Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Writing a Book in 4 Months



Writing a Book in 4 Months


After I finished writing today, I had a revelation. I wrote four pages today. I didn’t have to push myself too hard for that number, and there’s not going to be a lot I’ll have to fix up or edit when going over my story later, so it’s pretty solid prose. And as I was rocking my four-month-old child to sleep, it hit me. If I could write even three pages a day, every day, for four months, I’d have 365 solid pages written in my book—that’s a whole book right there!

If that’s not an exciting prospect as a writer, I don’t know what is. Well I decided then  and there that that’s what I’m going to do. If I can keep to this regimen religiously for four months, then I should be able to pop out a book by late January!

I’m going to be starting this schedule next Monday and keep track of my progress, and I’m hoping that this schedule can help inspire anyone else out there who, if you’re like me, seems to put a lot of effort into writing, but doesn’t know where all your pages really go after you write them. I’ve got countless half-written stories logged away in the deep recesses of my hard drive that I took a break from and never got back to them. I’m hoping that if I’m writing at least three pages a day, I’ll see this book through.

I’ll be going into more detail on this “four months to publish” track in my next blog later this week, but it’s pretty straightforward. Write three pages a day and you’ll have 365 pages written in four months. I’d love to have others start this with me. Some encouragement goes a long way to keeping you on track with your goals. Hopefully if somebody else out there does do this, we can both have a book to show for our hard work at the end of the four months.

Leave a comment if you would like to do this. Like I mentioned, I’m planning on starting my three pages a day for four months next Monday (the 24th), but you can start any time that is right for you.

6 comments:

  1. I'll play.

    I know how you feel. I have one story that's stuck around 180 pages or so and an attempt to restart it that's about 10 pages. I have another story that is only a couple of chapters into the book itself, but almost 100 pages in just back story for characters and the history of the world.

    I've recently become obsessed with a 'super hero' novel I've been dreaming up. Now's as good a time as any, right?

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  2. Hmm. 17 credit hours in college doesn't really allow for extensive writing, but I did manage to write Subversion in a little under 3 and a half months. I'll play along. Maybe I'll finally get around to finishing some of my hanging projects.

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  3. Awesome stuff! I didn’t even know you wrote Mark. Good luck to both of you. Novels are things that I’ve always had problems sticking with all the way through to the end, mainly because I lose sight of the finish and lose motivation when I take a few weeks off writing in that book. I think this will help us keep target all the way through.

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  4. I wish I could join you. I'm editing my current WIP before going back to my original WIP. But if you are up for another four month book poop-fest (hehe, sorry, Nova inspired that one) then I'm willing to talk. :)

    Good luck, I'm very interested in following your progress.

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  5. I might take a month off after the first 4 month run to edit, but heck yeah, I'd do it again if I end up with a novel fully completed and edited at the end of 5 months.

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  6. Just wanted to let anyone who's coming to this article late know that I did achieve my goal! Great way to get a book pounded out, and I would recommend this to any writer.

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