It was a very solid week, this week.
However, because I was plotting, I have no word counts to give you.
I was plotting the second book in an historical series. Second books are always heavy-duty on the plot end, because while the basic series is set up in the first book, when I get to the second I have to build all the nuts and bolts stuff so I don’t conflict with any decisions I made in the first book that is now out there for the world to point at if I get it wrong. So, character ages across the series, character arcs across the series, major character relationships all had to be fitted into the series story structure I built with the first book.
Because this is an historical series, I also had to research and pay attention to historical facts that impact my characters.
This is a twelve book series, so while the plotting of the second book itself only took a couple of days, it took six days in addition to nail everything else down properly. Once I had that series bible stuff fixed, the plot fell into place.
However, to cover that much ground, I worked all my normal writing sessions, plus all my spare time, too. This is exactly as I had anticipated it would go.
Because I’m writing this blog the day before it posts, which makes it Monday afternoon for me, I know that I wrote the first few thousand words of the book this morning, and will try to get more done tonight in my spare time.
I’m still on the mattresses, still writing “day job” books in my spare time and will for a while. I’m still 8 days behind schedule. If this book comes out as long as it feels like it’s going to take, then I’ll be further behind.
Next week’s goal, then, is to get as much written over and above my standard goal of 34,800 words for the week. The pressure is not off, yet–not by a long way.
Until then, back to work, all of us.
t.