I worked out today that I have nine chapters of my novel written now. I want about thirty in all, so I am a third of the way through. I have also marked out what to write up to chapter fifteen - half-way.

Now I just have to write the rest.

(I read in The Guardian that the writer and Creative Writing teacher Kate Pullinger considers it bad form to count words, saying it should only be done ‘When you are in need of reassurance; only count words on those desperate days when knowing you’ve written a bunch of words will make you feel like you’ve achieved something, regardless of the quality.’ I think there is a truth in this; that if you obsess over word counting you’re missing the point: quality over quantity.)