Here’s the (numerical) story of BLUE BIRDS so far:
first idea: 2008
research began: 2010
writing began: 2011
book sold: 2013
publication: 2015
number of research books read completely: 9 (reading some several times)
number of research books read partially: 4
number of websites visited: 1 zillion
number of months researching: approximately 9
number of printed / partially printed copies: 7
number of early readers: 13
number of drafts before selling: 1 zillion + 2
number of editor rejections: 7
number of poems in sold manuscript: 224
number of words in sold manuscript (excluding the author’s note): 18,125
number of weeks to work on first-round edits: 10*
number of hours worked on first-round edits: 141.5
number of poems after first-round edits: 207
number of words after first-round edits (excluding author’s note): 19,632
number of words added the first 8 weeks of first-round edits (excluding author’s note): 3,551
number of words cut the last two weeks of first-round edits (excluding author’s note): 2,044
*during these ten weeks, I also worked on the following:
- fiction and non-fiction pieces to accompany an anthology proposal: 5 hours
- “back matter” for my 2015 picture book, OVER IN THE WETLANDS : 10 hours
Wow. When you really break it down like that, it’s amazing how much time and effort goes into each project. Love the “zillion +” !!!
I know. And it’s so helpful for me to see the big picture — that initial ideas and hours of work here and there can add up to big things (or one final thing, which I suppose is the same!).
Hmmm….1 zillion + 2? Yeah. That sounds about right. 😉
You would know, you good sport, you!
Wow, I’m impressed that you kept track of all that, let alone did the work! I often recycle old printed drafts, in an effort to embrace poverty and reduce clutter. (The “embrace poverty” bit makes it sound good, but I’m actually just terrified of becoming cluttered as I do tend to emotionally hold on to things.) So I probably wouldn’t remember by the end how many times I’d printed something…
I am so excited to read BLUE BIRDS, Caroline! Every time you write about it I get a tingly “I can’t wait!!!) feeling. 🙂
I can’t imagine how hard it must be to tell a story in poems. In a novel, you get all the words! I am a terrible condenser. I can’t wait for Blue Birds! And I so love the title.
And I’m not fully sure what to do with prose! But I’m trying to make my way through with this new one…
This is such an interesting breakdown of the whole process. Thanks for keeping good notes- and sharing them!
Thanks, Becky! It’s fun to realize that first “I’m going to write a book about the Lost Colony” idea will actually become a real book seven years later.
Love this, Caroline! Can I steal and do this with FORBIDDEN? 🙂 The journey of a book IS an amazing thing and I think it’s a good thing we DON’T know how long and how hard it’s going to be because we may give up early on. But when it’s a time period and characters you adore the journey is also VERY satisfying (even when publishing it is uncertain the entire path).