Hi everyone, checking in...
Typed out a little over 4K shining new words since I was here last. Have to admit I'm angsting a bit when I see my work pass the 100K mark again. Worked so hard to get it down under 100K...
But. Absolute limit is 125K, manuscript now stands at 101 387 words, and if I follow my outline, I've got only 7 chapters more to write. That means an average of 3K per chapter. Come on, Torill, you can do that!
@ mrajotte Yeah - I've got a notebook full of memos to self about my manuscript as well. Plot points to remember, questions that need to be answered, themes that need to be followed through. Of course it may be possible that some of them are no longer valid, since I have cut so much and also changed or deleted some subplots.
My plot is sort of complicated, lots of different characters with conflicting motives, and lots of stuff going on behind the scenes, some of it to be revealed only in later books (if anyone wants to buy this one, that is... ) So - need to keep my tongue straight. And of course, I need to be careful about the logic of my worldbuilding as well. (I don't write your traditional high fantasy with a complete, alternate universe - but still, the fantastic elements need to be explained and add up!)
Now I'm looking forward to the final editing. Imagine having an actual, finished manuscript to polish and tweak! But yeah - once I get there, maybe it will drive me mad as well!
@ Sarah G Hi Sarah, nice to see you again!
And thanks. I didn't think I would be able to cut that much either and I nearly gave it up before I started - but it proved easier than I thought. Of course, it took forever....
Good luck with your drafting! I came to that very same point last August - had to sit down for several months and do some serious plot revision, look hard at the logic of my story and write a lot of backstory for several of the characters. Hopefully it will make the ending easier to write now.
@ Aggy B Congratulations with your finished short stories! Hope you'll get them well placed in the anthology you're submitting to.
And congrats with breaking the 50k mark of your novel!
Killing awesome scenes is hard - I have a few tugging at my heartstrings, too, begging to be put back into my book, but sadly, I have no room for them... Great to hear you can make use of them in later books, that's no good work wasted then.
I have a few query drafts sitting in well buried files in my comp, too. They're crude and clumsy and awful - I really dread the day I have to sit down and write one for real... But you've maybe done them before? Good luck anyway!
@ Siri Kirpal Good to hear the editing is still going well. Here's hoping your betas will come back with helpful advice and lots of encouragement.
Keep up the good work everyone!!
Shock and horror - my contemporary fantasy WIP had reached a frightful 150K with 1/4th left to go! 120K being the accepted pain threshold for a debut fantasy novel, I knew this one never get an agent! I lost faith and I lost momentum. I couldn't write the ending when I knew I was already so hopelessly outside any reasonably limit... So - nothing else for it
but to start cutting!!!! Decided I had to get the damn mastodon down to under 100K, if I were to have enough words left to write the ending I wanted, and still clock in under 120K. This made it painfully clear: I would never reach my set goal of starting the querying process at the end of May. So 
I deserted this thread. (Hangs head in shame). It was a very stupid thing to do. This place did a lot to help me keep up my motivation. Plus, I feel very bad for leaving the rest of you, who want a friendly cheer leading group just as much as I do! That's why we all come here, right? To get cheered at and cheer each other on? I'm so sorry I deserted you all! Still
I finished it! I got there! At the end of last month, I had brought the whole thing down to 95 K!! Yes, it still needs editing and polishing, and the new beginning especially I'm not too happy with - but I now have enough room to write the ending! I've decided my absolute limit will be 125K, so now have 30 K to write the rest. 
Felt a bit awkward about coming back here, so did a bit of lurking. And of course, discovered that I'm not the only one. (Where does that idea come from anyway, that the rest of the world experience smooth sailing, and will always reach their goals on their set date, and only I will have problems? Very bad idea!
So - creeping back now to see how you all fare and cheer you on, and keep writing till I finish! 
(And won't put up another date, just keep at it till I'm done...)
to those of you who finished your work since I saw you last! You go!!!!!
Hi mrajotte! Good luck with your remaining ten scenes! I'm like Siri - I edit as I go, over and over, until I'm satisfied - so I guess I don't have any break from draft to editing. But yes, this does vary among writers, so I'm sure others here will give you different answers.
I don't think I'd be able to cut that much
So; I am hoping to plan for the rest of July; then re draft book one in August, using it as my campNaNo project
