A Novel, by Paul Sofranko

I have gotten a head start on a New Year’s resolution. As I do not usually bother with such things as they are often broken within days, this one was easy as I have not much of a commitment to keeping it. Since I recovered from alcoholism over 10 years ago, I’ve adopted the “One Day at a Time” philosophy of Twelve Step movements. So this “New Year’s Resolution” is just something to be renewed daily.

I can easily keep that commitment! (No pressure to keep it for the year, “just for today.”)

What is this commitment? To write a novel! And so begins one this blog’s main purposes: to be a writer’s blog.

Over the past year, I have spent some time plotting and planning a science fiction novel. Later I’ll get around to sharing the idea. I have never been too comfortable with doing that.

I have spent much of 2012 writing up character sketches, outlines, and other backstory kind of things to serve as a guide to writing the actual novel.

And so these past few days I’ve started writing it. I have a modest pace, at least 500 words a day. I’ll be happy with 1,000+. So far, I’ve hit the minimum goals,and come close to the 1000 words once. Hey, it’s a beginning.

My target? About 100,000 words. At about 250-300 words a page,which varies depending upon the amount of dialogue and narration, that should put me in the ballpark of a 350-400 word novel. Good approximation.

This particular novel will be one of an open ended series. In other words, there should be more that just this one novel in the world that I am building. In working out the histories of this world, I have even identified certain events which may serve as short stories. Kewl!

I have committed to spending 1-2 hours minimum to the writing of this. I have kept this, although it has only been a few days.

So, that’s that for now.

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