re: edits, what I've been doing is manually counting the new words, not subtracting out any of the words I get rid of/replace (or counting negative progress by wordcount). Fixing a spelling mistake doesn't count unless it's an accidental compound (then it's +1). As for
retweaks? If it's in a different editing pass, I count it the same as any other edit. Otherwise, I only count what I settle on, same as when doing the first draft.
Hm, opening Chapter 11.odt for a quick example. May not be how I actually rewrite this sentence but I'm going to rewrite it:
He only subtly mentioned a new friend when she asked him about it.
I could do better with this sentence. I think it's a holdover from the original. More importantly, it's not really supposed to be a subtle mention: literally all he said was he had a new friend.
When she asked him about it, he just said something about making a new friend without any specifics.
That's one possibility. It's 18 to 13 in pure wordcount, but I count that as 8 words, because it is still new stuff being written. The rest of it, even if it got rearranged, isn't new and doesn't get counted. (not actually counting it as 8 words until I finalize things)
EDIT: or something like this, now that I look at Chapter 10.odt more.
But as a slave? They were idiots. She would be bound to their whims. How were they supposed to know what to do? The warrior knew best.
I could add a detail here and that second part could use a transition.
But as a slave? They were idiots. She would be bound to their whims, without care for her own goals. More importantly, how were they supposed to know what to do? The warrior knew best.
Yeah, those are definitely 8 new words no matter how you slice it (which I'll tally up as part of the next editing pass tomorrow in case I tweak it further).
And this drops a bit of foreshadowing.. This is also a case of changing my mind in an editing pass: "Her own goals would mean nothing" was what I first wrote, before I changed it within moments. Doesn't mean 3 more words, still just 8.
EDIT2: Or heck, a third in Chapter 11.odt
But this was not a matter that was fully under his control.
This was, that was. Could make it flow a bit better.
But this was not a matter fully under his control.
There. That's not -2, that's 0. So still 8 words changed in the chapter counting the above hypothetical. But if it's just stuff like this and no new words are added/changed, that probably should be subject to "progress counter only".
EDIT3: Make no mistake, it is a hassle to do it this way. I do have to pause frequently to make sure my count's correct. But I don't think there's a wrong way to manage editing when it comes to this, so long as you make clear what exactly you're doing and don't intentionally try to game things.
