Hailey's Novel Diary – 6/21/17

I finished chapter 9 in record time. I was pretty surprised by how quickly I punched it out. I was almost ready to pat myself on the back. Then I checked the word count. It's currently at 1,891 words. That is incredibly short for a chapter.

Obviously, a lot will change. This is only the first draft, and everything will either get longer or shorter when I get back to it. Some chapters are supposed to be longer than others, but I know from experience that the first draft will look nothing like the final print.

Chapter 10 starts with the scene that gave me the idea for the entire book. I almost started the story here, but it's better if you know the characters a little. It would be more shocking to start here, which makes publishers happy and probably helps sales, but I think there is more of an impact if you know the people involved.

It's like a jump scare in a horror movie versus something that is actually scary. Jump scares sell more tickets at the box office, but the truly scary moments are far more memorable.

This book is not a horror story, by the way. That was just an example. I'm sure I don't have to point that out, but this is the internet, after all.

The Exorcist
Directed by William Friedkin
© 1973 Warner Brothers