The Start

I started writing the first draft of my Contemporary Romance novel on June 18, 2016.  It’s now been about 3 weeks and I’m halfway through Chapter 2.  So far, the story is totaling 6,441 words.  According to Writer’s Digest, an adult novel should be  between 80,000 and 89,999 words.  Similarly, the Writers & Artists website claims that a typical novel is 80,000 to 100,000 words in length.  Although, the Manuscript Appraisal Agency website states that romance novels are expected to be between 50,000-100,000 words.  I don’t have a specific word count goal, but I’m shooting for at least 80,000 words.

To summarize, the story is about a single, misfit, yet successful family lawyer who retires early to escape city life and move to a place of serenity where she encounters someone unexpected.  It’s kind of an adventurous and somewhat thrilling love story.

I started the manuscript using Word, but discovered a downloadable software called Scrivener that works even better for long text.  It allows me to break the text down into chapters and scenes, so I can refer back to them easily.  It also has an option where you can put two sections side by side to see if you’ve already used a certain phrase or if you just want to make sure you’re keeping the story cohesive.  I highly recommend it for writers.  It’s currently $40.00 to download on Literature & Latte’s website.  It’s also great for keeping your notes, pictures, and research in one place.

I’m really hoping to finish Chapter 2 this week.  A typical week day for me includes: working full time, reading on my breaks, writing after dinner, then working out.  At this pace, I have no idea when I’ll finish the novel, but I’m hoping no longer than a year.

 

References:

Writer’s Digest – http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post

Writers & Artists – https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/33/preparing-for-submission/how-to-find-a-literary-agent/how-long-should-my-ms-be

Manuscript Appraisal Agency – http://manuscriptagency.com.au/word-count-by-genre-how-long-should-my-book-be/

Scrivener – https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php