Well really, it snuck up on me!
It actually popped up somewhere in the middle of The Third Rule.
What am I talking about? My one-millionth word.
Here’s a little run through of the books and word count that goes with them:
Lord and Master 85k
Charlotte’s Lodge 94k
Knavesmire 175k
A Long Time Dead 92k
Stealing Elgar 157k
No More Tears 142k
The Third Rule 260k
Black by Rose 106k
So I wrote a further full book after the million word milestone. But there’s more too. I wrote a couple of short stories: Charlotte and the Troll (7k), and Shelley Mandrake (3k), plus eleven hours of telly scripts but I have no idea of a word count for those.
Wow, Mr Barrett, that must mean you’re a super-duper writist now then?
No. I’m still learning, and still trying to improve. From the list above, the first three books never made it out of the house because they were not up to standard (and some might say I have quite low standards!), but since the beginning of Stealing Elgar I managed to find a way in which I enjoy telling stories, and more importantly a way in which readers like to hear them told. So that’s a major hurdle crossed. They say you’re still developing throughout your first million words and I’d certainly agree with that. What I’d add to that is you’re still trying to reach the pinnacle of your abilities too, or you should be, long afterwards.
Anyway, let’s raise a glass to me and my pinnacle 🙂
