Recons, Recaps and Word Count Experiments

Recons, Recaps and Word Count Experiments

Last week, there was a writing conference online called Indie Recon. It was the second annual Indie Recon, but the first time I'd heard of it. First, let me say that there is a lot of controversy about independent publishing versus traditional publishing. I love being able to indie publish my books. In my opinion, self-publishing is an amazing opportunity. I don't judge people who traditionally publish because that's amazing, too, for different reasons. I just love the whole world of self-publishing and all the helpful people who have somewhat banded together to assist other authors.

I wanted to attend all the events. Every. Single. One.

Of course, that wasn't possible.

Luckily, most chats were text-based, so they're still available on the site for people to read. Those authors who did video or informational posts left their messages for people to read at their leisure. If you'd like to read or watch any of the posts, here's the link to the schedule, which lists all the available "talks". 

It's fantastic that authors are helping other authors with news of their experiences. Not every post was information I didn't know already, but that doesn't mean it wasn't new to someone else. (I do a lot of research!)

I've added links to the two articles I found most informative or inspiring here in this recap.

How to Write Fast: 2k to 10k 2 years later by Rachel Aaron

She has a book that talks about the process she used to bring her writing from 2,000 words per day to 10,000. It's also detailed in her blog post.  The reason I found this both inspiring and informative is pretty obvious, I think. I would like to write 10k words a day!

Serial Writing for Your Readers byRaShelle Workman

I love the idea of serials. I've been thinking about them for some time, but I've been iffy about the process, pricing, and how they would be received by readers. RaShelle talks about that in her video. 

I'm combining the inspiration from these two posts to apply to my own work. For now, I'll work on increasing my word count. Currently, I write about 2,000 words of fiction per day. (Oh, how I wish I could write fiction exclusively. In total, I write about 3-5k per day in dry, work writing, too.) On Wednesday, I'll talk about whether my word count improved. You could join me in the quest for more words! 

What do you think about serials? If there are compelling characters, would you continue to invest money every month in a serial story, or would you rather read a complete book? I compare it to episodes on television. Basically, are you a binge Netflix type watcher, or do you tune in to your favorites week after week?