It Depends on Your Process
I was at a writing event once where a relatively new writer was sharing how he had woken from a dream with a new idea, went to the keyboard, and in a month had “finished” his 100,000+ word book.
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
That is a blistering pace in a month for a draft, but depending on the circumstances (he was retired), entirely plausible.
BUT…
Was he done writing that book in a month?
I’d argue not even close.
Writing a book is a process.
Sure, not every book needs every step, but some of the things involved with writing a book include:
- Planning (whether the book came to you in a dream or not). This could include plotting, character development, backstory brainstorming, tent pole scene outlining, full on outlining, testing your character’s goals, stakes, and motivation against the plot, setting brainstorming, etc…
- Research. This part of the process will take longer if you’re writing historical, but even if you aren’t, you may need to visit a specific location, interview a doctor/police officer/lawyer/teacher/glass blower/etc…, or map out how long it takes to get from one place to another.
- Drafting. Yes, there is the drafting. The one potentially predictable piece of the process–how many words do you want to write total and how many words can you typically write per session. A quick long division problem will show you how many session you need to draft that story. But that doesn’t mean writing 1,000 words a day for a 90,000 word novel will take you 90 days if you only have weekend writing time. Those 90 sessions will be stretched over months.
- Revising. This part of the process is a wild card. Once you have a draft, you will need to look at big picture story structure first, flesh out your protagonist’s internal journey, plug up plot holes, solidify subplots, layer emotion, and shore up your scene structure. This can (and I would insist should) take several passes and how long those passes take really depends on how much work needs to be done.
- Line Editing. This part of the writing process always takes me longer than I budget for. This is the part where you get to dive into the nitty gritty: punch up your descriptions, search for filter words, look at word choice, and otherwise take a fine tooth comb to how the words look and flow on the page.
- Beta Reading/Feedback. Receiving external feedback is also part of the process and one that will then dump you back out to Revising and possibly Line Editing again to address any major concerns your outside readers find.
So a book in a month? Sure. Give it a go.
But if you want to write the best story you can, don’t skip out on the process. Lean into it. The daydreaming, brainstorming, research, drafting, analyzing, fixing, rewriting, polishing…it’s all part of the writing.
And the writing is the best part – watching our stories come to life on the page as a result of our nurturing processes.
Do you have a process to support your writing?
Things to consider:
- What do you need to know BEFORE you start writing?
- What days/times do you write best?
- Where do you write best? Is it always the same place? A quiet place in your house or a busy coffee shop?
- Do you have rituals that help you write? Lighting a candle? Listening to music? Would creating these rituals help?
- What does your revision process look like?
- Where do you begin after typing “The End” on a draft?
- What do you look for first in your manuscript to address?
- Do you know what your weaknesses are in drafting?
- Does your revision ritual look different from your drafting ritual?
- Do you have a list of crutch words to search for during line edits?
- Do you prefer revising linearly (from page 1 to the end) or have you considered revising by “issue” (for example: story trajectory, stakes, motivation, character arc, sub plot, emotion, etc…)?
If you haven’t considered a process for your writing, take a moment to journal about all the things that have worked and haven’t worked for you in your writing life. See if you can find common struggles or successes. Repeat the wins and look for support for your struggles.
I struggled mightily looking for a revision process. I created one that works for me and I have shared with my clients. Whether it works for you or not is a personal preference, but if you’re looking for somewhere to start in your revision process, check out the Revision Road Map.
Whatever your next step, be intentional with your writing. Create a process that works for you but is flexible. Chances are the process may need to be adjusted for your next work in progress. But having a basis of a process eliminates the guessing game of “What am I working on today?” when you sit down to the page for your writing time.
Knowing what’s next will make your writing more efficient, helping you to get to a finished and polished manuscript faster, whatever your pace is.
Share your favorite process or writing ritual in the comments!