Writing a Book: The Easy Way
The odds of writing a book are stacked against you. It is often said that 99% of people want to write a book. Of that 99%, only 1% ever realized their goal. So, how can you change those odds? The solutions: consistency and discipline.
The secret to writing a book: elbow grease
If you want to sell a novel to a traditional publishing house, it is essential to consider what publishers are looking for in completed book lengths. When it comes to first-time authors, publishers don’t tend to look at manuscripts that are either too short or too long. Word count determines novel lengths. 80,000 to 110,000 words is a good goal for a beginning author.
When writing a book, there are two dueling schools of thought. Some authors are outliners; other authors are discovery writers. Both methods offer their pros and cons.
Outliners pound out extensive character sketches and act-by-act, blow-by-blow story breakdowns. They work by writing synopses of parts of their stories, then diving in and writing the actual copy using pre-planned roadmaps.
Discovery writers jump in at chapter 1 without considering where the story will take them or their characters. Be warned: discovery writing is not for the inexperienced. It is easy to get lost, to write your characters into a corner, or to take the story to a place where it becomes flaccid.
Whether you write using an extensive outline or blaze your way through the story without thinking about where you might end up, discipline and consistency are your biggest allies to help you finish.
Designate a consistent writing time
With family commitments, hobbies, work obligations, time out with friends, and television, it seems that our time gets gobbled up. There is no time for writing. Here’s the truth: If you intend to write a book, you must designate time to put the work in.
In most cases, a consistent writing time works best. Maybe sitting at your computer right after putting the kids to bed works. Perhaps it is better to arrive at work an hour or two early to write before starting your professional day. Consistency is as essential to writing a book as nutrition is to good health. Make sure you make writing a priority. Carve out enough time to put in solid blocks of writing daily. If you don’t, you will never finish that novel.
You should consider writing consistent words each day with few days off. To write an 80,000-word novel at the rate of 1,000 words per day, you only need to write for 2 ½ months. If you can up your daily word count, you can finish that first draft even quicker. The important thing is to commit to a specific daily word count and stay the course.
Avoid distractions
Along with consistency, you must exercise discipline. Face it: When you sit at a computer these days, numerous distractions take you away from writing. You can quickly burn up your writing time if you spend a few minutes catching up with your Facebook friends, checking your email, and watching a few YouTube videos.
Resist the temptation to waste your writing time on distractions. When you sit down to write, get into it directly. Don’t deviate from outlining, building character sketches, and putting prose down. Facebook can wait. Email can wait. And YouTube is never going to help you accomplish anything.
Writing a book is just like any time-intensive task. All you need to do is start and work consistently with discipline. If you keep it up long enough, you will soon find yourself typing those two fulfilling words at the end of your manuscript: The end.
