The Numbers of Words

Many times I've known people say to me - I'd love to write a book, but it's such a massive thing I'd never have the time or commitment.

I used to struggle with what to reply, until a beautiful realisation came calling in that lovely way they sometimes do.

I'll put it this way, with a question. If you're like me, every year when you come to Christmas, or December 31st, you look back and think how fast the year went.

Your average novel is about 80 to 100 thousand words. So, break that down and it equates to around 250 words a day. And that's not a lot, is it?

So... if you can find the time for 200 to 300 words each day, for a year, you've got a book at the end of it.

And suddenly writing that novel you've always wanted to doesn't seem quite so daunting, does it?

It reminds me of that fine and wise quotation from Lao-tzu; "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

There's one more thing to add, before I finish this oddly mathematical writing blog - on your journey, some words will matter more than others. And here are four which meant so much to me.

For dad.JPG

It's the dedication from last year's tvdetective novel, Shadows of Justice, following the loss of my father.

His birthday has just passed and it's a comfort to feel that, alongside all my many wonderful memories of an extraordinary man, I also managed to remember him in print, in my own small way.