I am often asked how many words my books contain. The simple answer is count the words on one page and multiply it against the number of pages.
For the longer answer:-
From a simple notebook where all my ideas are recorded comes the finished product. This book is beside me all of the time and is where everything goes, ideas, research, dialogue, things that don't make it into the final book, anything that I can think of that may or may not be relevant to the plot. I am terrible at remembering names so even my characters are listed for my reference. When I get stuck I dip into this book so in theory I should never get writers block.
Yes I do use highlighter pens to make parts stand out more clearly.
From this comes this-
The Belgae Torc.
The first part of The Torc Trilogy. This was my first book and was published in 2012. It contains 110,239 words.
I always hand write the first two drafts. I love the feel of a pen and adore notebooks. This works for me because the thrill of the words flowing from pen onto paper is more than satisfying. I find it difficult to have that connection with a keyboard.
The Gordian Knot.
The second part of The Torc Trilogy was published in 2014. It contains 116,836 words.
Typing up the first draft of the manuscript is an ongoing process. I don't leave it to the end because editing as I go is very useful. It allows me to read and digest what I have already written.
Cutting the Gordian Knot (The Final Solution).
The third and final part of The Torc Trilogy was published in 2016 and contains 114,970 words.
Can you see a trend emerging here?
Over time my books have become longer. This is true of The Torc Trilogy and for two reasons. Firstly I thought that my books looked better with a few more pages in them and secondly I had so much more to say in the second and third books.
The next two books are in a completely different genre. I wanted to try my hand at writing psychological thrillers and experiment with a different section of the market.
The Witness.
This book came out in 2013 and was my second book to become published. It contains 111,205 words.
I had an idea to produce five thrillers. Some notable characters and places from The Witness would appear in all five books. Whilst each book is a stand alone novel I wanted to create a connection between each book.
The Cellist.
This book was published in 2017 and contains 112,020 words.
I enjoyed writing The Cellist.
Authors always have doubts and question their work in progress. Is it as good as my previous novel is the question that nags constantly. I am currently working on my third thriller. Familiar characters and places have made their way into this book which is almost finished. The editing process is ongoing as I work the manuscript into something worthy of proof reading.
This is what the final manuscript will look like. Double spaced, Arial font size twelve. I always provide my proof readers with a red pen. This pen is mightier than the sword!
My books are available from Amazon as both paperback and Kindle or they can be ordered from any good bookshop.
Keep a look out in your local UK library because slowly they are beginning to appear. If you can't find it on the shelf please request it from the librarian.
