My Process for Writing a Novel + Timeline
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There are so many questions I get about writing a novel.
How does writing a novel work? > What’s the process for writing a novel? > How long does it take to write a novel? > How do you publish a book? > Can you really make money writing a novel? (I’ll talk more about this sometime soon, quick answer is …yes.)
All great questions.
Today, I’m going to share my specific process for writing a novel.
But let me pop in the disclaimer right away…everyone’s process is going to be different. And, the more books I write, the more my process will change. But now that I’ve officially birthed a book into the world (i.e. published a book), I’d like to break down my process for you, step-by-step. Not only because I know this will help other up and coming authors, but because I wish more authors shared. So I’ll start.
First and foremost, there are basically two camps of writing. You’re either a “Plotter” or a “Pantser” or a combination of the two. I fall somewhere in the middle, but lean much closer to the Pantsing side of things.
Definitions:
Plotter = outlining and plotting out the entire book BEFORE you start drafting.
Pantser = creating the story as you go, essentially, writing by the seat of your pants. When readers want to know what happens in your book, your response is, “me too!”
Writing Prep
PLOTTING:
The way my brain works while creating a story is more like a movie playing in my head. I personally HATE outlines, can’t stand ‘em, but I do love plotting. So I plot out all of my big story points. Before I start drafting I know the main points that happen in the beginning, the middle and the end of the story and then I pants everything in between those main points to build out the whole story. This is the part where my “pantsing” kicks in.
A favorite scene from One Iridescent Night, (<— that’s my book, just to make it super clear), takes place in the pub where lots of people are gathered around the table and two of my main characters, Evy and Liam, are basically on a date. This scene was pure pantsing. I did not plan it, I did not anticipate it, it just came to me while drafting the book and it has become a favorite now amongst readers.
CHARACTER WORKSHEETS:
Another big, must-have, in my writing prep are character worksheets. I LOVE my character worksheets. They are super extensive and take FOR-EV-ER to fill out, but I’ve learned my lesson the hard way…if I just take the time to fill these out for each of my characters I get SO MUCH clarity for my entire story. And sometimes, big, HUGE, main plot points get revealed by just working out my character.
GOAL SETTING:
Before I start writing my book I set goals for myself. I need goals (and due dates) to stay on task. I’m self-motivated, but I can also struggle without outside reinforcement, so I make sure to create deadlines. For instance, I’ll set deadlines with my editor, so that I have a specific due date/goal of when I need to get my manuscript to her. I’ll set a deadline for when I’d ideally like the book to be done, published, out in the world.
Writing goals: I make myself aim for 2500+ words a day. I like to do more than that whenever possible. Having a word count goal each day helps me feel accomplished even if my writing was feeling sub-par that day. If I’m not able to get anything else done, but I still reach that 2500 word count, I still feel accomplished for the day. It’s a little trick of the mind, but it works really well for me.
First Draft
Drafting is my favorite part, but it can also be really hard and much of the time I want to just pull out all of my hair, scrap the entire thing and either start over.
When drafting, I have one hard and fast rule for myself.
DON’T LOOK BACK.
I absolutely do NOT let myself go back and rewrite anything I’ve written during this first drafting phase.
Why?
Because I know myself. I know that I will second guess everything I write that way and I may change perfectly good ideas, because in that moment, I’m doubting them. This my friend, would be some major self-sabotage. So, I set the hard and fast rule for myself. Don’t look back.
Once I finish my first draft do I love everything I put down?
Umm… No.
But, this rule helps me get a first draft done faster and then the “real” work can begin.
Question: How do you know when your draft is complete?
Great question! I compare it to when you know you’ve found the right wedding dress, or car/house/apartment. You just know. And no one can know but you.
While drafting for the very first time, I kept wondering if I would ever reach the end of the book and I was getting nervous that I wouldn’t know, that I would just keep writing and it would be a huge mess and I was a terrible writer. (ha!) The very next day I wrote my final chapter, and while writing it I just knew. I knew that was the ending and that was it.
*Hint I learned from an editor: While drafting don’t worry about perfect word choices, just put an asterisk next to the word that doesn’t quite feel right, and then keep writing. When you come back around for your first round of rewrites/edits, the asterisk will remind you to take the time to find the right word.
Re-writes / Edits:
This to me is the HARDEST part, but it’s also the most fruitful. I LOVE watching my original story transform into something more, something even better than before while still maintaining the story I created.
I often have several re-writes/edits on my first draft.
Right after I finish my first draft, I take a quick passthrough and check for MAJOR things like - completely shifting from first person to third person in my prose. I do this from time to time. *pulls at collar and grimaces sheepishly*
During this “phase” of writing. I’ve done everything from completely writing brand new scenes/chapters and plots points, to reorganizing what I’ve already written, to adding in bits and pieces here and there simply to help with the flow and punch it up. It depends entirely on you.
This is also the “phase” of writing where I get others involved. Editors, Critique Partners, Beta Readers, Proof-readers, etc…
want to see my entire step-by-step process from start to finish?
This is what takes for me to write a book (this does NOT include the steps for publishing a book, that will need to be a separate blog post).
*Timelines are approximate and definitely change per project.
Prep - (1 weeks)
First Draft - (6-7 weeks)
Basic Edits - (2 weeks)
Developmental Edits (from editor) - (2-4 weeks)
Rewrite - Second Draft - (4-6 weeks)
(Send to CP’s for feedback as I rewrite)
Read-through Edits - (1-2 weeks)
Beta Readers - (1-2 weeks)
Edit - Third Draft (based on Beta Reader feedback) - (2-3 weeks)
Line/Copy Edits (from editor) - (2-4 weeks)
Proof-read (both myself and outside parties) - (2 weeks)
Edit (from proof-reader feedback) (1 week)
DONE!! (Format for Paperback and Ebook and prepare for publishing)
Total time it takes me to write a book ready for publishing: Approximately 6-8 months
I’d love to know what you think!
Do you have any additional questions about my writing process?
Fellow authors - would you be willing to share your writing process? (I love to see what others are doing too!)
Comment below.