Like so many questions in writing, this one isn’t easy to answer. It can take as little as a few months to a few years to write a book—it all depends on how long it is, what age level it’s written for, how much time you dedicate to it, and how many rounds of edits you put it through.
I think the reason people ask this question is because they are worried or afraid of the amount of time they’ll have to commit to a novel. It can be daunting and scary to think that you’ll be working on the same story for years down the road, but if you are dedicated and intent on writing a great book, you’ll do what you have to to make sure it’s the best it can be. Conversely, if you can’t commit to working on something for months or years at a time, then perhaps a novel isn’t the best option for you as a writer.
However, that’s not to say that books that take weeks or a few months to write are terrible books. Some authors are faster than others and have more time to dedicate to their writing. The amount of time spent on a story is not indicative of how well it is written.
And let’s not forget about the amount of edits your story needs to go through—that adds time too. It is recommended that you have at least four editors go through your story before it’s ready to be published, and that’s not counting the amount of times you read through it. Of course, having that many editors go through your manuscript might not be within your budget, so it might not be feasible. Although, it is highly recommended that someone should edit your story before you attempt to get it published.
On average, you can probably expect to spend at least 6 months working on your book from first draft to final manuscript—although for some, that might seem like a short amount of time. If you’re not under a deadline, there’s no rush to get your book finished. You don’t win a prize for getting it done in a certain amount of time. Take the time you need to make sure the story reads the way you want it to. In the end, as the author, you have to be proud of what you’ve created before you can share it with the world.
Showing posts with label writing time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing time. Show all posts
Writing a Series
I enjoy book series. As a reader, when I find a series I really enjoy, I want to be immersed in it in every way possible. I want to experience the characters’ lives in every way possible, and I don’t want it to ever end. EVER.
Writing a series can be a magical and wonderful experience. As a writer, I enjoy that the world is already set up and that the characters are already established. I don’t have to strain my brain coming up with new ideas, I can expand on ones that already exist.
As an author, I appreciate and enjoy that readers get lost in my series. I love that they are invested in my characters and can’t get enough of their adventures. It makes me happy that they anxiously await the next book.
But writing a series can also get incredibly exhausting. I have to spend a lot of time in this world and with these characters. I’m there for months or years, and I know waaaaay more about what happens than what is on the page. My brain is full of elaborate back stories. I know minute details about the characters’ lives and the history of the world. Sometimes these details are written down so they aren’t forgotten, but they aren’t ever part of the final story.
Keeping track of all this gets tough. And sometimes the characters don’t cooperate. Some days they don’t want to tell me their stories, or I get bored listening to them. Spending too much time with characters is like spending too much time with real people. We get tired of each other. There is some truth to the phrase “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” even with fictional people.
There’s also the added pressure of making sure the next book lives up to readers’ expectations. I want to make sure the details are just right, that I’m staying true to what was written before, and sometimes that means going back and rereading the previous books in the series. Thankfully, at the moment, I only have two others. I couldn’t imagine having five or more and needing to go back for details!
But at the same time, I feel the pressure to make sure the next book lives up to readers’ expectations. There’s a need to get it out in a timely fashion so that interest isn’t lost. Nerves get frazzled when I feel like I’m falling behind—even when I don’t have a deadline. When this happens, it makes it hard to continue to write. It becomes difficult to overcome the fear that I’m going to fail, that people are going to be angry with the book.
Writing a series can be a magical and wonderful experience. As a writer, I enjoy that the world is already set up and that the characters are already established. I don’t have to strain my brain coming up with new ideas, I can expand on ones that already exist.
As an author, I appreciate and enjoy that readers get lost in my series. I love that they are invested in my characters and can’t get enough of their adventures. It makes me happy that they anxiously await the next book.
But writing a series can also get incredibly exhausting. I have to spend a lot of time in this world and with these characters. I’m there for months or years, and I know waaaaay more about what happens than what is on the page. My brain is full of elaborate back stories. I know minute details about the characters’ lives and the history of the world. Sometimes these details are written down so they aren’t forgotten, but they aren’t ever part of the final story.
Keeping track of all this gets tough. And sometimes the characters don’t cooperate. Some days they don’t want to tell me their stories, or I get bored listening to them. Spending too much time with characters is like spending too much time with real people. We get tired of each other. There is some truth to the phrase “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” even with fictional people.
There’s also the added pressure of making sure the next book lives up to readers’ expectations. I want to make sure the details are just right, that I’m staying true to what was written before, and sometimes that means going back and rereading the previous books in the series. Thankfully, at the moment, I only have two others. I couldn’t imagine having five or more and needing to go back for details!
But at the same time, I feel the pressure to make sure the next book lives up to readers’ expectations. There’s a need to get it out in a timely fashion so that interest isn’t lost. Nerves get frazzled when I feel like I’m falling behind—even when I don’t have a deadline. When this happens, it makes it hard to continue to write. It becomes difficult to overcome the fear that I’m going to fail, that people are going to be angry with the book.
As an author, my goal is to make sure the reader enjoys their experience in the worlds I create. I want to give you my best. I strive to do that every time I put words on the page, but sometimes, self-doubt creeps in. Real life gets in the way. Mistakes happen. A book might take a little longer to get out than expected. Please don’t hold this against me.
The thing that (I hope) makes my series so wonderful is that I have fun writing it. I enjoy being in that world just like you do, but at times, it gets tedious. Sometimes it isn’t fun anymore. When this happens, I have to walk away. I have to work on something else. I have to take a break.
The thing that (I hope) makes my series so wonderful is that I have fun writing it. I enjoy being in that world just like you do, but at times, it gets tedious. Sometimes it isn’t fun anymore. When this happens, I have to walk away. I have to work on something else. I have to take a break.
Trust me, if I don’t enjoy writing the story, it will come across on the page, and then you won’t enjoy reading it. But after a little time off, I can come back refreshed and ready to make it fun again. And that’s what it’s all about: having fun.
Life-consuming Projects
When I write, not only do I become obsessed with a project, but it takes over my life until it’s done. If I could, I would lock myself away from the world and work until the book was done or I passed out from exhaustion. Unfortunately, I don’t have that option. Life gets in the way. I have a day job and a family to take care of (which usually takes precedent), but any and all free time is devoted solely to writing. So don’t ask me for anything!
Finding the balance between life and writing can get incredibly exhausting. Focusing on writing uses most of my brain, which means that it’s not functioning for other tasks that have to be done. Did you ask me a question? Sorry, I didn’t hear it. I was listening to the voices in my head. Oh, you need something? Give me one minute. I said that ten minutes ago? Sorry!
But I’m persistent and stubborn, so I find a way to make it work. That means something has to be put on the backburner, but laundry, cleaning the house, and loading the dishwasher will always wait. They are super like that!
And once the project’s finally done, that’s when I can sit back, take a deep breath, and catch up on everything I’ve missed.
In case you missed it, Dealing with Devils is now available. You can find it here. I hope you enjoy!
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?
Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
Finding the balance between life and writing can get incredibly exhausting. Focusing on writing uses most of my brain, which means that it’s not functioning for other tasks that have to be done. Did you ask me a question? Sorry, I didn’t hear it. I was listening to the voices in my head. Oh, you need something? Give me one minute. I said that ten minutes ago? Sorry!
But I’m persistent and stubborn, so I find a way to make it work. That means something has to be put on the backburner, but laundry, cleaning the house, and loading the dishwasher will always wait. They are super like that!
And once the project’s finally done, that’s when I can sit back, take a deep breath, and catch up on everything I’ve missed.
In case you missed it, Dealing with Devils is now available. You can find it here. I hope you enjoy!
Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
Making the Most of My Time
Over the Christmas break, I had the pleasure of getting 9 days off. It’s a perk of my job. I’m not the only one who gets it, everyone does, and it’s fantastic!
With that much time off, there’s a chance for lots of things to get done—or not. On either end of the spectrum, I could have done absolutely nothing or rearranged the entire house. I’m not one who likes to live at either extreme, so I usually do just enough so I don’t get bored. This year, however, I had a goal.
I’m working on the third installment in The Road to Salvation Series, which includes The Appeal of Evil (book 1) and Dealing with Devils (book 2, which will be available January 16), so I challenged myself to write a chapter a day while on break. Normally, I’m pretty good about writing every day, but not necessarily a chapter—I get down what I can get down.
I’ll admit it, it got tough a few times. The boys were home with me, and we have pets. And we didn’t sit in the house all the time. We went out and did things. I had errands to run, and we went swimming. There were also holidays sprinkled in there, so family came over and I had laundry to do and the house to clean. I also planned on getting to bed at a normal hour (which for me during break was between 9:30 and 10:30) and sleeping in (which, most days, wasn’t past 7:30), along with napping in the afternoon, which I totally did.
But in the end, I accomplished my task. They aren’t the prettiest chapters ever, but that’s what editing is for, and at least I have something to work on. My goal is to continue this trend until the book is finished, and I’m hoping it will get easier. As soon as school starts again, the boys will be back on a schedule, and while they are at wrestling practice, I have an hour and a half twice a week to work.
My goal is to have the first draft of the book finished by the end of January. If I keep up with my current writing trends, I should be able to make it.
And speaking of The Appeal of Evil, the Kindle version is currently on sale for 99 cents. We're celebrating the release of Dealing with Devils, so go check it out!
With that much time off, there’s a chance for lots of things to get done—or not. On either end of the spectrum, I could have done absolutely nothing or rearranged the entire house. I’m not one who likes to live at either extreme, so I usually do just enough so I don’t get bored. This year, however, I had a goal.
I’m working on the third installment in The Road to Salvation Series, which includes The Appeal of Evil (book 1) and Dealing with Devils (book 2, which will be available January 16), so I challenged myself to write a chapter a day while on break. Normally, I’m pretty good about writing every day, but not necessarily a chapter—I get down what I can get down.
I’ll admit it, it got tough a few times. The boys were home with me, and we have pets. And we didn’t sit in the house all the time. We went out and did things. I had errands to run, and we went swimming. There were also holidays sprinkled in there, so family came over and I had laundry to do and the house to clean. I also planned on getting to bed at a normal hour (which for me during break was between 9:30 and 10:30) and sleeping in (which, most days, wasn’t past 7:30), along with napping in the afternoon, which I totally did.
But in the end, I accomplished my task. They aren’t the prettiest chapters ever, but that’s what editing is for, and at least I have something to work on. My goal is to continue this trend until the book is finished, and I’m hoping it will get easier. As soon as school starts again, the boys will be back on a schedule, and while they are at wrestling practice, I have an hour and a half twice a week to work.
My goal is to have the first draft of the book finished by the end of January. If I keep up with my current writing trends, I should be able to make it.
And speaking of The Appeal of Evil, the Kindle version is currently on sale for 99 cents. We're celebrating the release of Dealing with Devils, so go check it out!
Where Does the Time Go?
My coworkers and I often joke about how I come to work to relax, but there's a lot of truth in that statement. My weekends can be incredibly busy. Yesterday was one of those days. We had a 5K in the morning, then went house hunting, then went to the football game. Even though we left at halftime, we still didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. We hardly spent any time at home. Today, we have a company picnic to go to.
Most of the things we do on the weekends are fun, but some days I just want to sit on my butt and edit. Or write. It all depends on where I'm at in a project. It seems lately that hasn't been a possibility. Eventually the edits will get done, but there definitely isn't enough time in a day.
But that's always the case. The world always stands in your way and does everything in it's power to stop you from writing. The kids need something, the house needs cleaned, you have appointments to go to. In any day, there are probably 100 things that will take me away from writing. And it will continue to happen indefinitely if I let it.
The world doesn't care if you get your writing/editing done, so YOU have to. You have to carve out time during the day to do what you want to do. You have to shut everyone else out and just focus on what you want to do. This can be hard, especially when the kids or the spouse needs attention and you're ignoring them AGAIN to work on your book.
Balancing all of these things is difficult. Like I said, there isn't enough time during the day. Plus, there's the added complication of guilt--and that can include feeling guilty for not writing. But when it comes to family, there are always ways to make up to them later. And the house will always wait for you. It will continue to be dirty until you get to it.
My goal is to spend 15-30 minutes each day working on my writing--minimum. I often do it at night after the kids have gone to bed while sitting on the couch watching TV with the spouse. Is it ideal? No, but at least I get everything accomplished that I need to accomplish. I also try to squeeze time in wherever I can--lunch, in the waiting room, while I'm cooking, at sporting events when the boys aren't doing their thing. One of my favorite times of the year is when the kids are in sports and have practice. I have a dedicated hour twice a week while they're doing their thing to work on my stuff. It's fantastic!
Do you have any tricks that you use to get your writing/editing done? How do you push back when the world stands in your way?
Most of the things we do on the weekends are fun, but some days I just want to sit on my butt and edit. Or write. It all depends on where I'm at in a project. It seems lately that hasn't been a possibility. Eventually the edits will get done, but there definitely isn't enough time in a day.
But that's always the case. The world always stands in your way and does everything in it's power to stop you from writing. The kids need something, the house needs cleaned, you have appointments to go to. In any day, there are probably 100 things that will take me away from writing. And it will continue to happen indefinitely if I let it.
The world doesn't care if you get your writing/editing done, so YOU have to. You have to carve out time during the day to do what you want to do. You have to shut everyone else out and just focus on what you want to do. This can be hard, especially when the kids or the spouse needs attention and you're ignoring them AGAIN to work on your book.
Balancing all of these things is difficult. Like I said, there isn't enough time during the day. Plus, there's the added complication of guilt--and that can include feeling guilty for not writing. But when it comes to family, there are always ways to make up to them later. And the house will always wait for you. It will continue to be dirty until you get to it.
My goal is to spend 15-30 minutes each day working on my writing--minimum. I often do it at night after the kids have gone to bed while sitting on the couch watching TV with the spouse. Is it ideal? No, but at least I get everything accomplished that I need to accomplish. I also try to squeeze time in wherever I can--lunch, in the waiting room, while I'm cooking, at sporting events when the boys aren't doing their thing. One of my favorite times of the year is when the kids are in sports and have practice. I have a dedicated hour twice a week while they're doing their thing to work on my stuff. It's fantastic!
Do you have any tricks that you use to get your writing/editing done? How do you push back when the world stands in your way?
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