On How Long It Takes to Write a Book

In the last few weeks, I've spoken with five writers—including new authors and those who have published NYT bestsellers—and noticed that it didn't matter what stage they were at...

They all had guilt about the length of time it was them taking to write their books.

Two of them even referred to their books or themselves as "failures."

Here's an idea: what if we all let up on the idea that you should be able to create any creative work—particularly a book—in some ridiculous and astonishingly small amount of time?

Can we just collectively trash the idea of writing a book in a weekend? Or 90 days, or 3 months, or even 6 months—unless it absolutely fits your creative process, your lifestyle, and the way you work?

It, by Stephen King, took 5 years to write.

Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings took 10 - 12 years to write.

Sphere, by Michael Crichton, took 20 years to write.

Unfortunately, few people are writing about how long it takes the average nonfiction writer to write a book.

But you can bet something as astounding and impactful as the book Sapiens was not written in a weekend. Or 6 months. Or a year.

You can bet that Roxane Gay does not judge her work by the time it took to complete.

It takes as long as it takes. It's like the late Baba Ram Dass said: "You've got to go at the rate you can go. You can't rip the skin off the snake. The snake must molt the skin. That's the rate it happens.”

There are no failed book projects until the author totally abandons the book. You have not failed. You just haven't finished yet.

You've got to go at the rate you can go. It takes as long as it takes.

(Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash)

For more writing advice, go to sarastibitz.com.