That Darned Word Count

Well, folks, if you've been looking at that little counter up there, I've got my MS words down from 126,000 to 105,000. Feeling pretty good about it, in fact. Still more to go, but it's reading well, and I don't think any characters or major points got dropped off accidentally.

Sue H commented that she's done 400,000 words! Oh, my! Look, Sue, it's okay to have longer books for fantasy, and, as you used Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon (what a great book that is!) as your example, it's probably okay. But that book of yours had better be pristine and wonderful, to capture that agent's eye. Second idea, why not make it into two or three books? If it's a hit, you're into the Potter Series money. I did note that Rowling's first book was the slimmest. Even she had to build up to really thick volumes.

Also, agents like writers with other books up their sleeves; it means they're not one-offs, and can deliver the goods long-term.

Oh, and I know about all those first novelists with huge books; my favorite writer, Jonathan Franzen (The Corrections), is one of them. But we must assume they are anomalies and, with the economy the way it is, and the skittishness of the publishing industry, not easily repeated today.

Out of the blue, as a result of a spur-of-the-moment pitch I sent off this morning, I received a request from an agent for twenty pages of Hafan Deg. This is good. This is my first. It would be nice if it were the last. But I am nothing, if not a realist.

Oh, and I received an award from dear Kit, in England. I get these from time-to-time on my art blog, but this is the first for my writing blog. Very nice. Thank you, Kit.

I'll put up the details tomorrow, and let you know who I think also warrants it.

There are so many of you...