Both today and yesterday I have been struggling to make my 2,000 words. Yesterday I had 2,003 and today I just 2,240 at 9pm. I am transitioning between acts two and three and realizing how many loose ends I have to tie in. It all has to be woven together to run smoothly and each of the threads must come to a satisfying end.
I am also wrestling with the idea of killing off some of the lead characters. I think at least one has got to go, to drive it home that this is serious business. Unfortunately it will have to be one of my favourite characters, I keep thinking that if I have a sequel I'd love to have that person around, because I really enjoy the element that they bring. Even the villain has grown on me, I feel like I want to explore his character more, perhaps I will have to go back and backfill a few more chapters from his POV.
I am well past 50,000 words, and it looks, right now, as if the total manuscript will weigh in around the 70-75k range. Which should work pretty well for a Young Adult novel. Recommended length for YA is 40-80k. For those of you who do not write and need a frame of reference, a normal paperback has about 250 words per page, or 400 pages to a 100k manuscript.
With any luck I can have copies with beta-readers before the end of next month.
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