How to write a book quickly

It’s all about consistency 

I’ve read a dozen books on how to write books, which feels like reading blog posts about how to make money blogging. Each one has a different approach, just like every single author goes about the task of writing differently. I’ve been writing seriously for about three years, and I’ve written two books, one self-published on Amazon called “Through the Amazon” and one which I’m using to seek representation. I wrote them both differently, but here’s what I’ve learned: 

The morning is your friend

Every morning I write, not because its when I work the best, not because I want too, but because it’s the only time in the day where there is nothing else in my head. My brain is the opposite of a sponge, which is to say that the more I soak up the less I can wring out. As soon as I open my phone, or click on my YouTube bookmark, or crack a book my creativity goes down like mad. So when I wake up I go straight to the computer; I don’t brush my teeth, I don’t eat breakfast, I don’t even pee — I just write, and I write until whatever I want done is finished. 

Write in sprints not jogs

When you have an idea in your head and you know your way around a keyboard two thousand words can come out on the page very quickly. It’s the pauses that hold up the writing process. The reality is if you know exactly what you are going to say a rough draft of a solid novel is an endeavor of fifty hours; of course, writers know that coming up with the story is half the problem, the other half is delete, cut, and copy. 

Have two projects at a time

I always start off my day writing, but writing is only half of writing (if that makes sense). The other half is editing, re-reading, re-writing, and re-reading. This process involves everything from digging a diamond out a solid wall of rock to polishing it, and then of course selling it for the big bucks. Herein lies the beauty of two simultaneous projects, a method that has allowed Steven King to write over fifty novels in fifty years ( check out his book “On Writing” it is the greatest source for writers on the market). I start by working on a rough draft of whatever book I have in my head for an hour or so until I have anywhere from a thousand to three thousand words, and then I switch to another project which needs editing. If you have an idea for just one book and haven’t started just work on that in the beginning, and when you are ready to start editing have another idea in your head ready to start. 

Blogging

Blogging is a little different, it is very easy to write a post, edit it, and publish it all in one breathe, and this is what I do. Writing blog posts for me are taking a snapshot of my mind, and if I were to go back and edit them later something of the feeling of that moment would be lost. For books this is inescapable. I find myself writing in a completely new style on a project I’ve been working on for months, which inevitably means I will have to go back and edit it to match the rest of the book. While this is annoying I try not to constrain myself while I work, if my style wants to be different for the day I will not tell it to do otherwise. 

Time for reflection

An author’s most valuable tool is solitude, and I mean from all things. Every person who is trying to bring a story up from thin air just by using their brains must recognize that they will need time to think. I like to think while I pace, but I’ve also had some great concepts come to me while I was laying in bed. Do not feel lazy, do not feel like it a waste of time to simply sit down with no phone or book and think.

Extra advice

If you can’t type quickly find a free app online and practice; if your thoughts move faster than your fingers simply make your fingers faster. Read as much as you write, if you don’t have time to read every day take-up audiobooks, it the best way to see what is possible. And lastly, the key to writing, the KEY, is to stay consistent; if you write a thousand words a day every day for a year you could have three books to edit at the end; if you instead write three thousand words once a week you will have one. But it more complicated than the numbers, writing every day means you have a schedule, it means you can do it tomorrow and the next day without fail, and most importantly it means your mind is focused on the project; when you skip one day then there is no guarantee you will write the next day or the day after that. 

If you want to know more about good books to read concerning writing or have any other questions you can contact me at livelibrarytv@gmail.com. I love most of you.