My Top Ten Tips for Writing a Novel in One Month

Writing a novel in a month, whether for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) or another reason can be a daunting task — especially if you’ve never done so before. It doesn’t have to be difficult, however; with the right advice and steps, you can pull together a full-length book by November 30. The following ten tips will help you achieve success!

Do not be misled by romantic movies about blocked novelists who are inspired by a new person in their lives or by a holiday or by facing their biggest fear or regret. They pound out the next great American novel in a couple of hours during the night. To pound out a short novel of 50,000 words in eight hours, you would have to type at a sustained rate of 104 wpm, with no time for thinking about or planning the next sentence, let alone the plot of the novel, no time for bathroom breaks, and no time for (horror!) snacks.

That’s not going to happen. Approach writing your next novel with a plan of attack, and you will be far more likely to succeed.

These are some of my words of wisdom, but I acknowledge that no two writers are the same and no two books are the same. Pick out what works for you and…