Slaying the Speedrun Novel

I did it. I battled the beast, and I have slain it. It lies, a corpse, under my feet.

Last week I wrote that I was attempting to finish a rough draft. I had about 50,000 words to write, and a week to do it. Well, that novel is now the corpse beneath my feet.

I don’t think that’s the proper analogy.

Anyway, I did it. I speedran a novel. How?

• Rather than 50,000 words, the novel completed with an additional 35,000 words. It ended up being shorter than expected. (It’ll likely expand a little in revision, but not significantly.)
• I typed my arse off. That’s right; I am an arseless writer. Thankfully summer is slow time in my “day job,” so I was able to put in three to four hours a day typing.
• I use an outline, so I knew where I was going. I had scene breakdowns. I didn’t have to think about what to do next.
• I write at about 2,000 words an hour. That eats up the distance!
• I already knew the characters, how they spoke, and how they acted, so I didn’t have to think. I just let them run loose on the page.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s the gist of it. One rough draft complete.

Now I get to go on vacation, and come home to revise revise revise! Woo!

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In other news, Madelyn of the Sky: Stones and Swords and Cade and the Last Starship are both on sale for $1.99 in this special promotion with a bunch of other young teen books! Check it out!