Yeah I’m thinking Oct. 6th but we’re still hashing out how this will work. Even if you don’t get anything down we’ll post your current and links to the novellas. I want more people reading that stuff.
When I started out six years ago I first aimed for a completed first draft novel and after that I was aiming for 1,000,000 words. I crossed 1M in the middle of last year with around 1300 hours of writing. (I track both in a spreadsheet though the hours are fuzzy and includes editing time.)
Currently I stand at 1,329,847 words. Around 400,000 is published on SubStack, mostly short stories and novellas alongside one old novel (which I think is bad now) and the rest is spread over 5 unpublished novels.
Damn, dude. You're absolutely slaying. Gonna be a while before I catch up. No pressure at all, but if you want to get on the "leaderboard" I'll be sending out twice a month, I do ask you sign up for the monthly paid option. Not a hard pitch, I'm happy to have you along for the ride either way, but if you want to be in the updates I'll put the links to whatever stuff you want there too. You'll be the top spot for quite a while unless one of us seriously steps up haha.
This really piqued my interest. Writing is my chosen profession and my hobby. While I write a ton of non-fiction for my day job, I can never escape the pull of storytelling. It's been my passion since I was hardly a decade into my existence. Now, sunsetting into my late twenties and at the earliest stages of my writing career, I feel this would be a great goal to chase.
Absolutely! Would love to have you do this with us. If you want me to post your stats I do ask for the small monthly subscription, but also totally get it if that's not for you right now. You can definitely play the home game and keep cranking along with us. Hopefully the work we all do will inspire each other.
Love this idea and before this morning I wasn’t actually sure how many words I’d written altogether. A quick count comes up with 248k, but I’m sure there are things I’ve missed. Still, being a quarter of the way to a million is more than I expected and encouraging.
Interesting. Are you considering only finalized, published words count? A first draft of 100,000 words pared down to 90,000 in subsequent drafts, even with new scenes, would then add 90,000 words to your progress?
I’d count the 100k. I’d say editing is a different skillset. What I’m after here, and for anyone that wants to dive into it, is the reps. Writing new material is the goal. Practicing creating in that way.
New scenes are tricky. At the writer’s discretion I’d say. To me that’s new material. You’d have to find a way to tally it. Not hard and fast rules obv with this. At a certain number of millions you’re in that marginal gains territory for the rest of your life haha.
Hey, Jaime! It’s open ended. Join us when you’re ready. If you check out the first update post you can see how we’re structuring it now. But yeah, door’s open!
Thank you, Brady. I'll come see you and jump in as soon as I clear a corner of my plate and have more spoons.
What you're doing is exciting!!
Oh, quick questions:
• Can I count books I wrote, published, made money from and then unpublished? They are only available to read now on a specific platform, but they do still exist...
The aim here is practice, so we are counting any NEW words of fiction. Meaning new at the time. So your starting tally will include books you’ve written. We’re sort of de facto excluding editing but if you add to a scene or smth count those too. You’ll have to have some discernment and estimate some things since it’s all self reported. But the idea of reps is what we’re after. Or call it miles logged for a running analogy. So any time you write fiction (or have written, for your starting number), whether for kids, adults, or wombats, count it.
Yeah I agree with the nuance in this post. I do think that volume and quantity matters for writing but also focus and consistency are key. I know for myself I'm after these targets in the shortest amount of time possible, which necessitates intensity and consistency.
Count me in dear sir!
- [done] Stories vol. 1, including the Debut Project - 58949
- [done] The Deleted Scenes from the Bestselling Utopian Novel - 33700
- [wip] Stories vol. 2 - 23600
- [wip] Anecdotic Adventures of Khorya and Borya - 9500
- [wip] my next big project, a novel - 11300
Total: 137100
if I am not mistaken
YES. You're killing it, man. You are on the list.
I'll touch base with everyone signed up when I send out the first update. Let's keep adding words!
I hope it’s somewhen in October because I am on holiday and not adding words haha
Yeah I’m thinking Oct. 6th but we’re still hashing out how this will work. Even if you don’t get anything down we’ll post your current and links to the novellas. I want more people reading that stuff.
This is a great initiative, I'm in!
When I started out six years ago I first aimed for a completed first draft novel and after that I was aiming for 1,000,000 words. I crossed 1M in the middle of last year with around 1300 hours of writing. (I track both in a spreadsheet though the hours are fuzzy and includes editing time.)
Currently I stand at 1,329,847 words. Around 400,000 is published on SubStack, mostly short stories and novellas alongside one old novel (which I think is bad now) and the rest is spread over 5 unpublished novels.
Damn, dude. You're absolutely slaying. Gonna be a while before I catch up. No pressure at all, but if you want to get on the "leaderboard" I'll be sending out twice a month, I do ask you sign up for the monthly paid option. Not a hard pitch, I'm happy to have you along for the ride either way, but if you want to be in the updates I'll put the links to whatever stuff you want there too. You'll be the top spot for quite a while unless one of us seriously steps up haha.
Count me in. 213k words down. A multi-million more to go.
Based. You're on the list. And I'm coming for you.
I'm coming in with a mere 42,000 words of short fiction, but I'm excited about the prospects of this! Let's get writing!
Aye aye, sir. On the list. LFG!
This really piqued my interest. Writing is my chosen profession and my hobby. While I write a ton of non-fiction for my day job, I can never escape the pull of storytelling. It's been my passion since I was hardly a decade into my existence. Now, sunsetting into my late twenties and at the earliest stages of my writing career, I feel this would be a great goal to chase.
Absolutely! Would love to have you do this with us. If you want me to post your stats I do ask for the small monthly subscription, but also totally get it if that's not for you right now. You can definitely play the home game and keep cranking along with us. Hopefully the work we all do will inspire each other.
Love this idea and before this morning I wasn’t actually sure how many words I’d written altogether. A quick count comes up with 248k, but I’m sure there are things I’ve missed. Still, being a quarter of the way to a million is more than I expected and encouraging.
I'm in. Sign me up and stick me on the board with a tiny 70k so far
Estimated, but I think that's right. 55k on the novel, 3k of Fables, 14k published short stories, 2k on an early failed novel.
Make it 75k.
Starting point noted. Keep cracking and I'll put you in the updates. Game on!
Interesting. Are you considering only finalized, published words count? A first draft of 100,000 words pared down to 90,000 in subsequent drafts, even with new scenes, would then add 90,000 words to your progress?
I’d count the 100k. I’d say editing is a different skillset. What I’m after here, and for anyone that wants to dive into it, is the reps. Writing new material is the goal. Practicing creating in that way.
New scenes are tricky. At the writer’s discretion I’d say. To me that’s new material. You’d have to find a way to tally it. Not hard and fast rules obv with this. At a certain number of millions you’re in that marginal gains territory for the rest of your life haha.
It sounds like an interesting challenge.
How long will this offer me open? I've got too much on my plate to add one...more...challenge.
BUT this excites me enough that I'm making a plan to complete a specific set of projects to make room to come join the party.
Hey, Jaime! It’s open ended. Join us when you’re ready. If you check out the first update post you can see how we’re structuring it now. But yeah, door’s open!
Thank you, Brady. I'll come see you and jump in as soon as I clear a corner of my plate and have more spoons.
What you're doing is exciting!!
Oh, quick questions:
• Can I count books I wrote, published, made money from and then unpublished? They are only available to read now on a specific platform, but they do still exist...
• Do children's books count?
Thanks =)
Thank you!
And yes, of course, to both questions.
The aim here is practice, so we are counting any NEW words of fiction. Meaning new at the time. So your starting tally will include books you’ve written. We’re sort of de facto excluding editing but if you add to a scene or smth count those too. You’ll have to have some discernment and estimate some things since it’s all self reported. But the idea of reps is what we’re after. Or call it miles logged for a running analogy. So any time you write fiction (or have written, for your starting number), whether for kids, adults, or wombats, count it.
Hope that makes sense.
It does! It also makes me even more excited. I've been doing this for a very long time, so thank you for that clarification Brady.
Will be back!!
https://qr.ae/pKRasJ
Yeah I agree with the nuance in this post. I do think that volume and quantity matters for writing but also focus and consistency are key. I know for myself I'm after these targets in the shortest amount of time possible, which necessitates intensity and consistency.
So does that mean that if I go back and count up everything I’ve written and it’s over 10 million that I’m now a master?