Want to start writing a book in 2024?

As I write this in mid-May, there are 7 1/2 months left of 2024. It sorta feels like it’s rushing towards the end of each month like a wave crashing on to the beach (at least it's sunny at the beach).

The power of time is one that we, as humans, have yet to conquer but what we do have is the choice over how we use our time. For the most part anyway, we all have to work and earn a living and yes there are obligations, endless housework, maybe kids and furbabies, the gym, health appointments, and other commitments.

You may think you have no time to write your book but I promise you do. I’m going to show you how to carve out time in your busy schedule and become a published author in the future!

You're probably already writing about a book worth of words in a year without even realising it (or 'realizing it' if you're in the US)! The average Facebook post is around ten words. So if you could write at least 10 words per day, you’d have a piece of flash fiction in a year. Times that by 10 (equivalent of a 100word LinkedIn post every day) and you’ve got a novella by next May. If you can manage a 5000 word blog post once a month then you've already got it in you to write a 60,000 word manuscript in 12 months. If you can write much more than that you’re halfway to writing War and Peace. But let’s not get too crazy!

Most people are going to publish something under the 40-100k mark and that is absolutely achievable within a year.

My first manuscript took me 10 years to finish, my second took me 7 years, and then during lockdown I wrote 50,000 words in 90 days and started another novel. I got much faster and more efficient in my writing so now I can teach you so you don't waste time Googling 'how to write a book' and can get on with it!

As well as writing, I’m also a professional book editor so I needed to discover all the techniques for overcoming writer's block, boosting creativity, blocking out distractions, and staving off thoughts of giving up (there were many of those).

The four key things you’ll need are listed below and I’m going to share a few things I’ve learned along the way on these:

1. Time to write
2. Accountability
3. Tools: notepad & pen or a laptop/computer or a Remarkable tablet, and your choice of Microsoft Word, the Pages app, or something like the Scrivener tool.
4. An author ‘to do’ list for after The End

1. Time to write

I can give you all the best advice in the world but it’s the actions you take after reading this that matter. So once you get to the end of this take at least one action today. Open your laptop or notepad and just write a few lines. Let your mind wander and see where it takes you – no pressure. and write some ideas or tell someone you’re going to publish your book and give it a book birthday. You may only have a few spare minutes and that is enough time to START!

If you use Google Calendar and have different calendars/colours for different areas of your life like I do (editing, meetings, creative writing, social) then create one for 'Author Time'. Start with small blocks of time and then you can build up or adjust during quieter days/weeks/months. But if your schedule is jam packed then look for little pockets of time.

Friend running late? Pull out your phone and tap out a few lines. Doctor or dentist keeping you waiting? Get a couple of paragraphs written. Got a long commute on the train? Get out your laptop and write. Even if you driving, you can use the dictation app (please only do so if it's safe and you are confident doing this but essentially, you talk and it types). If you have a 60min lunch break, could you ditch your colleague for some of it and go write somewhere?

I heard about a nurse who wanted to write a novel but had so little time she would spend her lunch breaks in her car in the car park and write as much as she could.

The writing part is temporary so perhaps ask the people in your life if they don't mind a few less brunches while you work on your novel. You don't necessarily need big block of time or full days ...realistically who has full days available to go sit in a coffee shop and write anyway! Use the time you have. And maybe delete the Facebook/Instagram apps temporarily because the 1-3 hours you are doom scrolling could be a few thousand words on paper or screen!

Before you can launch a bestseller, you have to write a bestseller. — Jeff Goins

2. Accountability

I promise you, once you start tell people you are writing a book they will check in and want updates so you've instantly got accountability. One of my clients got his kids to regularly check in on his word count and then they'd write the big number on a white board and cheer for him – super cute. I got a writing mentor last year and having homework has been a major push for me to crack on with my self-editing on my novel. Writing workshops are great for this too, especially ones where you have to submit pieces or have to read out loud for feedback.

Break down what you’re going to need to achieve into small sections of work.

• 20,000 words = short eBook.
• 40,000–60,000 words = standard nonfiction book/novella. The Great Gatsby is one at this length I’ve read several times.
• 60,000–80,000 words = long nonfiction book/standard-length novel.
• 80,000 words–100,000 words = very long nonfiction book/long novel. This is where my current novel sits!
• 100,000+ words = epic-length novel/academic book/biography. It’s unlikely you’ll manage this in entirety by the end of the year unless you plan to quit your job and write full-time but you know what you can do — get started on it…

Here are a few examples of how you could get your book written in a short space of concentrated time:

Option One:

5,000 words per week so in 10 weeks you will have 50,000 words

Leave it for a good few weeks to clear your mind and refresh

Self-edit for a good few weeks to a few months depending on your schedule. I recommend going through this stage a few times. Get a few people to read it and give you feedback. Ideally, you want people whoo love your genre and actively read it. My brother loves fantasy so he's reading my YA fantasy novel but my mum is more of a 'dead body on the beach' novel fan so I would ask her. However, family and friends are bias and often too kind to say what they really think (my brother does not have a problem telling me something I've written is terrible). Still, try to find people you don't know to read it. Again writing workshops are great for this or perhaps find someone who is writing in the same genre and doo a swap.

Professional editing comes next. If you book this well in advance then it keeps you accountable to a timeline. One of my clients was about finished with his first draft and booked me 12 months in advance. He used that time to let it sit then do rewrites, self-editing, beta reader feedback reviews and more self-editing, etc.

If you also want to self-publish next year, you’ll need to work on the book cover, book description, and marketing while writing. Personally, I’d recommend outsourcing the book cover and formatting, setting up your KDP Amazon account ?and?Author Central bio, doing as much marketing as you can and building an audience, and then publish early next year. So a 2025 publication is possible if you start writing now and stay on track!

Or if you plan to pitch to publishing agents then you'll still go through the same process to get your manuscript as polished as possible to start pitching in 2025.

Option Two:

You may or may not have heard of National Novel Writing Month, popularly known as NaNoWriMo but it’s a great way to get your book written very quickly. And by quickly, I mean within 30 days!

The premise is that during the month of November, writers around the world sign up and commit to writing a novel within a month. There’s a tracker for your word count and a huge, global community cheerleading each other on.

Click the link below to check it out and then you can also use the various relevant hashtags on social media. There is a #NanoPrep workshop too.

National Novel Writing Month

November 1-30. The world needs your novel.

nanowrimo.org

Option Three:

Book a writing holiday or retreat. If you have the time and funds or you can get creative, you could book a few days or a week and write every day while you have no distractions. A couple of my clients have done this and managed to get up to 5,000 words written per day!

Now, this can range from super cheap to very expensive so worth doing your research. There are some gorgeous writing retreats that run into the thousands available. Alternatively, you could also check out a cheap Airbnb or student hostel, ask a friend to use their holiday let, or even go camping (no wifi can be great! but maybe check the weather first as a soggy laptop is seriously going to delay your writing goals)

I have a writing friend and we meet up regularly for writing days. Last year, we booked a week in Lanzarote and found the perfect spot to work on our stories while looking out to sea.

Option Four:

Add time on to your working day at the start or end. 60mins x 3, 4, 5 days per week can really add up. Just make sure your partner/children is happy with this. One of my clients had a great conversation with his kids where he got them super excited about his book. They knew not to disturb him if the special sign they made for him was on the door and each day they would demand to know how many words he had written.

There’s a great thing called the #5amWritersClub which some writers use for accountability. You log on to Twitter, use the hashtag to say hello and chat briefly with other users then have 2–3 writing sprints with short breaks. It runs from 5am-7am (or 5:30–6:30 CST)

3. Tools

People work and succeed differently, what works for one aspiring author just simply doesn’t for another. So you need to find what makes you effective and what is sustainable. You might want to use a platform like?Bear , Scrivener , or Wattpad to write or just use Word on your laptop. I like Word and put a back up copy in my Google Drive and then I always email myself a copy as well because I once lost two days of self-editing when my laptop crashed. So back up everything, please I beg you. And when something terrible happens and you panic you've lost your 1000,000 word masterpiece only to realise you emailed yourself a copy because Kirsten Rees told you to then I accept gratitude in the form of cake or a nice cheese platter.

4. To Do List

I have a great Manuscript Checklist for Authors! It's a 1-page PDF with a list of all the stages you'll likely need to go through to get to the publishing stage. If you'd like a free copy, drop me a message on socials, send a message via the contact page, or drop me an email [email protected]

You may also have your own ways of carving out time and writing your book, as I said in the beginning everyone’s life and work and schedules vary so find what works for you. If you start and something isn’t quite working, adapt but keep writing. Get the first draft down, then the letting it simmer begins before you work on rewrites and self-editing, then getting feedback. No on writes a masterpiece in the first attempt.

There are a lot of hurdles but visualise getting over them one at a time instead of seeing the big, overwhelming picture. I’d love to hear about your book and if you are managing to use any of these tips. Connect with me on social media or drop me an email if you have any questions.

Also, if you’ve written a manuscript and haven’t published it yet, I’d love to have a chat with you.

Kirsten

Author Bio:

Kirsten Rees is a professional book editor and author coach. With a decade of experience in storytelling and editing, she has won several awards and has edited over 26 million words.

She is a published poet and her fantasy novel entry was a finalist at the Jericho Festival of Writing. As a writer herself, she is equipped to empower others to write their story, partnering with authors at every stage of their writing career — some of her clients have hit bestseller status. Kirsten has worked with many repeat clients over the years and has glowing testimonials.

Kirsten has partnered with business leaders who want to share their expertise, fictional authors on novels, people struggling with their mental health who use writing as therapy, and those who have words worth sharing.

Although she is based in Scotland, UK Kirsten has clients all over the world. She is happy to meet in person locally, connect via video call, and has even been flown to London and Dubai to meet with talented authors.

Check out her portfolio here then get in touch with any questions:

www.kirstenrees.co.uk/portfolio