Making Time for a Novel

Posted byChantelle GriffinPosted inWriting ToolsTags:, , , ,

Time for a NovelWriting is a slow process for many reasons, so it is not a race but rather a long term project. I began by working backward:

72,000 words over 36 weeks = 2,000 words a week, or 400 words for 5 days a week.

This always changes but it gives me a guide to start from. It breaks down a large daunting novel into easy chunks. A novel written over a long time frame needs attention to keep track of details. I keep a master index listing: terms, creatures, artefacts, characters, and places. The fantasy series covers 7 countries, more than 30 places, and over 100 characters. That is because I have a habit of naming my minor characters not to mention the dragons.

Keeping Track

Gone are the days when I wrote everything on paper. My note book is for brief notes, and jotting down useful information. My scrap book is for mind mapping and scribbling. Everything else is done on computer, everything I want to keep that is. I created files to keep track of writing, one for my website, my books, my illustrations, and my descriptions. My file for my books contains the most important information. This contains book titles, brief plots, timeframes, editing, formatting, prices, and book launches. This is my little file of notes which I refer to for each project.

Process

Publishing is a process of which I am part way through. In case you haven’t guessed I am an independent author finding my way as I go along. There are a few reasons why I chose this path. I have friends who are traditionally published, independently published, and a mix of both. The first thing I considered was my capacity. I am a slow writer and life gets in the way more often than not. So I made the decision to keep writing as a hobby. I could continue to enjoy every moment with the added stress of tight deadlines.

Structure

There are many hidden guidelines so take the time to get to know them. These can be novel length, genre types, reading age, and the list goes on. You don’t need to know everything, but a general understanding helps. I have been writing fantasy for young adults, novel range 50,000-70,000 words. This is the reading age of self-discovery, and making your way out into the world. The reason why I take an interest is because it helps describe my book to the reader. Sorcery, wizards, and dragons are common words for this genre and describe my theme. After all, what would an adventure be without dragons?

Published by Chantelle Griffin

Chantelle’s mother remains one of the most famous witnesses in Australian legal history. The first large screen movie the author saw, at the age of nine, had an actress playing her as an infant when she was at Uluru on 17 August 1980 at the same campsite as the Chamberlains. She began publishing poetry later in life with the first release coinciding with the fortieth anniversary of the disappearance of Azaria. While most poems have been released in the volumes for the anthology, more than a thousand were written throughout a twelve year period. Chantelle has a Master of Environmental Planning and enjoys life at half pace with two cats. Her first fantasy book was released too soon, after a near death experience and a second edition was published four years later. She resides in Tasmania and continues to write as a past time in the evening.