How to write a book in a year in 10 minutes per day
How to write a book in a year in 10 minutes per day
Many writers have the dream of writing a book, but the thought of putting 60,000 words on paper (the general length of a novel) seems overwhelming. But by breaking up the process into bite-sized chunks, the pathway forward becomes clearer and totally manageable.
All you need is a total of 10 minutes every day to finish a book in a year. Sound doable? Here’s how:
Start here
The key to writing a book in a year, no matter how fast you write it, is to have a detailed roadmap. This means an outline. By taking the time to create a detailed outline, you make it easy to sit down and get writing, no matter how long a break you may have had between sessions. I don’t want to deter you from writing by putting a word count on the outline, but just know that the better the outline at the outset, the more productive your working time will be.
12 months: 165 words/day
Once you have an outline, you’re ready to get started on your book. All you need is 165 words per day to write a book in a year. You can easily start and stop, referring back to where you ended the previous time and where it fits into the outline. This will make you feel like you’ve been making progress all year long as you move your way through your story.
What I like to do is aim for an even 200 words per day; that way, if I miss a day every now and then, I’m still on track because I’ve written extra words on other days.
If you’re not used to working with word counts, then 165 words may still sound like a lot, but you likely write more words than that in texts throughout the day without even thinking about it. It’s such a short amount that you can even tap it out in a Notes app while you’re waiting in a line, early for an appointment, between steps while cooking dinner, or just sitting in a park.
For reference, this section, prior to this line, comes out to 173 words.
6 months: 330 words/day
Since this is half the time of 12 months, you simply write double the words. As shown in the previous section, 165 words is easy to accomplish in a few minutes per day. 330 words is still a reasonable amount to write out on a phone while going throughout your day; no need to get to a computer and settle in; just write. Again, the key here will be to make sure that you refer back to your outline so that you aren’t wondering what part you are writing next.
90 days: 667 words/day
In my opinion, this is the sweet spot that is easy to get excited about and stay motivated. Writing 667 words every day won’t take hours, and committing to something for 3 months is more realistic for many people than longer time frames. This means during the span of summer break, when the kids are out of school, you can use the time you’d normally spend doing pickups and drop-offs to write your book.
60 days: 1,000 words/day
This timeframe is where things get ambitious. To achieve this many words, you’ll need to schedule your writing time, instead of your writing fitting seamlessly into your life. At first, this may seem daunting, but remember two things:
It’s only for two months, not forever.
If you want to be a lifelong writer, this is an excellent way to build up a writing habit, so that it no longer feels like something that you need to schedule, but instead it’s an activity that’s a natural part of your day.
If you’re writing a series that you want to publish close together, or you want to kickstart a career as a regularly publishing writer, this is a great place to start. If you couple it with one month to write your outline, then using this cadence, you’re publishing four books per year.
30 days: 2,000 words/day
Anyone who has participated in NaNoWriMo knows that writing 2,000 words per day is an ambitious commitment and requires discipline. That’s why only a fraction of people who start the challenge finish it. And that challenge is only for a 50,000-word book. For 60,000, you need to tack on about 300 words more per day. BUT when you’re done, you’ll feel so accomplished, and best of all… your book will be done!
No matter how long it takes you to publish your book, just know that it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll be so proud of yourself. If you’re interested in self-publishing and want a tried-and-true pathway to make it happen, this workbook can help.
