.

The next calculator result is that with chapters averaging around ten pages, then I have to make thirty chapters fit the process. I personally like ten page chapters. It means I can pick up a book and read just ten pages and be able to put it down fairly soon if I have other deadlines to meet, like going to the school to pick up my daughter or waiting for a football match to begin on television. If I’m tired, ten pages can be an easy read. If a book is compelling I might sneak into another chapter and miss the kick off, but that’s rare.

On other occasions, I can sit down, relax and take in a number of chapters in one go; it’s up to me and my family! If I’m faced with a 50 page chapter then I might decide to keep the book closed and watch the pre-match discussion.

So now I know I need 2,500 words for a chapter. That’s not set in stone. Some will be shorter and several will be a good deal longer. It’s just a guide.

Now we get to really punch the calculator buttons. If I write 3 pages a day, note down six days a week (okay, make that five because six might be pushing it too far) then I need to get to 3750 words a week. (Reminder to self to set up an Excel spreadsheet.) With some articles that can be a day’s work, but when you’re so careful in selecting every word, a week sounds favourable. Hey, I can even write more and not have to worry. I might even take a day off if I’m not behind.

Twenty weeks. That’s how long a first draft should take me should I keep on target.

Some people will say that 750 words a day isn’t many, but I do have a number of other projects on stream at the moment, Christmas is coming and I only need to have one of the other projects requiring an urgent finish and I’ll be behind.

The way I work involves spending the first hour or so going over the previous day’s work and making changes where necessary. I edit as I go along as well, so 750 words suddenly becomes a tall order.

Twenty weeks starting on March 1st takes me to the start of July 2010. If I add in story planning and research, then please give me to the end of July and we’ll have a first draft available.

I like deadlines. Nothing like a deadline to set the mind working. So what will the story be about?

I’m busy this weekend so I’m starting Monday.