Okay, I might get in a bit more work today (as I am coming to a part wherein I know exactly what comes next) but maybe not. But as of right now, 20 November 2016, 6:30 PM EDT:
2,145 words for the day. 37,670 words since 1 November 2016. Total wordcount on the book to date: 107,128.
I have absolutely no idea how many of those 37,67o words will make it into the actual book. I am in a mode where I am using the words on the page to explain things to myself, and that generally results in my saying things more than once, and then later choosing which way (usually the second) works better. But even if I nuke 20,000 of those words, the nuked text is a vital part of the process. I am producing raw material that I can later edit. Don’t get me wrong — I think I am producing good copy — but maybe some large portion of it does not need to be in the book. Or maybe it does. I know for sure this is exactly the wrong time in the process for me to evaluate my own work.
There’s the old line from Louis B. Mayer, who supposedly said “Without a contract, there would be no basis for renegotiation” or words to that effect. (I might have quote or attribution wrong, but I think I am close. Someone on the internet will correct me.) That’s sort of the way I feel about a first draft. Rather than spend endless hours trying to get every syllable right on the first pass, I feel as if it is a better use of my time, and results in a far superior final text, if I generate text that I can work on later.
Brain is nearing gumbo consitency. More later.
PS — Turns out 2,145 was enough words for my brain yesterday. Back at it now.