The 80,000-word book marathon is in its 11th day and I really have to crank if I want to improve my per-day average. Last week, the per-day average was running about 5,700 words a day.

I took two days off to proof the first half of the MS in order to send what I’d written in for a quick read, and to get the titular author working on redlines. I only wrote on three weekdays; ramping up again was slow. That brought my overall average down to 5,500 a day. But I have this weekend to beetle away. I hope to make some serious progress.

Technically, I only have to make it to 70,000 words, which is a mere 15,000 words away, or the length of the novella I read the other night. Why only 70,000 words when I promised you an 80,000-word book? Because I’ve learned from past experience on this ghosting projects that the act of reading my work typically stimulates the bylined author to toss out ideas and anecdotes he or she has never thought to mention before. Invariably, we end up running long once we add the new material in. Over the years I’ve learned to leave a good “roominess margin.” It’s less painful to add 10,000 last-minute words than to cut 10,000 words we already love. That’s my logic anyway.

Of course it would have to be a sunny, 60-degree day on this North Carolina mountain. But I am not going to step outside to enjoy it. Not one bit.

Get the full story at these posts:

One day left: 66,649

Day 14: 70,083

Write a Book in 14 Days