New Number — 32

  I’ve found my number!

For now, anyway.

After my angst about having just 19 chapters – 19!! Intolerable!! – I went back and split things up differently. Some chapters were mapped out with two separate scenes, each of which advanced the plot in significant ways and ended with a bit of a surprising turn. Others were just one scene, plus some reaction and transition stuff. When I restructured things so that each of these separate scenes was a separate chapter, the number turned out to e 32. I like this number. It’s a pleasant, elegant number. I think I can live with it.

As I said — for now. As things progress, everything can be adjusted! I’m able to move forward, though, feeling like I’m grounded, as I work on my character arcs. Each of the main characters and some of the more influential secondary characters, including antagonists, gets an arc. I will have them mapped out by my Sunday deadline.

Do you have a longer work (novel or nonfiction) that you’re planning? If so, how many chapters do you have? How did you arrive at that number?

Hello World!

So I’m starting a new blog dedicated to my writing, instead of to my reading. I’ve been writing a novel for about, oh, 20 years plus. I’ve started it and fizzled God knows how many times. This time, though, I’m determined to finish! I’ve got a general outline and have sketched out scenes past the midpoint, and I know what the ending is going to be, so I really think it will work. Time (and this blog) will tell. My goal here is to have someplace to talk about the struggles in writing the book (officially “the #*@%^! book), what I have learned about writing, and in general whatever touches on my writing life. Whether anyone ever reads this or not, it will give me something to write when there’s nothing else to write!