I think I may have told you that I have a problem with memory following a stroke. Usually this means I might forget a character’s name, or whether it’s summer or autumn. I keep copious notes and lists so I can look up details like this and usually I get by with no major concerns. It just takes me longer.
Recently it led to a huge disappointment. I had been writing my chapters in separate documents. I found it a fairly simple way of keeping track of progress. I had a sudden thought that it would make more sense to put them all together in one document. This I did and was pleased to see that I was over 30,000 words into my next book. I proudly told family of my achievement.
I continued working on this single document, watching the word count increase and feeling somewhat smug, thinking - yes, I’ve got this. I realised I had forgotten some details that I couldn’t reclaim from my notes, so I started reading from the beginning. I read a few chapters, and a few more, then stopped and scratched my head. I’m sure I’ve just read that, I thought. I checked, and checked again.
I had made a huge error. When copying chapters into the single document, I had managed to duplicate quite a few. When this was corrected my word count was nowhere near where I thought it was. I felt distinctly sheepish.
Pleased to announce that my word count is now back up to and beyond where I thought it was. Combatting another of life’s little problems.