Questions about estimating fic lengths

[birdsofshore]

Hello! I don't know if people still have discussions on here, but I can't find any other platform where I can follow the conversation, sooo... Any advice gratefully received.♥  

I've signed up for the H/D Bang, and having finally got started with it, I'm now having a crisis that the fic I've planned is not going to reach 50k. 

The length my fics turn out is always a surprise to me. This year's erised ended up being 65k, and I had NO IDEA that was going to happen. I still don't really know how it did. Foolishly, I let this give me confidence to sign up for the Bang. After all, if I could write a 65k fic by mistake, how hard could it be to write 50k on purpose? /o\

So, I got a rough plan together and it's around 30 scenes long. No problem, I thought. My 65k erised only had 25 scenes! This was going to be easy!

Then I wrote the first scene and it's only 800 words long. FUUUUCK. What's gone wrong? No way is this going to be 50k! I looked back at some other fics. My next longest fic has 42 scenes. But it's only 41k! OMG! 

I looked at my other mid length fics.

28k = 18 scenes
28k = 19 scenes
22k = 14 scenes
32k = 19 scenes
28k = 16 scenes
34k = 18 scenes

This is reassuring. But what about the rogue '42 scene / 41 k' fic? How can I be sure this one isn't going to go fucked up like that one? 

I have so many questions. How do you estimate the length of a fic? Are you anywhere near being right when you do so? I've never even TRIED before, so I have no freaking idea.

Thank you if you can help! ♥ And I hope you are all well?

Comments

[gracerene]

Haha, this fic is a nightmare. I feel like I've been writing it for 80 years

If half are 1k though, and half are 2k, that still gets you to 45k. Worst case scenario, you just squeeze in one of those 5k sex scenes you're so good at and you're good to go! ;)

For me at least, I almost always have an extra scene or two that crop up as I write as I realize certain things aren't quite as developed as I would like. Loose drapery can be quite long, after all. ;)

[lq_traintracks]

Yes to all of this here! Also, Grace, I need to second Birds' reaction of O_O to your word count! LOL. Go you! :D

[birdsofshore]

80 years, LOL! I know that feeling, like you've been writing it your entire life and you'll still be writing it on your death bed.

I can't just stick in a gratuitous sex scene to add another 5k to the fic, grace! *shocked* Do you think I'm some kind of SMUT SLUT? :DD