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Write a Novel in Six Months … or Thirty Days

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Guest Post by Lillie Ammann

November is almost here, and many of you are gearing up to write a 50,000 word novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo, and I’ve never written a novel in thirty days. However, I wrote an 85,000 word romantic mystery novel in six months, writing only a few hours one day a week. If I had written every day instead of once a week, I would have finished the first draft of Dream or Destiny in less than thirty days.

Perhaps the method I used to write a novel in six months can help you write a novel in thirty days if you write more often than I did.

  • Make a commitment. I committed to write a chapter each week so I would have something for a weekly critique group meeting. You can make a commitment to write 50,000 words in thirty days or 1500-2000 words a day or 12,000 words a week during the month of November.
  • Ensure accountability. My critique partners held me accountable. I didn’t want to show up at the meeting without a chapter for them to read. You can report your word count on the NaNoWriMo Web site, share updates on your blog, or compare progress with writer friends who are also NaNoWriMo participants.
  • Establish a schedule. I set aside three to four hours the afternoon before my critique group meeting to write each week. You will likely have to sacrifice some other activities for the month of November to create enough time to write 50,000 words, so decide on a schedule that works for you. Early in the morning, late at night, on your lunch hour, during the baby’s nap … plan time to write each day. How much time you need will depend on how fast you write. If you don’t know how many words you average in an hour, write a short story and calculate your output. Then schedule the amount of writing time you’ll need to draft your novel in November.
  • Be willing to write pure green dreck. The goal of NaNoWriMo is not to produce a finished novel but to create a first draft. Resist the urge to edit—you can do that long past the end of November. Your job during NaNoWriMo is to produce a draft to polish later.
  • Make it easy to get started the next day. I like to write a few sentences into the next chapter in each writing session. The next time I sit down to write, I find it easier to get started because I’m looking at the beginning of a scene rather than a blank page. It also helps to get back into the story by reading the last few paragraphs written the day before.
  • Don’t let getting stuck slow you down. There’s no law that says you have write a novel from beginning to end. If you get stuck, don’t quit writing. Write something else—a scene later in the book, even the last chapter. Or make a note that you need to add a scene or a chapter and continue writing. Keep the momentum going throughout the month.

I hope these six tips help you become a NaNoWriMo winner.

Maybe you’re wondering what happened to that novel I wrote in six months. Dream or Destiny was published by GASLight Publishing, LLC this month. You can read reviews or a free excerpt on my Web site.

My visit here at Words for Hire is the first stop on my blog book tour, which will continue for the next three weeks. If you follow the tour, you’ll learn where I got the idea for the story and why it took ten years for the book to be published.  But now it’s time to focus on writing that novel in thirty days. Good luck!

I look forward to your comments, and I’ll check back during the day to answer questions.

I am so thrilled that Lillie included Words For Hire on her blog book tour! Lillie has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Dream or Destiny to one lucky Words For Hire reader. To enter, simply leave a question or comment on today’s post.  You may comment at any time during the day or evening. The contest will close at 8am EST Tuesday, October 28th. One reader will be randomly selected as the winner. I have started reading my copy of the book and I am hooked!

Lillie Ammann didn’t start writing until a devastating stroke convinced her it was time to pursue her lifelong dream. She sold her interior landscape business and started her new career as a freelance writer and editor. Dream or Destiny is her second novel. Lillie and her husband Jack live in San Antonio, Texas. She blogs at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye.

Comments

  2. Hey Lillie

    I loved your blog. I planning to write a novel too. But my novel isn’t like other novels its about a women in jail. wierd right but am going with it. well thanks for the tips and hope I finish my novel in six months too. Thanks again.

  5. Thank you, Jeanne. I’m looking forward to visiting Writer’s Notes next week. I’m excited that I am beginning and ending my tour on two of my favorite blogs!

  6. Sorry to be so late stopping by, Lillie!

    This is indeed a wonderful start to your blog book tour–and it’s chock-full of great advice for aspiring novelists! The guide you’ve presented here is an excellent resource and can only help NaNoWriMo participants–and other fiction novelists–get more out of the writing process.

    Fantastic tips for getting the job done!
    Jeanne

    Karen,

    Thanks for hosting this stop on Lillie’s tour!

    Jeanne

  7. Alex,
    Give us a report after NaNo on how the outline worked for you. Worldbuilding in advance is a good idea, especially for a book set in alternate worlds.

    Congratulations on winning a copy of Dream or Destiny! I look forward to receiving your information so I can send you an autographed copy.

  8. Natural:

    When I did NaNo the first time, the night before it started on my white board, I whipped up a very quick outline based on a 4 act structure. It took me an hour, then I followed that, altering it as I went along.

    This time I have a very detailed outline with lots of worldbuilding behind it. I’m probably going to end up ignoring a lot of it, but I have something that will help guide me if (when) I get lost in the story.

    Generally I find outlines help me when feeling blocked, but that’s about it. I often ignore them.

    Good luck!!!

    Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Having a Good Wallow

  9. Natural,
    Feeling that spark is great. Just write, write, write during November. If you end up with a novel first draft, hooray! If you end up a long way from the end but with a good start and motivation to continue… well that’s fabulous, too! Overcoming fear, gaining confidence, getting into the habit of writing regularly, and becoming enthusiastic and motivated are great rewards.

    Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Blog Book Tour Stop at eWritings

  10. Natural,
    I think among the people who successfully complete NaNoWriMo, there mayh be a higher percentage who start with an outline than those who just start writing.

    However, some writers don’t like to use an outline—they say once they write the outline, they feel like they’ve already told the story and lose their enthusiasm for writing.

    I start with a general idea but without a frm outline or fixed plot. The story evolves from that. In Dream or Destiny, I didn’t even know who the murderer was until nearly the end of the first draft!

    Do what works best for you. Actually coming to the end of a the manuscript is less important than writing regulary and making progress.

  11. turns out i was already registered…maybe some years ago. i’m going to give this a try, don’t know to expect, not making too many promises, but i will try and thanks for the reminder about this site. i feel a little spark now i have to think of something to write about

  12. I’m so tempted to sign up for this, but I don’t want to do it on a whim. I heard about NaNo years ago…my problem was focusing on the finshed product and not the idea of just writing

    …..not to produce a finished novel but to create a first draft.

    um, do you start with an outline first to organize your thoughts and the chapters or do you just write?

    i’m going to revisit the website again and give this some serious thought. i don’t need to be sitting where i presently am when all i want to do is write.

  15. Kelly,
    What a great idea to adapt the idea of NaNo to NaNoFiMo to accomplish your own goal. You can get moviated, overcome procrastination, and gain confidence … and get that novel finished. Good luck!

  16. Lillie,

    What great advice! I’m using the month unofficially as NaNoFiMo. While so many folks I know will be knocking out wonderful new work, I needed something to kick my tush into committing daily to tweak and finish the one I wrote this summer, so I’m following other folks trials and tribulations to remind me to stick to my own routine.

    Karen, what a fine choice for a guest author!

    Regards,

    Kelly

  18. Your tips are wonderful. I am still on the fence about NaNo, but I may very well follow your approach about writing a novel in six months. That seems like a very balanced approach that can be managed with young kids and without turning our home upside down.
    Thanks!

  19. Dawn,
    I’m so glad you found these tips helpful. Good luck with NaNoWriMo this time around. If you keep the momentum going, you will be a winner whether you write a specific number of words or not. The important thing is to keep moving forward and to build confidence in yourself.

  20. What an inspiring post! I’ve tried NaNaWriMo a couple of times and failed–and by that I don’t mean I didn’t finish (even though I didn’t), what I mean is I never gave myself enough momentum to keep going. Your tips are excellent and I’m going to use them in my quest to write enough material in November to keep my novel going.

  22. Renae,
    I think we all work better when we are accountable to someone. It’s too easy to make excuses to ourselves, but we’re usually less apt to make excuses to other people.

  23. Lillie, thank you so much for this incredible post and all of the wonderful responses. This has been an incredible day for me and I am so honored to have you here sharing your knowledge! As NaNo looms near, I am armed and ready with great tips on how to approach it to get the best out of my first draft. Your book is wonderful and I hope that sales go through the roof! Thank you again for your expert insight!

    Karen

  24. Hi Lillie! Thanks for the tips. I really like the idea of committing to a chapter a week, and being accountable to your writers group. I tend to be a lot more productive when I am accountable to someone.

    Renaes last blog post..About Divorce . . .

  25. Alex,
    Good luck this year—you’ve established a good precedent by finishing 2/3 of a novel in a previous NaNoWriMo.

    I’m glad we’re on the same wave length. Your suggestion of an outline is a good one. That helps your organization as well as helping giving confidence when you get to rough spots.

  26. Thanks for the confidence boost Lillie! I wrote 2/3 of my first novel in 2006’s NaNoWriMo and am going to work on my second one this coming month.

    I’ve already set myself up everything you’ve suggested, so it’s good to know I’m on the right (write?) track.

    The one other thing that helped me through the month last time was having an outline. Each time I felt stuck, I could go back to the outline for inspiration.

    Good luck with the blog tour!

    Cheers,
    Alex

    Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Choosing Happiness and Action: Monica Ricci Interview

  28. Char,

    Good luck with NaNoWriMo!

    I’ll be talking about my writing history at some of my other stops. Briefly, even though I caught the writing bug in high school, I didn’t consider writing a viable career choice so I put off writing until “someday.” I wrote an occasional article for a trade journal, but otherwise my writing was limited to business proposals, employee evaluations, manuals, and other business documents.

    Then I had a stroke in my mid-forties and realized if I wanted to realize my dream, I’d better start on it. I started writing as soon as I had enough stamina to sit at a computer for several hours at a time and after I had regained enough use of my hands to type beyond the hunt-and-peck method. I didn’t have a computer at home so I went to my office every Saturday to work on my novel.

    I finished a couple of novels before I sold the business four years after the stroke. That’s when I started my freelance career and a few years later I sold my first novel.

    My experience is a good example of something wonderful coming out of something pretty unpleasant. If I hadn’t had the stroke, I would probably have continued to operate my business and continued to put off writing until “someday.” I’m really glad that didn’t happen. Going through the stroke and months of therapy … and still having “deficits” … wasn’t my favorite thing to do. But what came out of it is absolutely marvelous.

    Lillie Ammanns last blog post..First Stop on Blog Book Tour: Words for Hire

  29. Karen,

    Congratulations on the publication of your book.

    I’m sure its a wonderful novel and that it will be well recieved in the marketplace.

    Writing a novel in thirty days sounds like an extremely challenging prospect, and I take my hat off to those who are committed and passionate enough to undertake the challenge.

    Andrews last blog post..IBAT – Showing how cooperation produces results

  33. Lillie, Best of luck with your new book! The blurbs I’ve read about it are intriguing. The virtual book tour is a splendid idea – can’t wait to hear how it turns out.

  34. Joanna,
    Thanks for stopping by so early (though it may not be early for you). Writing your nonfiction book during NaNoWriMo is a good idea. I’m surprised someone hasn’t created National Nonfiction Writing Month or something similar or expanded NaNoWriMo to include nonfiction. The deadline should be just as effective regardless of whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction.

    Lillie Ammanns last blog post..First Stop on Blog Book Tour: Words for Hire

  35. Good start to your tour. I’ve got you for the 4th and 5th. I’m ready for ya. Nano is a challenge but I know it can be done (at least once because I did last year). Can I do it again? I’ll find out. It’s ironic since my book this year deals with destiny.

    ron

  36. Hi Lillie, lovely to see you here at the start of the book tour!

    I’ve no plans to write a novel (yet) though I do like the structure and deadlines of NaNoWriMo. I’ve a non-fiction book I want to try and finish and might set the end of the month as a deadline to see if it will drive me forward.

    Writing the first sentence of the next chapter to avoid blank page itis is great advice.

    Thanks for the tips and suggestions

    Joanna

    Joanna Youngs last blog post..Captivating Words: Results from My Ideal Writing Weekend Competition

  38. Lillie,

    Thanks for all the NaNo tips! Although I first heard about this wonderful group over five years ago, this is the first year I’ll participate. It sounded like fun when I made the decision. As Nov 1 approaches, I’m feeling stressed. I think a plan, like you suggest, will alleviate some of the self-imposed pressure.

    I’ll be following your tour and would like to hear more about your writing history. If it was always your dream to write, did you write anything before selling your other business?

    Charlotte Phillips
    Hacksaw
    A Death in Texas

    Charlotte Phillipss last blog post..Writers – Ready, Set, Go!

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