Making Time for a Novel

Writing is a slow process for many reasons, so it is not a race but rather a long term project. I began by working backward:

72,000 words over 36 weeks = 2,000 words a week, or 400 words for 5 days a week.

This always changes but it gives me a guide to start from. It breaks down a large daunting novel into easy chunks. A novel written over a long time frame needs attention to keep track of details. I keep a master index listing: terms, creatures, artefacts, characters, and places. The fantasy series covers 7 countries, more than 30 places, and over 100 characters. That is because I have a habit of naming my minor characters not to mention the dragons.

Keeping Track

Gone are the days when I wrote everything on paper. My note book is for brief notes, and jotting down useful information. My scrap book is for mind mapping and scribbling. Everything else is done on computer, everything I want to keep that is. I created files to keep track of writing, one for my website, my books, my illustrations, and my descriptions. My file for my books contains the most important information. This contains book titles, brief plots, timeframes, editing, formatting, prices, and book launches. This is my little file of notes which I refer to for each project.

Process

Publishing is a process of which I am part way through. In case you haven’t guessed I am an independent author finding my way as I go along. There are a few reasons why I chose this path. I have friends who are traditionally published, independently published, and a mix of both. The first thing I considered was my capacity. I am a slow writer and life gets in the way more often than not. So I made the decision to keep writing as a hobby. I could continue to enjoy every moment with the added stress of tight deadlines.

Structure

There are many hidden guidelines so take the time to get to know them. These can be novel length, genre types, reading age, and the list goes on. You don’t need to know everything, but a general understanding helps. I have been writing fantasy for young adults, novel range 50,000-70,000 words. This is the reading age of self-discovery, and making your way out into the world. The reason why I take an interest is because it helps describe my book to the reader. Sorcery, wizards, and dragons are common words for this genre and describe my theme. After all, what would an adventure be without dragons?