I have about 23,000 words at NaNo, it says here. That’s neither true nor false. What I have is about 75,000 words written on A Child of Great Promise. Of that, maybe 15% is notes and alternate takes on a scene–stuff, iow, that will be thrown out. Another 15% will need heavy editing, mainly for continuity. For example, a number of scenes aren’t going to take place *there* involving *those* people, but will take place *here* involving *these* people. Same scene, but the dialog will have to change, setting descriptions, all of it.

So, how do I translate this activity into NaNo’s paradigm of how many words did you write today. The answer is, I don’t. I’m just plugging in a number. If it’s a day where I’m writing new stuff, I’ll get a word count on that. But if it’s a day when I’m doing that heavy editing, I take the full count of the chapter and call it good. And where it’s light editing, I really do just invent a number.

This round of NaNo is really about keeping my tender nose to the whirling grindstone of time. My task is really about getting chapters to the point where I can present them to an editor. Some of those will involve much writing; others, not so much. Any way you figure it, come November 30, I’ll be done.

To be sure of hitting the target, just shoot. Whatever you hit, call that the target.