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| Image courtesy Patrick Fore, via Unsplash |
Editing a novel is an extremely time-consuming process, I'm learning. I guess I could go faster, but I feel like if I did, I would miss things and be in too much of a hurry.
I've been tracking the word count of the novel through each step of the editing process, and I thought it would be worth making a little point about the length of written works.
Don't worry too much if things seem a bit short on your first draft. As you read through and redraft, you'll find places to add material--character reactions, atmospheric details, etc.
I thought it would be helpful to post the numbers so far as I begin my fourth draft. You'll see what I mean.
The first draft came out at 51,627 words. Barely a novel. However, my second draft gained over 10,000 words, ending up at 61,675 words, total!
After that, I added three more short chapters, bringing the total up to 64,447 words.
On my third draft, I added almost another 10,000 words! My third draft came out at a respectable 72,718 words.
Now, on my fourth draft, I just finished going through Chapter 1, which was 6,110 words at the end of the third draft. My edits brought it up to 6,736 words in the fourth draft!
As you can see, the editing process is also a process of filling out parts that are too vague or too sparse. I'm adding character reactions, additional details about the world, even a bit of additional dialogue and argument here and there.
At this rate, I might add another 8,000-10,000 words in this draft!
The lesson here is that you can find a lot to add in the editing process. As I look at how much I've moved the needle, I wonder if I couldn't have turned my novellas into full-length novels with a bit of work.
Oh, well, I guess!
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If you liked this little blog entry, you might like my other posts tagged analysis, update, or blogpost.
I'll also direct you to my latest novella, which is a very fun mix of hard science fiction and cosmic horror!
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