Congratulations on making it to 76 pages! That's quite an accomplishment. I look forward to reading it, unless it's that one you've promised us where Lois LIKES being Mrs. Luthor. I might have trouble reading something like that.
Well, you know the longest L&C story I've ever written
Missing Lois. On last count it was: 485,386 Words, 1756 pages, double spaced, but that was before I started editing it for the Archive. (I don't think I added to deleted much page wise, though).
I started writing it in October of 2010, while waiting for the new episodes of
Bones to show up on the Netflix instant list. I finished it about May 2011 (I'd have to check the boards for the exact date). During that time I stopped watching TV, stopped reading, stopped doing anything social and just wrote any free moment I had. I carried a notebook (paper) and pen with me wherever I went. And if I had a few minutes, instead of playing on a cell phone or reading, I would write a word, or line or page (this works really well, if you're waiting for your kids during swimming lessons, piano lessons, waiting for them after school, or visiting your parents. I never knew how much time I spent in the waiting place!) and then type / edit at night while everyone was asleep. I would think about where I wanted the characters to go as I lay down to bed and my mind would work on it in my dreams. Needless to say, I became a bit obsessed.
I don't know if it was the longest thing I've ever written (as I have written a couple of unpublished novels - at least 2 completed), but it might be. My problem isn't making a story lengthy, but keeping it short. I always want to say too much, delve deeper into motivation and solutions. I don't like to leave things hanging. I probably could have made Missing Lois longer, but I ran out of creative energy about the time the story became darker. Light and fluffy is more fun to write.
I still zone out during social activities (like dinner) as I think about my characters and what I want them to do next. I don't know, I'm just one of those people who has always been okay with silence and being alone. I once had a job with an hour commute (once a week) and wrote a musical. You repeat the words (like song lyrics) enough while you're driving you don't need a pencil and paper to write it down until you get where you're going.
I don't understand people who don't know what do when they're alone with their mind. I kind of pity them.
But then -- as you all know -- I'm a little disturbed.
UPDATE 2/01/12 - Just sent
Missing Lois to the Archive for GE. It clocked in at 503,818 Words, 1298 pages, 3615KB (Single spaced, except the extra carriage return between paragraphs, WORD 2003 format). I'm going back into hiding again.
