74,751

/ Kim Gorman

This is my new favorite number, and no, I didn’t win a jackpot. It’s not my salary or the balance in my savings account. It’s the word count for the historical romance novel I finally finished writing! It’s still rough in spots, but I was determined to keep at it, without stopping to nitpick, right until THE END.

Word Count

Hi Cortana, how many words in my recently completed romance novel? 74,751 did you say?!

If necessity is the mother of invention, then burning desire is the father of creation. My burning desire to fulfill my dream of completing and publishing a novel drove me to type like a fiend during a recent vacation. That, and the sudden clarity that if I truly want to achieve this long-held dream , I have to make it happen. It is entirely my responsibility to make this a priority, and to believe in myself, my story, and my ability 100 percent – no apologies, no excuses, no downplaying anything.

If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.  ~Unknown

My novel, my story, my baby, has taken on various forms over the years. I started it about 10 years ago, with nothing but a handful of characters, a loose premise, a seaside setting, and a cache of random scenes that I had to somehow connect. At one point, I learned that Harlequin Romance had an e-line which accepted un-agented novellas. This seemed like a manageable place to start as a novice fiction writer. I fleshed out the story to about 15,000 words and submitted it via email. Two years later, almost to the day, I received an email reply from a Harlequin editor saying how sorry she was, but they’d closed that line two years before and thought the email address closed with it. Only recently did they realize folks were still submitting to it. She encouraged me to submit another story to a different line.

I was inspired by the email. They hadn’t flat out rejected me. I decided to expand the story to 55,000-75,000 words, since the other lines required this range. Now I have to smooth out the rough edges, write a new query letter and synopsis, and attempt to navigate the mysterious world of publishing (I’ve decided not to re-submit to Harlequin). That’s where the real work begins.

So that’s where my beloved novel stands. I am beyond excited that it’s come this far. Whatever the outcome, I know that nothing which hails from the creative spirit is ever a wasted effort.

What’s your burning desire? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to set it in motion?

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26 thoughts on “74,751”

    • Thanks, George. It really does feel great. I remember how amazing it felt when I finished the novella and hit the send button. I never imagined I could ever write something 75,000 words. I guess it’s like the saying goes, A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step (at a time) 🙂

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  4. Congrats Kim! What a feeling that must be. I am at the very beginning of my quest to change careers and the journey and effort to get there. I am determined not to let the nay sayers stop me. What ever it takes. My favorite quote on this subject is from the movie Galaxy Quest. “Never give up never surrender!”

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    • I hope you make the career change you’re looking for. It’s funny, but for so long I was inspired by quotes and articles and books on pursuing dreams, etc., but it wasn’t until recently that it all finally clicked, I mean really clicked, that I must make it happen. And would you believe it came from a romance novel? The heroine, who was at first going to marry someone she didn’t love, said “The marriage would be good because she would make it good.” And it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Life really is what we make it.

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      • Thank you for the encouragement. You are so right about finding your inspiration unexpectedly and from unexpected sources. My journey also began unexpectedly after hearing a speaker at a conference. Within a few weeks I was writing a blog and studying a subject I had not ever thought about.

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  8. Congratulations on finishing your novel! Lots of people say they are going to write a novel some day, but few people actually do it. And with your writing skills and determination, I have no doubt that you will find a way to get it published as well. When you do, I’m buying a copy!!!

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