I Wrote 25,000 Words Last Week!

By Elaine L. Orr

Needless to say, I've never written 25,000 words in a week. I've been subbing more than half time, and last week was Spring break. I decided I had to get really close to finishing "New Lease on Death." I've worked on it way too long.

I think my brain moved faster than usual because I've been writing and thinking about this story for months. I have notes jotted on pieces of paper all over the place.

Two weeks ago I spent a few hours on my Chapter Summaries. There is enough detail on each chapter that I can track the plot and subplots and if I need to move scenes around. It's not for anyone else to see unless one of my wonderful critique group members wants to see it. You'd think a crazy woman wrote it, because I ask questions of myself and sometimes write things like, "This doesn't work."

Outlines are fine, and I do make detailed notes in advance for much of a book. However, sometimes it's not enough. The chapter summaries let me see where I am and then I write detailed notes (in the same format) for the next few chapters. 

I now have 50,000 words and a path to the end, which I think would be about 7,500 more. Knowing where I'm going makes all the difference.

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