How long did it take you to write your book?

Discussion in 'General Writing' started by 33percent, Jul 6, 2015.

  1. Lozboz

    Lozboz Member

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    My first novel took me 5 years. It started as my dissertation at university, so I was working on it daily for a couple of months. Then I graduated, got a job and didn't end up looking at it again for a year or more. I moved to part time work so I could focus more on my writing and got back to working on it daily. Another year to edit. I'm sending it to agents as we speak.

    I've just started another project, for NaNoWriMo, and have the luxury of writing everyday. I try and write at least 2,000 words a day and the first draft is almost done after 24 days.
     
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  2. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    I just finished the draft of a novel I started around 1997. To be fair to myself, I had a major interruption around 11 Sep 01, that resulted in my working two jobs for the next 12 years, but there was discouragement there, too. Major mistake was to go back and edit, and come to believe it was crap. I also moved from a time and place I knew well (ancient Rome) to one I knew not at all (ancient China of the same era). But the intervening years were not spent doing much research. I guess total working time was 5 years, as everyone else seems to cite..
     
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  3. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    My first was 9 months, including many rereads and editing. Got it sitting in a slush pile at a couple of publishers that will take the longer manuscripts. I have doubts that it will make it to getting published, but I have a plan be if that happens (I am betting that it will get rejected without ever getting read).
     
  4. qWirtzy

    qWirtzy Member

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    Hmm, about two years to write, peer-review, and rewrite. Getting the epub stuff together has taken almost as long in itself, though. It was easy to put it on the back burner once it was "finished" and I had to rely on the schedule of a designer, not just my own time. Siiigh. Finally getting ready to launch after all this time feels incredible...and incredibly scary.
     
  5. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    I wonder how long? My WIP is 250K, considering breaking it up into two books, "There" and "Back Again," though I think they have been used
     
  6. R.P. Kraul

    R.P. Kraul Member

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    The first one? Oh, heavens, it took years and years. That novel was a sandbox I used to learn the craft, and it does seem to be par for the course for first novels. Now I can knock out a draft in 30-40 days depending on length (and work ethic). Drafts two and three and editing--that stuff takes a hell of a lot longer. Probably six to eight months from start to finish. Now my third novel took a few years because of its structural complexity.
     
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  7. qWirtzy

    qWirtzy Member

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    Whew, this makes me feel less weird. My books are really long! First one is 143k and the sequel is well over that and still not finished. Funny that it isn't taking proportionally longer to finish the second one (yet).
     
  8. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    The important thing is to tell a good story. Have about 20 readers (including an expert in ancient Central Asian languages, where/when some of the action takes place) and not one has complained about the length.
     
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  9. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    I don't think there is a perfect speed. Some write far faster than me. Others far slower. The important thing is to finish that novel, to the best of your ability, and either send it off to find a publisher (or representation), or do all the work (hiring editors, cover artists, etc.) for self-publishing, and then begin working on the next novel, instead of waiting to determine success (either finding a publisher or if self-publishing, the novel takes off).
     
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  10. qWirtzy

    qWirtzy Member

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    Heh, I like it: As long as you get back to work on your next idea in good time, you're writing at the perfect speed!
     
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  11. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    @Lew The first half is about 122+K long, and not entirely sure how long the second will be. Hard part is finding a publisher that accepts anything over 100k. Found one that complained that 'it was costly if it is over 1ook words when it comes to material books'. Slightly paraphrased, but that is what their guidelines said.
     
  12. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    100-120K is about the max for a first time author.
     
  13. LemonadeLover

    LemonadeLover Member

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    In the editing process of my first serious attempt, so far it's taken me a year and a half and hopefully won't take much longer.
     
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  14. Bradley Parr

    Bradley Parr Member

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    Hey 33percent,

    In terms of "Writing" the story it took me about 10-12 months, it's the editing that is taking the time for me. All in all my first book took me 2 years to write and finalize.

    Hope this helps!
     
  15. Annihilation

    Annihilation Active Member

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    I've been a writer since I was 14 but when I was 19 I attempted to write my first novel which I stopped because the concept didn't get me far enough to even write 20,000 words. I also lost interest in that genre while I was writing.

    I took some time off of novels and focused on short stories. I self published 2 of them online which got about 40-50 downloads and now at 25 I've started another novel.

    So far it has been 8 months and I'm about 40,000 words into it. There's still a lot of work to do including editing, adding/trimming but I don't see it taking longer than 2 years. I have a more vivid, visual concept of this one.

    Then off to submitting agencies it is *sigh
     
  16. J.J. Olivier

    J.J. Olivier New Member

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    I began writing my first story (the only one I have finished) back in the summer of 2009. I am just now getting it rounded into a final shape where I feel it's time to let a professional see it and poke the holes that I refuse (or can no longer) see. That means it was an on/off 6+ years from first words to final draft.

    The thing I think it ultimately true is that as you write you will evolve. Your style and strengths will adapt and you will begin to improve. That is the thing that I have found. With a 200,000+ word novel the turn of phrase and pacing was worlds better at the end. It was a mammoth job getting the tone at the beginning then to match up to the end.

    I feel that may be the greatest threat to spreading a work out over too long a period is how you will evolve as a writer. The things you may be reading, watching, involved in may influence your voice and thus change your tone as you go. That may just be me as a novice writer though.
     
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  17. xanadu

    xanadu Contributor Contributor

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    At this point, once I have the momentum built up and am writing most days, I can do a first draft in about 4-6 months, probably closer to 5. After that, the editing takes absolutely forever. I haven't gotten any of my novels to a final draft stage yet (though I'm likely getting close with one of them). The enthusiasm just drains away after I finish the first draft and I get anxious to move on to the next thing. Really have to focus on staying as disciplined in the editing stage as I am in the writing stage.

    Bah, writerly woes.
     
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  18. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    Don't ever expect to get enthusiastic about editing, it's boring and meticulous. I am friends with David Poyer, who writes Navy fiction, and he says 'edit until you can't stand to look at it anymore. Then give it to a professional.' However, if you still like your story after several editorial passes (I do) then that is promising. Or maybe I need to do a few more passes until I get sick of it.
     
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  19. nastyjman

    nastyjman Senior Member

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    Haven't finished mine yet, but my goal is to do the final revision early January 2016 and finish it by March 2016 before my birthday. The 1st and 2nd draft took about seven months to finish.
     
  20. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    Maybe I just work fast... I have a day job, so writing lives between 7PM and 10-11PM. Goal for editing is 1-2 chapters per night (out of 80). I forward edits to my wife, who marks them up in Word Track Changes. I edit her edits and drop them back into the master the next night, then I edit 1-2 more. Try to take Fri night off and drink away my sorrows, and not work more the two hours on Sat or Sun. Finished in July, now on REV 3 of 250K word WIP, and engaging a professional editor.
     
  21. ToDandy

    ToDandy Senior Member

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    I've written five books and all of them took me a little over 3 months to get through a draft.

    My current novel I have already been working on for four months and I'm not even close to finishing it. Work can sometime wreck your writing plans.
     
  22. cutecat22

    cutecat22 The Strange One Contributor

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    First book, (non fic) took me less than six months but it's only 80-odd pages. First fiction took me seven month, mainly because the story had been in my head for 20+ years. My second fiction took two and a half years. Now, I'm having a short break while I think about what to do next.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2016
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  23. Sentient94

    Sentient94 New Member

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    I've had mine for seven years. I wouldn't say it's discouraging for me but sometimes I get a little irksome that I'm not 'there' yet. Especially if I need to rewrite something, I've read and written it so many times that things don't look altogether as they should now.

    My first draft was, shall we say, awful. I'd like to think my writing has grown up now but maybe there's still that teenager spirit in me that keeps writing utter nonsense because it's cool.

    Who doesn't make mistakes right?!
     
  24. locoza

    locoza Member

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    Hmm, depnded, I wrote some poems which took me like all in all half a year to write them and collect them, but I am actually working on a manuscript, and this time its much more longer, now almost a year, and not ready.
     
  25. Toomanypens

    Toomanypens Member

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    But it was just a funny and off the cuff book.

    Other books of mine honestly take a lot longer, and the time it takes me has nothing to do with "writing it", it has everything to do with knowing what I'm even doing with it.

    Most of the time I have no clue, so I shelf the book.

    But ideally it only takes me a month or so to focus on and drill out the book once I have it all right in my head. But it never turns out that way, I always end up shelving it again and then spending another several weeks half a year later on it.

    Nowadays, I try to write a little each day, and at that pace it takes me 3 months, which is imo, a pretty quick turnaround time if you can manage it..
     

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