Most of my published writing is poetry, so I'm used to being able to write very concise pieces, finish them quickly, and focus more on editing, tweaking, and submitting my writing. Recently, however, I've decided to take on a much bigger project. I am currently writing a Young Adult novel that I started mid-August and have been quite focused on since. My end goal is to write about 80,000 words of compelling story and interesting character growth. It sounds so much bigger when you have to count just how many words make up a novel (80,000?? That sounds like so much! How can I write all that!?) but today I want to talk about the strategies I have learned to chip away at a daily goal, to have a realistic time frame for writing, break up this monumental task into smaller bits, and to stay inspired throughout the long process.
Make consistent progress on your project.
You don't have to write 2,000 words a day, and for most writers that's an unrealistic goal. Set a small, accomplishable task that you can work towards every day, week, etc. in regards to your project. For me, I have a word count to meet - I write at least 500 words of my novel every single day and I will not let myself go to sleep until I've finished those 500 words. Sometimes these 500 words will inspire me enough to continue on to 1,000 words or sometimes even 1,500 words. On most days, though, putting in those 500 words is just the right amount for me to make progress without burning out. Though it isn't a huge amount, those daily 500 words bring me that much closer to my goal of 80,000 without the weight of 80,000 words hanging over me all of the time. Right now, having stuck to this schedule and having started just about two weeks ago, I have about 13,000 words! Some people prefer a minimum amount of time spent writing a day - an hour or a half an hour dedicated to writing. Others would rather have a larger goal, usually for a month, to allow themselves more daily flexibility while still working towards a manageable goal. Some people like to have a writing buddy to hold them accountable and to keep them on track. Whatever works for you, make tangible, measurable progress, and try to stay active in your writing as much as you can.
Set Realistic Deadlines.
Set yourself up with a realistic timeframe to complete milestones in your project - one that won't leave you feeling burnt out or defeated. Unless you are a writing robot, I'd be willing to bet that two months are not nearly enough time to accomplish a goal of writing and editing an entire novel. So don't treat yourself like a robot! You have limits, you have a certain pace at which you write, you need time to rest - all of these factors are important and must be taken into account. Don't sabotage your mental health for quicker results. Don't set a goal you will never meet. Assess yourself, the amount of writing you plan to do, and the pace that you work at. Then figure out your end date. For me, my goal of 500 words a day (and what seems like a pretty frequent surpassing of my goals - thanks, quarantine) means I'll probably hit around 80,000 words in around 10 or 12 weeks. But I know that this will only be my first draft! After I finish my first, I'll have to think about my editing process, create new goals, and set new deadlines. The overall point of this timetabling advice is to take care of yourself as you work and do not set yourself up for failure. You will be working hard and you will be working for a while! Don't exhaust yourself or demand too much of yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Take breaks. Rest. Your story will benefit incredibly from you caring for yourself.
Break Up the Novel
One of the biggest pieces I can give, as someone in the midst of writing a novel, is do not focus on all the things that must be done, but what must be accomplished in a chapter or a section of the book. When I say this, I don't mean that you should forget your big vision or your plan for the book. However, do not try to write a novel every day and get angry every day that you don't accomplish everything. Think of the book in sections. About how long should your set-up be? What do you need to establish about a character, their relationships, their world in the first two chapters? That is a much more doable task than Go write a novel! The book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel has been really helpful to me in pacing myself and knowing what boxes I need to tick based on where I am in the book. When you're setting up your novel, you can be planning ahead and hiding foreshadowing, but focus first and foremost on showing your readers your characters everyday life and the challenges they face. Once you're past the set-up phase, you can go on to indicate character development, raise stakes, and thicken the plot, but don't forget where you are in writing the story. I am not the kind of person who has the whole book planned out from the beginning; I get to know characters, try things out, and experiment as I go. But I still have a vague direction that I want the story and several main plot points I need the story to hit on. For me, thinking about different sections allows for more flexibility in what a novel will become. TLDR: I love sections and breaking things up!
Interest!
Finally, DO NOT write about something that doesn't interest or excite you! Especially if you are starting a long term project, pick a topic or premise that you will still like after months of writing. You might want to pick something you know others will be interested in, but you will be the one writing it! If you don't like what you are writing, it will come across in how you write. You may get so sick of a project that you simply never finish it. Write for yourself above all else! You have a unique story to be told, specific ideas and fascinations that you want to share with others deep down. So let those interests fuel your desire to write and your passion for your novel! Use your interests and your experiences to your advantage - inspiration will be key in writing a novel. As Toni Morrison once said, “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” It's the most common writer advice ever, I know, but it's true. Write what you want to read!
I hope that these tips for tackling a large piece of writing helped you to wrap your head around a big project you've wanted to take on! I know that for me, my current writing project seemed daunting at first. This is the first time in a few years that I've seriously tried to write a novel, and this time I am determined that I am going to get it out into the world. I hope that you have some more tools and ideas to help you get your incredible ideas out into the world too! You've got this.
Happy Writing!
Julia
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