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How To Write Your Book Faster

By on June 25, 2017
How To Write Your Book Faster - Writer's Life.org

Sometimes the book writing process can feel agonisingly slow. We expect that we’ll definitely be finished our first drafts by such and such a point, and when that time rolls by we are so far away from the finish line things can start to feel very disheartening.

Let’s face it, we all wish that we could write our books faster. Being a faster, more productive writer means that we will reach our writing goals more quickly, write more books, and increase our chances of becoming a fantastic success!

So how can you try to write your book faster? Of course, every writer is different, and it is only through trial and error that you will find out what works for you. However, by experimenting with these helpful tips you can see if they can make you more productive, and feel as though you are getting ever closer to achieving your writing goals.

Have a plan

Some authors hate to make plans and prefer to just go with the flow, and if that’s you that’s great! However, making a plan helps many authors by allowing them to see their whole story, mapped out. Doing research and creating chapter outlines will help you when you are feeling stuck and will allow you to see that your story can work, however hard it seems at times.

Stick to your (small, manageable deadlines)

Set yourself goals, but make sure they are small, with short deadlines and that you have them frequently. If your first goal is simply to get your first draft finished this will feel impossibly far away. However, a goal such as ‘write the first page’ or ‘finish chapter one’ will feel much more achievable and you’ll feel a sense of pride when you get there - which will motivate you to keep writing!

Write every day

The more you write the easier it will be. Even if you only have ten minutes spare, or even five - try to do a little bit of writing every single day, it will keep you feeling great, on track and won’t let you get so rusty that you forget how to write in the first place!

Silence that critic

Your inner critic will tell you that you're not good enough, that you are a fool for trying to write - and you need to tell that inner critic to pipe down! Make sure that you don’t let negative thoughts overwhelm you. Remember, the most important thing is to get your story out. No one else has to see it before that point so just tell yourself it doesn’t matter how bad it is, keep writing and get it done.

Change the way you need to write

We all love the idea of sitting in a little wooden hut, with super cool glasses on, an amazing view of some mountains and maybe a lake in the distance, piles of coffee stained papers on our desk and us in our favourite wooly jumper, writing away while sipping on a glass of dark red wine. Of course, in reality, we try to fit our writing time in between busy jobs, first thing in the morning, in our lunch break, or late at night. We have to do it in a busy, harshly lit office with colleagues pestering us every five minutes or in our small, cramped home ‘office’ where children rudely barge in to demand our attention if them deem we have been in there too long. Sometimes writing just isn’t this romantic, beautiful thing, and we’ve just got to get on with it - so don’t wait around for the perfect moment, just snatch your writing time when you can.

Join a group

If you constantly find yourself missing deadlines, procrastinating and making excuses for your writing then perhaps you need some motivation. Joining a writing group can help keep you on track, you’ll not only have a group of like-minded people to inspire you and bounce your ideas off, but you’ll also feel bad if you let them down by not doing your work too!

Get some help

If you find yourself getting stuck don’t despair or walk away from your writing - there is no shame in asking for help. Whether that’s paying someone professionally to give you a critique of your work, or handing it over to a trusted friend to have a read through and give you some feedback - accepting help is so much better than wallowing in a pit of writer’s block!
Being a more productive writer is something that surely every author wants - have you tried these tricks? Let us know what works for you!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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