Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday! Filler! With Charts!

Here is a chart showing the chapter-by-chapter wordcounts of my novel "Cocke & Bull":



Here is a chart showing the chapter-by-chapter wordcounts of my novel "Killing Hamlet":



I cannot help noticing that the profiles are very different. The middle chapters of "Cocke & Bull" are quite long, where the chapters of "Killing Hamlet" are all about the same length with the exception of chapters 6 and 18. Those two chapters come at the end of the First and Fourth acts (I'm using a 5-act structure for this book).

Do I know what any of this really means, or can I glean anything useful from it as a writer? Not so much. But the charts look cool. I'm a big fan of Excel. Anyway, it's Friday and I got nothing for you. For me it's going to be a 3-day weekend. Hopefully I'll get some writing done. Tonight, Mighty Reader and I are meeting some friends for crepes and wine at a nice French restaurant. You?

And this is for Nevets:

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18 comments:

  1. Andrew RosenbergSeptember 3, 2010 at 10:44 AM

    My chapter breaks are just random breaks in my story ever X words or so. So they are all about the same size by design.
    I wrote the story scene-by-scene without chapters in mind.
    May do it differently in the future. I really like how serial writers build chapters.
    Anyways I wouldn't worry about it.

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  2. scott g.f.baileySeptember 3, 2010 at 10:46 AM

    I'm not worried; my chapters are all the length they need to be. I am just interested. And, you know: charts. Chartz R kewl.

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  3. C. N. NevetsSeptember 3, 2010 at 11:18 AM

    As an Excel and Access junkie, I think the only that that would make this post more awesome would be if there was a bear on the charts. Or eels. Oh yeah. Eeeeeellllllssssss.

    As for this weekend, I have EMS stuff scattered around for all the special events in town, but Saturday hopefully Rose and I will get some Indian or Thai food in Fort Wayne.

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  4. C. N. NevetsSeptember 3, 2010 at 12:03 PM

    Scott, tonight I will toast you.

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  5. Franklin BeaumontSeptember 3, 2010 at 12:20 PM

    I don't know why this is interesting; but it is.

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  6. Alex MacKenzieSeptember 3, 2010 at 12:21 PM

    I would prefer a pie chart. Because I like pie.

    My chapters are all about the same length, except for the ones that aren't.

    Tonight I'm getting together with friends for Chinese food. Mmmm.

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  7. Davin MalasarnSeptember 3, 2010 at 12:48 PM

    I've been back to my book Satellites and there are no chapter breaks so far other than the breaks dividing the four sections. I see places where chapter breaks could go though. And room for one bear. Okay, not really.

    I went out to dinner with friends last night so today I'm feeling the pressure to stay in. I want chicken and corn bread. That will bring me back to my roots.

    Oh, and I badly want to use the real name of the person who I have based my main character on. It's such a perfect name. Can I? He has just met Scott at a wedding rehearsal and Scott is causing some internal conflict in him.

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  8. scott g.f.baileySeptember 3, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    Franklin: Charts make everything seem more interesting! That's why every business meeting must use PowerPoint(tm) even though PowerPoint(tm) presentations are invariably meaningless and mind-killing.

    Mizmak: Have fun at dinner! I had Chinese for lunch yesterday on the Ave. And darn you for going to an M's game where they actually win.

    Big D: I am thinking that my next project won't have actual chapters, just breaks in the narrative. Maybe not even those. We'll see.

    What's the real name of your character's inspiration? If it's Filbert Muttonchop, that might not be a good idea. My apologies, Mr. Muttonchop, but you have a foolish name.

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  9. Davin MalasarnSeptember 3, 2010 at 4:44 PM

    The real name is Dennis. I tried Abe, but it just didn't work. Right now, I have Dean, but Dennis is really the best. He's actually a great character, it's the wife that I'm worried about offending.

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  10. C. N. NevetsSeptember 3, 2010 at 8:03 PM

    What about Denny? Tyson? Jay (as in Jay North)? Venice? Tumnus?

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  11. Kelsey (Dominique) RidgeSeptember 3, 2010 at 8:39 PM

    My chapters break when my gut tells me to break them, which is a scientific enough way for me. Usually, though, they seem to break at roughly the same word count, and I take comfort in that knowledge. Have fun with the crepes!

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  12. Tara MayaSeptember 3, 2010 at 10:08 PM

    I have chart envy.

    @ Domey. How about Sinned? That's subtle. No one will figure it out.

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  13. Davin MalasarnSeptember 3, 2010 at 10:11 PM

    Tara Maya, that's way too exciting for me. You have to think quieter, more mundane, more boring. I've given you a wrong impression with that wolfman cannibal thing, haven't I?

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  14. SouthpawSeptember 4, 2010 at 2:03 PM

    THEY ARE COOL! LOL

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  15. AidanFSeptember 5, 2010 at 3:05 PM

    You've Nevetsized your chart.

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  16. lotusgirlSeptember 6, 2010 at 10:26 AM

    Cool! Crepes sound fantastic. It may be about time to make some of those.

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  17. Tara MayaSeptember 6, 2010 at 4:06 PM

    Don't worry, Domey, I only meant, quite innocently and mundanely, that Sinned is Dennis backwards. :)

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  18. C. N. NevetsSeptember 7, 2010 at 7:00 AM

    @Aidan - LMAO! By the way, I *am* working out designs for a Nevetsize Me t-shirt. hahaha I'm such a dork.

    ReplyDelete

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