A quick note to say that I hit my deadline yesterday for completing the first draft of FICTION WRITING FOR DUMMIES. I’ve been silent lately because I’ve been working hard to get it done on time. By my count, it’s over 120,000 words, which is a lot to write in four months.
I should start getting revision requests back within a week or two, so I’ll soon be back at the grindstone, but for now, I’ve got a few free hours. It’s nice to be done. I’ve rethought a few things about fiction writing as I tried to make things simpler and better.
Congrats on reaching your deadline, Randy!
Brilliant, Randy! I’m out of the fiction writing loop as I’m studying this year. Today is the last day of my holidays. Look forward to hearing more about your book when it’s published. 🙂
“I love deadlines. I like that whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” Douglas Adams
Way to go, Randy! Was there ever any doubt that you’d make the deadline? Not likely. You’re to compulsive.
Timeline for publication??
Drat! I didn’t edit. That should be “too compulsive” not “to”.
Congrats! I’m really looking forward to reading the finished work.
Congratulations, Randy. I’m really looking forward to reading the finished product.
Congrats on meeting your deadline, that would be an interesting conversation to have on your blog talking about deadlines and making sure you make them. Could fit into the habits of writing. Just thought, but again congrats looking forward to buying and reading the final product.
Whew! 120,000 words in four months? I can never even dream of matching such speed.
Congrats on finishing the first draft.
Way to go! That’s 30,000 words a month, and roughly 1,000 words a day (if you wrote each day). Whew! I feel tired thinking about it 🙂
Whoo-Hoo! That’s awesome!!
Congratulations Randy! What an accomplishment! I can’t wait to read it.
Congratulations, Randy. Glad you made it (and yes, glad you flipped the words “Writing” and “Fiction” in the title!).
Congratulations! That’s an awful lot of words – some deadline.
Congratulations. Look forward to reading it.
Congrats, Randy, another job well done. So what were the few things you reconsidered about fiction writing? Do we get off the hook on some of the grinding elements we get drilled with?
Randy sez: I’ve rethought a few things about fiction writing as I tried to make things simpler and better.
DO tell. Of course we’ll buy The Book, that’s a given. C’mon, talk to us.
About the book: Is there a section on how to approach the mind-numbing editorial revision letter? How many references to exploding helicopters vs. ACTUAL exploding helicopters??
While you were writing the book you asked for input on a number of issues but there’s one topic – that of dialogue – that I’d like to mention, for what it’s worth.
From youe E-zine – May to September 2006 – I probably learned more from those four brief and simple Dilbert/Bossbert dialogue examples than any number of long, explanatory how-to-write essays on dialogue that I’ve read on the net.
I understand that your book is now complete, but if you haven’t already done so, and it’s not too late, I think it would be great if you could squeeze a few examples of dialogue styles like the ones I mentioned.
Regardless, I plan to buy the book when it comes out as I’m sure it’ll be great.
Congratulations! You do set the bar high.
120,000 words in four months is daunting.
I look forward to the discussions that the
book will generate on this blog.
I also would like to see some discussion
on meeting deadlines. Not only the ones
from publishers, but the deadlines we
should be keeping with ourselves. The
question for me is if I set a goal of writing
so many words a week, will I respect my
work enough to keep to that deadline. It
is far too easy to let distractions move in
and take over the time.
Any ideas on how to do that would
be appreciated.
A J
AJHawke.blogspot.com
Congratulations!
Awesome leader! I did 22,000 in one year, and I’m proud of that. I need to work harder.
Nice, and you managed to squeeze in a writer’s conference (or two?). Great job!
A few (uh, 9) years back, I had a conversation with my editor about referencing “For Dummies” books, concerned that “For Dummies” would make readers feel like they were dummies. Our joint conclusion: all of us are dummies, that’s why they make “For Dummies” books.
And now I can’t say Dummies without laughing so hard my full-body dummy bandages don’t burst.
Wow – 120k words in 4 months – I’m impressed!
AJ Hawke, your point about deadlines is interesting. What I find is that I have to respect my writing time – it’s a job so it has priority. That’s easy now I’m writing full time, but I used to have a part time job and so had to be very strict about not getting distracted from my goals. And yes, my house is very messy and I owe a lot of my friends dinner and letters!
Wow! That’s some accomplishment. Gratz on meeting the deadline.
Like a lot of the others, I’m also interested in knowing what you rethought and thoughts on deadlines overall.
I have a feeling ‘Dummies’ and Snowflake Pro will appear just in time for me. I’m very excited – I’ve just finished the planning of my novel using Snowflake and I’m on the brink of the first draft – some scenes having already been written and polished – I discovered from your last article I’m a ‘Dean Koontz’ type of writer!
This has been a long road and one I didn’t think I’d ever be taking – I can say that the first ‘spark’ was way back in 2005.
One of the most important aspects of Snowflake, for me, is that it has enabled me to keep on writing while circumventing difficult life events.
Many thanks and good luck.
Annie
That’s great Randy!
I just read in your July 7 ezine about email signatures needing only one link, and decided to change mine. Thanks for the tip!
I was so glad for you when you told me you had made deadline while we talked at the OCW conference. I commented how it was too bad you didn’t have a coaching class again.
Coaching class??? You would have not only died from the heat, but from the overwhelming pressure of that pesky deadline.
I am now very glad you didn’t coach. You looked worn down emough. I am pretty doggone proud of you my friend!! I am not a fiction writer (yet) but I am buying the book anyway. I can then say I know this guy, and he wrote the first draft in four months. What an accomplishment!!