Hit 100,000 words on my novel draft and honestly I'm just tired, not proud

I've been pushing through this fantasy novel for about eight months now, writing late nights after work when my brain's already fried from fixing brakes and oil changes. Last Tuesday I crossed 100,000 words and I thought I'd feel something big, like a rush of accomplishment. Instead I just sat there staring at the screen thinking about the ten chapters I still need to rewrite because the pacing falls apart around chapter 15. My wife asked if I was gonna celebrate and I just shrugged. It's weird how hitting a milestone you chased for so long can feel hollow when you realize how much work is still left. Has anyone else had that moment where a writing goal just felt like a number and not a win?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugoj8628d ago

Wait wait wait. YOU rewrite ten chapters? Not just trim or tweak but actually rewrite? That's brutal. I'd be staring at a wall for a week if I had that in front of me.

troy_owens28d ago

Congrats on the 100k words, that's a whole lot of typing even if it feels like a chore right now. Maybe we should celebrate by cracking open a cheap beer alone in the dark, that's how real writers do it, right? The whole "ten chapters to rewrite" thing hits hard because you realize a draft is just a very long to-do list, not a finished product. Give yourself a day to feel tired about it, then get back at it tomorrow. That hollow feeling just means you care enough to push for a better story.