I wrote my first book in 30 days. Here are 11 tips and tricks to writing a novel.

  • In addition to being an editor at Insider, I'm also a first-time published author.
  • I wrote the bulk of my debut novel, " This Way Out ," in just one month in 2020.
  • My key advice is to write what you love because you'll live with your story for a very long time.

I wrote my first novel in just one month. It was extremely challenging but I'm glad I did it.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

In addition to working at Insider as an entertainment editor, this year I also became a published author.

My debut novel, "This Way Out," was published around the world on July 1.

It is the story of Amar, a British-Bangladeshi man who gets engaged to his partner, Joshua, and must tell his devout Muslim family that not only is he gay, but he's marrying a white man. Amar's confession sets off a chain of dramatic events — both heartbreaking and hilarious — as he navigates his family's disapproval of his sexuality, his continued grief over his mother, and a meddling future mother-in-law.

I wrote the first draft of "This Way Out" in one month, between mid-June and July 2020. It was a challenge, to say the least, but ultimately, I'm glad I pushed myself to write it so quickly. Or it might still only exist on my computer.

Here are my top tips if you want to turbo-boost your writing career and finish your manuscript, too.

Clear your mind of all distractions so you can focus on your writing.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

The idea for "This Way Out" first came to me in 2019, and while I wrote two or three very rough chapters at the time, I quickly abandoned the novel amid my day job and a mammoth Netflix queue.

I returned to the story a year later when London, much like the rest of the world, was locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

This time, I was determined not to abandon the book again. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. So, I set myself a 30-day deadline to write the whole manuscript, including rewriting the few chapters I had already written a year before.

But before that, I needed to be in the right frame of mind.

I had reached Netflix saturation point by the time I began writing. I'd binged all of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Vikings," and my brain was yearning for more stimulation. Thankfully I had just the thing for it.

Get all the distractions out of your system before you sit down to write. Finish that show or gardening project, and go into your 30-day writing challenge focused and ready.

Treat your hobby like it's your job.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

So, you're ready to start writing your book. What next?

I was super disciplined about my writing time over the 30 days I wrote "This Way Out."

I treated writing the book as if it was my job. After all, I considered it an investment in myself, and to get the best possible outcome — a published book! — I needed to put in the effort.

I made sure I sat at my desk each day and did some writing. If you have a day job, that can be hard but think about setting some time aside early in the morning before work if you're a morning person, or in the evening if you're a night owl.

For me, it was a combination of both. I blocked out a couple of hours each morning, around 7 a.m., and another two hours each evening, at around 8 p.m., for uninterrupted writing.

You may need to experiment with writing at different times of the day to figure out what works for you. I found that I was less productive during the daytime and easily distracted by household chores and my dog, so early mornings and after dinner worked really well.

Just remember: Consistency is key. Make sure you budget time each and every day, whatever time that may be.

Write what you love. Don't pander to industry trends.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

While promoting "This Way Out," a lot of people have asked how I came up with the idea for my book and remarked something along the lines of, "I'd love to write a book but I don't know what I would write about."

My advice is to write the book you want to write, not the book that you think you should write. 

It can be demoralizing, particularly for authors of color, to see the same types of books — "Gone Girl"-esque thrillers, for example — dominate The New York Times bestseller list, but that shouldn't deter you from writing the book that is in your heart. (And if you want to write a "Gone Girl"-esque thriller, then go for it!)

"This Way Out" is a hugely personal story to me as it incorporates some of my own lived experiences as a gay, nonwhite Muslim man. It was a story I felt compelled to write because I'd never really seen myself represented in fiction before.

Is there a story you feel compelled to tell? That's the story you should write.

In my experience, the more passion and heart you can imbue into your novel, the more motivated you are to write every day, and the easier it will be. 

Because I felt so deeply about Amar's story and my cast of characters, there were days when the words just poured out of me onto the page.

And remember, you'll probably have to live with this story for a long time, so you want to  love it. From the first draft to publication, I've been immersed in all things "This Way Out" for two years.

Write a synopsis for your novel and work backward.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

In writing, there are "plotters," who plot out their novel, and "pantsers," who simply start writing with no roadmap and see where their words take them.

There's no right or wrong way to write a book, but I'm someone that likes to be highly organized when I take on a project, and the thought of writing a book without a general roadmap would be overwhelming.

In order to give myself the best chance at success, I like to get organized before I start writing, and that means writing a synopsis of my novel first. A synopsis is a general overview of your story — beginning, middle, and end.

Most authors will have to write a synopsis when seeking representation from a literary agent, but it can serve the dual purpose of acting as a roadmap that you can always refer back to. So, instead of writing it after you write your book, I find it super helpful to write it first.

If you want synopsis inspiration, here is one about a famous boy wizard.

Break down your story, chapter by chapter.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Another highly organized way to tackle your novel is to outline the beats of your story by chapter.

After writing my synopsis, I then break that down into a more detailed plan, noting down the key events and main characters in each chapter.

You can do this in a spreadsheet or even just by making a table in a Google Doc or Word.

Like your synopsis, this is something you can always come back to for guidance and will help you keep your story on track.

A chapter breakdown is also useful for helping keep track of how many words you need to write. If a standard novel is around 70,000 to 75,000 words and you have plotted out 27 chapters, mathematically, you might aim to write roughly 2,500 to 3,000 words per chapter. 

Make sure you have a comfortable workspace.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Writing may not be the most physically taxing task, but you're going to be spending a lot of time on your manuscript, so you want to be comfortable.

When I first started writing "This Way Out," I didn't have a desk. I wrote in bed, on the couch, or at the kitchen table. After getting halfway through the book, I started to get antsy. Writing in bed would lead to a nap, and the couch would give way to the temptation of turning on the television.

So, I hit up IKEA for a desk and super comfortable ochre chair. My productivity rapidly improved.

Having a dedicated and comfortable writing space can make the world of difference. It's a space to focus and stay motivated.

When you sit down, you know you're there to work, and those other spaces — the bed or sofa — can go back to being for leisure when you're done for the day.

Have a general idea of how many words you will write each day.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Books are long, and when you're climbing the proverbial Everest of writing one, it can feel like you'll never make it to that magic number, whether it's 70,000, 80,000, or even 100,000 words.

With "This Way Out," I aimed for a chapter a day, with each chapter containing roughly 2,500 to 3,000 words.

When I'm drafting, I keep myself motivated by logging my word count on a piece of paper and sticking it to the wall in front of my desk. It shows me how far I've come and how much more I have to do.

There's a real sense of achievement each day when I cross off the previous word count and log the new, higher one.

Be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up if you write less than intended.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Conversely, we are all human. Not every day is going to be an amazing writing day.

Writing "This Way Out," there were some days I didn't write 2,500 to 3,000 words and I despaired that I'd never finish the manuscript. I even joked to friends that maybe I should just copy and paste excerpts from Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" to make up the word count. (Don't do that.)

Don't beat yourself up if you have one bad day. Just stay consistent and sit back at your desk the next day.

It's OK to write less some days because there will be other days when you end up writing a lot more.

Allow yourself a break and be kind to yourself.

You don't have to rigidly stick to your plan. Take creative detours if your work calls for it.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Just because you've written a synopsis and chapter breakdown doesn't mean that your book is now set in stone. 

Give yourself the freedom to chop and change things, and allow the story to take you down different paths.

I had a eureka moment writing a scene midway through "This Way Out." A character did something that I hadn't plotted initially, but their actions just  made sense at that point in the story.

Even as I wrote the scene, I was surprised by how their actions deviated from my initial plan, but it really worked. That scene ended up being hugely pivotal to moving the plot forward and adding extra tension to the book.

Know when you're done and it's time to write "the end."

write a novel in 30 days challenge

There is nothing quite like the feeling of finally finishing your manuscript and being able to write, "The end."

Sometimes, that point may come sooner or later than intended, however. Remember: You don't have to be rigid about your roadmap.

As you write, you may feel there is another chapter to add, or you may feel that a chapter is no longer needed and end up wrapping up your story sooner than planned.

I had the latter experience writing "This Way Out." As I reached the end of the book, I still had another chapter planned, but the scenes I was writing at the time felt like a fitting end. So, I went with my gut and ended it there. 

Don't force yourself to write more if you feel like you're done. Go with your gut instinct. The story will tell you when it's done.

Let your book breathe before diving back into it.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

You've finished writing your book. Hurrah! But, what now?

The first draft is just the beginning. You might write a second draft yourself, tightening up the story and adding in more detail, or you might work on it with a critique partner , professional editor, or literary agent.

Before you go back to your book, give yourself a little time away from it. Take a week, or longer. Catch up with your housework, "Real Housewives" or with your friends.

A little bit of distance from your work will help you come back to it fresh and motivated.

Once you're ready, I recommend printing out the manuscript (it feels great to hold it in your hands!), sitting down on the sofa and simply reading it, not as an author, but as a reader. Absorb the story from the reader's perspective.

Then read it again. This time, maybe you'll make some notes in the margins or underline sentences to change.

Now you're ready for your second draft.

The reward is worth the hard work.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Writing a book isn't easy. If you manage to complete your manuscript — whether it's in 30 days or longer — be proud of your achievement. Not everyone has the discipline and resilience to write that many words.

Unfortunately, the publishing industry is a tough nut to crack, and it's notoriously difficult to get published by a major publishing house.

If you do get a publishing deal, congratulations. Savor the moment. 

Finally holding my book in my hands, and being able to share Amar's story with the world, made all the hard work worth it.

"This Way Out" is available now .

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more .

write a novel in 30 days challenge

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How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

Last Updated: June 26, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Grant Faulkner, MA . Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.  wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 125,285 times.

Every year, people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which challenges its participants to write a 50,000 word novel in November. Even if you’re not participating in NaNoWriMo, you might be interested in trying to finish a draft of the novel you’ve always wanted to write as quickly as possible. By preparing carefully and writing diligently, you’ll be able to finally get your novel down on paper!

Setting up Your Story

Step 1 Sign up for a writing challenge.

  • If you don’t participate in an organized writing challenge, you should set your own ground rules. For instance, figure out what 30-day period you’d like to write during.

Step 2 Read for inspiration.

  • While preparing, you can reread your favorite novels from the past or take the opportunity to read novels you’ve never read before.
  • Try to read novels that are written in different styles. Some novelists write dense, complicated prose (for instance, William Faulkner and Toni Morrison) while others write in short, relatively simple sentences (such as Ernest Hemingway and Octavia E. Butler). Reading novels written in a range of styles will help you figure out not just what kind of story you want to tell but how you want to tell that story.

Step 3 Decide what kind of novel you want to write.

  • You can also write a novel that blends genres. If your want to write a high-fantasy romance novel, go for it!

Step 4 Keep an idea notebook handy at all times.

  • If you don’t like writing with pen and paper or want to carry a notebook around, you can take notes electronically. There are a number of popular note-taking apps, like Evernote, that you can download for free. (You may already have one downloaded.)

Step 5 Plan your novel

  • It might help to keep traditional plot structures in mind. Most stories begin with exposition, lead up to a climax, and then end with a resolution. You can learn more about plot structures in various writing manuals, such as Denise Jaden’s Fast Fiction: A Guide to Outlining and Writing a First Draft Novel in 30 Days . [6] X Research source
  • In addition to outlining the plot, you should also have plans for your characters, settings, and other important details. Try to write backstories for your characters and make notes about how they fit into your novel.

Step 6 Find some friends to write with.

  • If you do include friends in the process, make sure that socialization doesn’t distract you from getting your writing done!
  • NaNoWriMo has forums that enable writers to support one another and share ideas. While you’re writing your novel, these forums could be a great place to go for community and motivation! [9] X Research source You can also join general writing forums.

Writing the Novel

Step 1 Set an overall word-count goal.

  • You could also set a goal of writing a certain number of chapters or a specific number of double-spaced pages. Set a goal that makes the most sense for you and your novel.

Step 2 Set a daily word-count quota.

  • You don’t always have to start writing a novel at its beginning, but for writing one in 30 days it will probably be best to write it linearly from beginning to end.

Step 4 Establish a routine that works for you.

  • Try leaving your phone in a different room and disabling your wifi while you write if need be.

Step 6 Make checkpoints with rewards for yourself.

Revising Your Work

Step 1 Take a break when you’re done.

  • Don’t look at it or talk about it, and try not to think about it too much. That way you’ll be able to return to it with fresh eyes and a clear head when you start the revision process.

Step 2 Get feedback from people you trust.

  • Ask your readers what they liked and didn’t like about the novel. You can also ask things like, “Which characters were compelling and which were annoying?” and “Did the plot make sense?”

Step 3 Figure out if and how you’d like to expand.

  • By knowing what parts of your novel are worth expanding, you’ll have a good idea of how to move forward with it.
  • Ask your readers which parts of the book they wish were longer to help figure out what to expand.

Step 4 Decide what you think doesn’t belong or doesn’t work.

  • Even if you’re emotionally attached to a certain character, scene, or subplot in your novel, you may have to cut it if it isn’t moving the plot forward.

Step 5 Revise your draft

  • If you end finding that you want to start your novel over from scratch, that’s fine too. But don’t think of your 30 days of intense writing as wasted time. You’ve learned a lot about the kind of novel you want to write and how to get writing done efficiently even if you don’t go further with what you wrote! [21] X Research source

Sample Writing Schedule and Examples

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Expert Q&A

Grant Faulkner, MA

  • If you couldn't convince your friends to join you, meet some new ones! Many sites have forums for you to join, and chances are you will find someone who is willing to help you edit their novel! Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
  • Enjoy yourself! It's about having fun. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 1
  • Tell as many people as possible what you plan to do so that you have your own personal support group! This will also keep you from pitching out at the last minute. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
  • Don't forget to save your document regularly (unless your document is automatically saved). Make sure you have a copy of your saved novel on an external hard drive, like a disc or a flash drive. This way, if your computer crashes you'll still have a way to access the novel! Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Remember to prioritize. The quality of your schoolwork and/or your work at a day job might start to slip from all the intense writing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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  • ↑ Grant Faulkner, MA. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 8 January 2019.
  • ↑ https://nybookeditors.com/2016/03/writing-a-novel-in-a-month-is-it-possible-and-should-you-try/
  • ↑ http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/30-tips-for-writing-a-book-in-30-days
  • ↑ https://nanowrimo.org/terms
  • ↑ https://writetodone.com/how-to-write-a-novel-in-30-days/
  • ↑ https://thewritelife.com/how-many-words-in-a-novel/

About this article

Grant Faulkner, MA

If you want to write a novel in 30 days for NaNoWriMo, keep in mind that NaNoWriMo's minimum word count requirement is 50,000 words, so you need to use your time efficiently. To get started, plan a routine to make sure you write each day and finish your novel on time. If you need help to stay motivated, give yourself small rewards, like a piece of chocolate for every 1,000 words you write. Additionally, try writing with a group of friends or contacting a local NaNoWriMo group if you work better with company. For tips on how to edit your draft and how to get feedback from readers, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The 30-Day Writing Challenge: An Alternative to NaNoWriMo for Writers Who Fear Commitment

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I don't know about you, but I'm afraid of commitment.

I find it difficult to choose a movie because I think two hours is too long to focus on the same story. I've had three separate Facebook accounts, over 10 different email addresses (five of which are currently active), and I've dyed my hair more colors than I could count on both my fingers and my toes. I'm the person who researches the restaurant ahead of time and still stares at the menu long after everyone has decided what to order.

Time Commitment

Okay, so I know the idea is that even moms and full-time employees can find time, that prioritizing writing over other things is important to nurture your artistic self, and that fitting writing into your day every day is what makes a writer, well, a writer. I get it, I do. I get all of it.

Even so, I would like to see my family for more than 30 minutes after I get home from work, and— sue me— but going to new restaurants with my friends is, like, the Olympic sport of my life. I'd still like to write every day; it's just that producing such a high volume in such a short amount of time is what sends single girls like me running and screaming. So what's a whiny writer like me to do?

Luckily, the ability to produce a high volume of good writing doesn't just happen overnight. In reality, writing doesn't have to be so intense. It's all about baby steps. (Like, I guess one date wouldn't hurt, and it might be fun to post that I'm "in a relationship" on Facebook.)

Writing for a few minutes every day doesn't sound so scary, does it? The trick is that it all adds up. That's why we've created a less intense alternative to 50,000 words in 30 days. This is the 30-Day Writing Challenge, where we've provided creative writing exercises for every day of the month. The best part is that you can write as much or as little as you'd like without pressure and without having to feel bad about it. After all, it's all about creation in any volume, right?

The 30-Day Writing Challenge

Take us through a written walk down your street and to your favorite place through the eyes of somebody else.

Think of three people in your life. Give your character the hair and laugh of person 1, the face and bedroom of person 2, and the wardrobe and mannerisms of person 3. This is your new protagonist. Feel free to give him or her any other characteristics you'd like. Give us an idea of who your character is by describing only the first 60 seconds of the character's day.

Now send your character to his or her grumpy grandmother's house for a visit. Write the scene of your character's arrival.

Imagine that your protagonist has just turned into a statue. Describe his or her thoughts.

The last liquid you drank has turned your protagonist into a superhero. What do your character's new powers allow him or her to do?

Think of your favorite food. Try to make it sound as disgusting as possible.

Spoil the ending of your favorite movie without any context.

Take a nondescript sentence such as, "How are you?" Write the same line from at least five different points of view.

Turn a Tweet into a haiku .

Try to convince your reader that the mythological creature of your choosing exists.

You are now a dragon. Describe your hoard.

Take the first line of your favorite novel. Remove and replace the nouns and verbs, and write a story that begins with your new line. Delete the first line.

Think of the worst pain you've ever felt. Now give your protagonist a papercut and over-exaggerate the pain using your own descriptions.

Your character meets somebody new on the bus. His or her opinion about the person is changed by the end of the bus trip. How did this change occur?

Characterize the second-last app on your phone or the last website you've visited (before this one). Send this new character to the supermarket.

The last thing you touched (other than the keyboard, mouse, screen, etc.) is trying to kill your protagonist. Explain why.

A magic trick involving cards has gone horribly wrong. What are the consequences?

Free write about your first protagonist (from Day 1) meeting the new character from Day 15.

Cross an item off your bucket list by doing it in your writing.

Ask somebody you know how his or her day was. Make any kind of poem out of their answer.

Your character's skeleton is trying to escape his or her body. Describe what happens.

Find a cliché you absolutely hate. Rewrite it while keeping the intended meaning intact.

Make an existing protagonist into an antagonist by changing one small thing about him or her. Write a pitch that sells this antagonist's story.

Put your favorite poem through a translator into a different language and then back again. Do this until the poem is no longer recognizable. Rewrite it and turn it into lyrics for a song.

One of your characters has been mistaken for somebody else. Write what happens next.

Write the log line for a mockumentary.

Tell the story of a man who lives in a motel.

Your character picks up a locket or a frame. Explain its contents and their significance.

Think of your greatest fear. If it's an object, person, or place, make it sound loveable. If it's some kind of experience, make it sound fun.

Finish a story with the line, "Nothing ever felt easier to say."

That wasn't so scary, was it?

Which prompts from the 30-Day Writing Challenge were your favorites? Did anything surprise you about your writing? We hope that you've come out of this month no worse for wear than when you started. After all, writing is work, but it's also supposed to be good for the soul. Even if you didn't do all of the challenges, you've written more than you would have if you hadn't taken part in these writing exercises at all. Like I said, it's all about taking baby steps. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some email accounts to close once and for all . . .

Image sources: Nathan Walker/Stocksnap.io, obpia30/Pixabay.com

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write a novel in 30 days challenge

write a novel in 30 days challenge

How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

Annual writing sprints like NaNoWriMo have many experienced and new authors alike testing their limits. Writing a book – a carefully, beautifully constructed book – does take time. Usually, much longer than 30 days. Yet trying this exercise is useful for building discipline, focus and just getting the first draft done. Here are 8 tips to help:

  • Post author By Jordan
  • 4 Comments on How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

How to write a book in 30 days | Now Novel

Annual writing sprints like NaNoWriMo have many experienced and new authors alike testing their limits. Writing a book – a carefully, beautifully constructed book – does take time. Usually, much longer than 30 days. Yet trying this exercise is useful for building discipline, focus and just getting the first draft done . Here are 8 tips to help:

1: Set attainable goals

When someone asks ‘how do I write a book in x days?’ Writers’ reactions are sometimes discouraging. ‘Never write a book with a deadline as small as 30 days!’ Says one Quora user . Reasons you  shouldn’t  attempt to write a book in such a small time-frame include:

  • Being limited by time constraints could result in low quality writing
  • Producing a first draft may be possible within 30 days but you also need time to revise and edit
  • Burnout is possible if you don’t take sufficient breaks

These are all valid concerns. To work out it you can finish your novel in 30 days:

  • Calculate how many words you write per minute: Use a free words-per-minute checker such as Typing Speed Test .
  • Keeping in mind that you will also need to pause from time to time to think what happens next, halve your word count per minute. If you can type as fast as 60 wpm, take 30 as your base rate.
  • Work out how many words you write per hour: If you can write 30 per minute, you can write approximately 1800 words per hour (assuming you don’t stop to edit or rest). Factor in resting time for a more conservative estimate (e.g. 1000 words).
  • Work out how many hours you will have to write each day on average over the next 30. If you write 1000 words of draft per hour on a good day, an 80, 000 word novel should take 80 hours of writing to complete.
  • Eighty hours of writing over 30 days would mean spending an average of 2.6 hours of writing per day. This is a lot when you have other commitments.
  • Based on the amount of time you have available to write each day, adjust the length of your first draft until you have a word count you can achieve. You can always expand during subsequent drafts. Or write your first draft as a brief, novella version .

If this seems like an impossible task, give yourself more days. Or write some scenes in summary form. You can add connective tissue between plot events (such as scene transitions) later.

2: Set a realistic daily word count target

Many authors find as they learn how to write a book that realistic, attainable targets help immensely.

You might say to yourself ‘I can write for an hour each day, easily.’ The truth is that surprises, last minute obligations and life in general can hijack your writing time. For every hour of free time you have, bank on getting half an hour of that to write.

Start thinking about how you can make your word target attainable:

  • Cut down time taken up by other tasks: Make simpler, quicker meals, for example, and watch less TV – it’s only a temporary sacrifice)
  • Ask for help: Rally friends and family who are willing to help you chase your goal (for example, grandparents willing to babysit if you’re juggling telling your story with parenting)

Once you know exactly which hours you have free, block them out in a calendar. Use a colour that separates them clearly from other events and obligations. Draw an ‘X’ through each day once you’ve reached your word target. The satisfaction of this action (the sense of completion) will keep you motivated to continue.

3: Reserve time for each part of the writing process

The different parts of writing a novel require different types of problem-solving. Sketching characters, for example, is more imagination-dependent, while editing is a somewhat more rational (though still creative) process. [You can create full character profiles in preparation using the step-by-step prompts in Now Novel’s story dashboard.]

When seeing if you can learn how to write a book in 30 days, being structured is key.  Divide each writing session into different tasks . Complete different sections of outlining or drafting simultaneously. This keeps the process varied and diminishes chances of getting stuck.

If, for example, you prefer writing dialogue to introducing scenes and settings, leave your favourite part of the storytelling process for the end of each session. This makes your favourite part a reward that you work towards every time you sit down to write.

Writing a book in 30 days - Infographic | Now Novel

4: Maintain a motivating reward scheme

Create a reward scheme for yourself to keep yourself motivated. Big gyms and insurance policies take this approach to keeping members active. Because they understand motivation, how reward-driven we are . Maximize your commitment to your story (and your word count targets) by:

  • Scheduling short breaks as micro rewards for reaching small targets such as completing scenes
  • Scheduling greater ‘bonus’ rewards for milestone achievements such as completing chapters

Rewards don’t have to be expensive, overly indulgent or distracting. Take a walk somewhere inspiring or beautiful, read a few pages from a favourite book or grab a coffee with a close friend. Make your rewards relaxing activities that will help you return to the track renewed and focused.

One crucial piece of advice on how to write a book in 30 days:

5: Make it a game to avoid unnecessary pressure

If you’ve ever watched competitive reality TV, you might have seen cases where the most competitive and committed participant cracked early under pressure. Placing too much pressure on yourself is a fast track to burnout.

Instead, treat writing a book in 30 days as an impossible goal that you’ll see whether you can reach, playfully. It’s crucial that this time is fun and varied. Some ways to make it a game:

  • Enlist a friend to join in the challenge: You can have your own NaNoWriMo any time of year
  • Create engaging prompts for yourself: Instead of saying ‘In this scene, the villain will discover a secret that sets him back’, tell yourself ‘Imagine a villain has just been informed of a development that ruins his plans. What does he discover? How does he react? Write 500 words’
  • Find an inspiring picture via Google images that captures the mood or tone you want a scene to create:  Let images (or music) inspire you as you write

Try to write as freely as possible to maximize your speed:

Quote on writing - EB White | Now Novel

6: How to write a book in 30 days: ‘Write drunk’

The quote ‘Write drunk; edit sober’ is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway, though it’s not clear whether Hemingway actually said this . Regardless of who said it, the quote does say something true about writing. It’s not that you should write drunk literally. But you should give yourself the freedom to write with that same uncontrolled giddiness. Before you get to editing.

A big part of how to write a novel in 30 days is letting go of complete control. Let the sober editor in you control when the time comes for that. The writing part should involve as little critical interference as possible,  if you want to draft fast .

Some ways to ‘write drunk’:

  • Make the font colour of your word processor match the background . Only highlight and change the font colour back when you reach your target word count. This will prevent you from focusing too much on what you’ve just said as you can’t edit until you reach a point of pause.
  • Give yourself licence to be bad. Write terribly. Use clichés at every turn. Do this with the understanding that once you have the full draft and you’ve met your targets, you can go through and fix whatever you like.
  • Leap in anywhere: Just because your novel tells a linear story doesn’t mean you have to be linear in your approach. If you’ve written the start of a scene, skip to the ending if you have an idea where it will go. Put in simple notes for whatever you’ll add later.

On the subject of speeding up, use shorthand in places to keep up your momentum:

7: Cheat and use shorthand

If you’re trying to write a novel in 30 days, you’ll likely only have time to fill in essential details of character, setting and the most important events of a scene. To keep going at all costs:

  • Fill in names of characters, places and other nouns with generic words and agonize over the right choice later (e.g. ‘[Character Y: Add character name meaning stubborn/headstrong here]’)
  • Reduce connecting sequences to basic elements. Instead of describing in detail how the party escapes the collapsing building, write ‘[Party manages to escape collapsing building; minus characters X and Y’]
  • Keep filling in these blanks for moments when you are tired and you need a quick, small win

8: Remember that progress never counts as failure

What people don’t always tell you when you ask how to write a novel in 30 days is that the most important part of this challenge is committing to it and trying.

Determination and dedication will help you make progress. If, by the end of the 30 days, you don’t have a continuous, polished first draft, congratulate yourself for the progress you have made. You have a sturdy skeleton for a book you can turn into a better read.

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo or simply trying to get through your draft, try to write an 800 word extract every day for a week in the note-keeping section on Now Novel . That’s 5600 words further if you succeed.

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  • Tags how to write a book in 30 days

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Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

4 replies on “How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips”

I am so excited to use NaNoWriMo to finish my novel. I am about 60,000 words in and I stalled out when I got distracted by a different story idea. I am now returning to my original plot and I’m planning on finishing it by Novermber 30th!

I hope it’s coming along well, Jeffrey! Let us know how you did. Any progress is a win, truthfully 🙂

Hi Jeffrey, I hope your NaNo draft is coming along well! Please feel free to share any extracts you’d like constructive critique on within the members’ area when you’re done, I’m interested to read it.

[…] time to wallow in that dank swampland. Inspiration is for suckers — you have a word count to hit. If you’re really stuck, online writing prompts, plotting exercises and character interview worksheets can be a big help. […]

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What Is NaNoWriMo?

A woman working on her learning what is NaNoWriMo?

Writing an entire novel in just 30 days is a daunting task, but it has helped hundreds of people become published writers and even award winners. Each year, writers worldwide look forward to writing 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is a 30-day November novel writing challenge that was first established in 1999 San Francisco but took the world by storm in just a few years. Now, 400,000 writers are participating worldwide, and there were more than 34,000 NaNoWriMo “winners” last year.

NaNoWriMo Rules

The NaNoWriMo rules are few. By committing to the challenge, writers embark on the quest to produce the first draft of a 50,000-word novel between Nov. 1-30. While this number may sound daunting, it can be broken down to approximately 1,667 words per day.

There are features on the NaNoWriMo website to track individual progress, and to be considered a “winner,” writers must upload their work so the organization can validate the final word count.

NaNoWriMo Tips

Keeping the end goal of writing a novel in mind can be challenging on a day-to-day basis. Here are some tips and tricks from past NaNoWriMo participants.

Stay on Track

With a goal of 50,000 words in 30 days, allotting time to write every day is critical to stay on track, according to Tracey Love ’16G , who earned her MA in English and Creative Writing  from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “If you miss a day, make up the number of words you missed as soon as possible or catching up will be hard,” she said.

Love won NaNoWriMo in 2014 and is determined to write another novel this November. Her trick to staying on track is to never fall behind more than 2 days.

Sara Billions-Steele , who is close to completing her BA in Creative Writing and English  with a fiction writing concentration, is a frequent NaNoWriMo participant. One obstacle she faces each year is the inclination to edit as she writes.

“I think people could really benefit from the idea of free-writing without thoughts of going back and re-editing every little sentence,” Billions-Steele said. Though she has yet to win NaNoWriMo, she accepts the challenge each year to improve her writing strategies and make a habit of the practice.

Billions-Steele also advises that writers do whatever they can to meet the word count. “Don’t try to use concise language, but instead be descriptive,” she said. Succinct writing will make a challenging task even more difficult.

Keep Motivated

Amy Stevens , the vice president of Academic Resources and Technology at SNHU, participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time last November. She kept her momentum going throughout November by tracking her progress every day. “That visible progress kept me coming back,” Stevens said.

Though November marks the start of the holiday season, Stevens doesn’t let her productivity suffer. She pushes through, continuing with her daily routine. “The slow and steady pace meant that I wasn’t thrown off by the holiday,” she said. “It was just another morning at the writing desk.”

After achieving the 50,000-word goal, she realized that enrolling in the online MFA in Creative Writing  program was something she could do. In her fourth term now, Stevens is even working with pieces of her NaNoWriMo novel in class.

Develop a Process

Jumping into NaNoWriMo looks different for everyone. Some start preparing in the months leading up to November, while others arrive at the challenge on Nov. 1. While some writers need to create outlines and plot storylines before starting, others let their writing carry them.

Stevens is someone who does not require much planning before she writes. “Each morning I continued to be surprised by what my imagination came up with,” she said. This strategy doesn’t work for everyone though, and it’s acceptable to start preparing for NaNoWriMo before November begins.

For those writing daily, Stevens found that it helps to write by scene. “The nice thing about writing a scene a day, which is what I realized I was doing about half-way in, was that I could set up, create conflict and move on, which let me stick with the big vision and trust that I would eventually get there,” Stevens said.

Find a Support Group

Writers are not expected to take on NaNoWriMo solo. Everyone that signs up to participate on the official website is a member of a community and can engage in online and in-person support and events.

In addition to writer forums, there are weekly “pep talks” by best-selling authors such as Andy Weir, Min Jin Lee and Justina Ireland this year. There are also webcasts that NaNoWriMo participants can tune into with writers Marissa Meyer, Aya de Leon, Sophie Littlefield and Jennie Nash.

There are 975 municipal liaisons, or volunteer coordinators of regional and local NaNoWriMo events, including write-ins, parties and workshops. NaNoWriMo also partners with 1,100 libraries, bookstores and community spaces to host a Come Write In program.

While there is a network of hundreds of thousands of writers to offer encouragement during this challenge, it’s also important to seek support closer to home. From her experience, Love said, “Let your loved ones know what you’re doing, the space you’ll need and the support you could use during the month of November.”

Rebecca LeBoeuf ’18 is a writer and editorial coordinator at Southern New Hampshire University. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

Ready to Write A Book?

Join our 30-day book writing challenge, lots of people dream of becoming an author, but few of us actually finish our manuscripts. why is that life has a way of getting busy, work has a way of interrupting, and when we don’t prioritize book writing, it usually just won’t happen., that is—unless we do make it happen., in this 30-day book writing challenge, join dozens of aspiring (or multibook) authors who share a dream to get their ideas down on paper, and (finally) get that first draft over with..

30-Day Book Writing Challenge Chart

write a novel in 30 days challenge

What Is the 30-Day Book Writing Challenge?

It’s simple: join a community of writers in writing a 30,000-word manuscript over the course of 30 days..

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Inspired by NaNoWriMo, the annual book writing challenge that takes place in November across the globe for novelists to write 50,000 words, the PYP 30-day book writing challenge helps you write the first draft of your book. The difference? This challenge is self-paced. The word count is slightly lower to set a more attainable writing goal and it’s focused on non-fiction writing.

30,000 words might sound like a lot. Impossible even. It’s not! Think of it this way: 30,000 words in 30 days comes out to just 1,000 words per day. And with a community of writers to commiserate (and share successes) within Facebook , it will feel even more possible!

Happy with only email tips during the challenge?

That’s fine community participation is optional., why join our book challenge, find the structure you need.

When writing a book, it can be immeasurably helpful to have someone else impose some structure on your writing routine.

If you sign up for the 30-day book writing challenge, you will finally have a foolproof way to get your manuscript written. Just write 1,000 words a day. Once you’ve finished your words for the day, check them off your list , and don’t think about writing again until the next day.

Join a Community of Fellow Writers

You know when people say that writing is a solitary, even perhaps lonely, experience? Sure, it can be that way. But when you join our writing challenge, you uncover the power of shared experience and community motivation.

When you’re feeling writer procrastination creeping up, or are experiencing full-on writer’s block, you can fall on us and your fellow book-writing participants for moral support, words of encouragement, and inspiration.

Get Daily Book Writing Tips

Writing can be tough, and we know this firsthand as published authors. So, how do you trick your brain into writing? Especially when you have to write every day, a lot, even when you don’t want to?

We’ll send you 30 daily writing tips directly to your inbox to help you get through the month of writing. From how to write a shitty first draft, to how to craft the most productive writing routine, you’ll have everything you’ll need to be successful.

End Up With the First Draft of Your Manuscript

It might seem too good to be true at this moment, but if you stay committed to this challenge, you will end up with the first draft of your manuscript by the end. Can you imagine what that might feel like? To have a completed first draft right there in front of you?

Sign Up to Join the 30-Day Challenge

A sneak peek of book writing tips.

First, meet Jenn, Founder of Publish Your Purpose, and get a feel for this challenge.

Here’s a little taste of some of the tips you’ll see if you join the challenge!

Give Yourself Permission to Write a Shitty First Draft

This tip is so fundamentally important that we needed to share it. The whole premise of our 30-Day Book Writing challenge centers around the idea of just getting the book written. And if you’re going to write an entire manuscript first draft in 30 days, you need to get used to the idea that it’s probably going to be pretty… shitty.

But that’s the point! You can’t craft a bestseller from thin air, you need a shitty first draft first. You need the clay, you need something to work with. During this month, you will learn how to write something, and then leave it alone! Leave it alone until you are done with your first draft and can begin to edit it.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Create a Writing Routine

One of the best ways to build a writing habit is to craft a perfect writing routine (that you stick to)! You can experiment with different setups, but a few ideas include:

  • Bringing your laptop to a local cafe, ordering your favorite hot drink, and letting the words flow among the distant chatter of coffee drinkers
  • Sitting at your favorite desk at home with the lights dimmed, two scented candles lit, and your phone turned off and hidden in the other room
  • Drafting out your ideas by hand in a leather-bound notebook, then letting the words flow from your laptop while sitting on your patio or a local park bench

You get the idea. Writing can be really fun, and by creating a special environment for the activity, you will find that it’s easier to get the words flowing and hit your word count for the day.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

Track Your Progress

Part of motivating yourself throughout the month is keeping track of your incredible progress. We can anticipate that there may be some days where you just can’t get the words to happen, but there will be other days where you can’t stop writing. By keeping track of the word count of your manuscript, you can celebrate the successes along your journey. And have something concrete to tell people when they ask the dreaded question, “So, how’s that book coming along?”

And Then What?

If you’re already on board for the 30-day challenge and want to plan for what comes after you’re done with your 30,000-word manuscript… here’s your answer.

Publish Your Purpose is a hybrid publisher of non-fiction books. Our authors are thought leaders, experts in their fields, and visionaries paving the way to social change—from food security to anti-racism.

At Publish Your Purpose, we offer writing and publishing support for you and your book—no matter the stage you’re at.

Explore Our Services

You can join our Getting Started for Authors program , a 6-month intensive writing experience to get your manuscript ready for publication. Or, join our Publishing program, to get your finished manuscript published and in stores. We can’t wait to work with you to get your story out there in the world!

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NaNoWriMo: How To Complete Your Novel In 30 Days

Writing and Publishing

NaNoWriMo

I signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2011, but I didn’t participate. I felt unfit for it, not ready, or otherwise scared of the project’s magnitude. In 2012, one of my writer’s group members asked if anyone else was doing the NaNoWriMo, so I said yes. I didn’t think about it, and I just said yes. If I had thought about it, I would’ve probably bailed again.

What is NaNoWriMo?

Here I am in December, two weeks after completing my first NaNoWriMo. I am still not over the joy of this minor success, so much so that I decided to write a blog post and describe how I did it and how you should not look at this as a scary project but a challenge and a way to improve your writing skills .

If you are not aware of what NaNoWriMo is, it’s a writing challenge where participants must complete a novel of 50,000 words or more, in 30 days, during November. There are many other similar contests, but this particular one is trendy and well organized. In 2011 there were 250,000+ participants, and that’s pretty impressive if you think about it. To learn more about the contest, head to their main page and read the about section: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ .

The NaNoWriMo Challenge

So, let’s recap: 50,000 words in 30 days . That’s about 200 pages (double-spaced, standard margins, 12 pt. font). Mathematically, that is not more than a mere 1,667 words per day or about 6 to 7 pages. That translates into about 1 to 2 hours per day of typing. A piece of cake, right?

Well, as we all know, writing a novel is not about math unless you are writing some algebra textbook. It’s a lot more than that, and most of it has to do with what’s in your head. Let’s look at the real challenges:

  • You can’t wrap your mind around the fact that it is just too much in too little time.
  • You don’t have an idea for a novel right now.
  • You will never be able to produce a sellable manuscript in 30 days.
  • You are afraid that you cannot type so much, so fast.
  • It seems like there’s not enough room in your schedule for the time dedicated to writing .
  • You are a master outliner , and you can’t bear not outlining your novel properly.

Now let’s tear each of these into pieces and find real-life methods to get over them.

Mental Challenge

Writer's Mental Challenge

Every single person that ever created or invented anything started from scratch. And if they would’ve stopped because they were afraid of failure, the world would not be where it is today. Instead, they replaced fear with hope. And hope drove their desire to succeed. And even when they failed, they didn’t stop. “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work,” Thomas Edison said about working on the lightbulb, “I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

You Can Do It If You Decide You Can Do It

And guess what? You have a considerable advantage over those pioneers when it comes to writing. You have books that teach you how to write, seminars and conferences, books written by others that can inspire you, and a community of writers to support you.

Once you come to terms with being a writer, you can jump over this hurdle. You go every day to your work and perform your tasks—accounting, sales, what have you. If anyone doubts you can do those, you will get offended, right? Well, then it’s time that you decide you are a writer and stop being afraid of actually acting like a writer. That is—write.

If you haven’t done this already, pick up a piece of paper and write in big letters: “I Am A Writer.” Glue it in your home in front of your eyes, so you never forget.

So, write. Push through the fear and do it anyway. Recognize that nothing that brings glory and satisfaction is ever accomplished without some degree of fear. Just don’t think about it. Try your best to reject every thought that pops in your head and tells you that you can’t make it.

DECIDE that you CAN make it.

That’s your first and hardest step.

Creative Challenge

Writer's Creative Challenge

Simple: re-frame the way you think about the challenge, and don’t let the lack of a readily available novel idea be the thought that drives your process.

To understand that, let’s take a step back first and look at what is this challenge going to help you accomplish:

1) Publish a novel 2) Improve your writing skills (style, grammar, structure) 3) Expand your writing spectrum (genres) 4) Get better at putting words on paper

This particular contest will not result in a publishable manuscript. Read that again, and again, and again. At the end of the thirty days, unless your name is Faulkner, you will probably not be able to publish the manuscript. You will be able to turn it into a publishable manuscript later on, as you will see, but it will initially be just a rough draft. That is a crucial point!

Forget Everything About Perfection

Your manuscript doesn’t have to be perfect ! It simply doesn’t have to be perfect. As a matter of fact, the longer your first 30-day draft, the less perfect it will be. There’s an inverse relationship between the writing quality and the writing quantity in a limited period. This contest asks you to finish 50,000 words, not 50,000 PERFECT words. That’s a big relief. So, for now, strike number 1). Things are getting more manageable—no pressure to hand the manuscript on November 30 to anyone to read.

In my opinion, improving your writing skills is by far the number one goal for this contest. It’s one of those elusive apparent things that are right there, in your face, but you don’t see them. In your head, the prestige of finishing is excellent, being able to tell your friends and family is fantastic, and publishing your work is grand. But at the end of the day, this challenge will help you become a better writer.

The advice you get from every writing evangelist is this: write, write, and write. Don’t look back, don’t you dare… Kill your inner perfectionist . Just keep writing through the end. Then, take a break, take a breath, look back, and start fixing. But the process of pushing forward and putting words on paper will eventually drive your continuous improvement as a writer.

Write Fast And Write A Lot

The more words you can put on the paper, the better you can establish a proper work ethic, and the better that process goes, the more confidence you will get. The more self-confidence you acquire, the faster and better you will write . It’s a growing spiral of improvement. You will start taking chances, getting outside your comfort zone, exploring, experimenting, and testing. This type of challenge will bring you the most, and it’s a priceless gift.

So, don’t be afraid if your novel idea is not the next New York Bestseller. You have time for that. Now write about anything that makes you feel comfortable. Many sites help you brainstorm, and I also wrote a blog post on writer’s block . Don’t let the lack of a great idea be a deterrent to your goal of learning how to impose your writing schedule and improving your writing style. Finally, you can use the same methods explained in the Morning Pages routine and swap the writing to your NaNoWriMo while keeping the same strategy.

Physical Challenge

Writer's physical challenge

The non-outlining writers will feel more confident about this project since they can just start writing. The outliners will feel a bit scared by the idea that they won’t be able to spend their weeks and weeks planning and outlining.

Personally, I am a big outliner. I like to take my story from the one-line blurb to a complete scene list, character bibles, maps, and world-building. To get over this, I decided to sacrifice one day and one day only for outlining.

Here’s how I did it.

I figured that an average scene is about 800-1000 words, based on prior experience. I felt that a chapter should be roughly 10-15 pages. So, I decided my outline would contain 16 chapters, each with four scenes of about 800 words. I used good-old Excel to start a table with the following headers: Scene number, Scene Description, Number of Words, chapter, Total Words.

Create a Simple Bird’s Eye View

Next was the overall story structure. Again, we don’t have much time here, so I decided to go with the well-known, established, and loved-by-many three-act structure. So, I assumed that my first act would be about 25%, the second act about 50%, and the third act the remaining 25%. I color-coded my excel sheet to see the clear separation, and at the bottom, below the table, I made three rows with formulas to keep track of the actual size of each act.

Now I had a pretty decent skeleton for a good start. If you want to look at the Excel sheet and use it in your project, grab this writing quota Excel tracking sheet that I prepared for you. Use it freely as you wish. In addition, I’ve also made available for free my quick novel outlining template .

Now, the minimum average number of words you must write every day is 1,667, but you don’t want to be there. You want to be at least 50% higher so you can slowly get yourself a nice safety cushion. I set my personal goal to be 2,500 words per day. That’s about three scenes or almost one entire chapter.

Ok, now, with a quick skeleton and the plan for each day, there was one more thing I had to do: decide how this novel would end. Why is this important?

The fun of writing a novel is in the process of creation. You are the God of your characters; you are building the world, giving them life, and making them interact. That’s great, but you are not writing for your characters; you are writing for a reader, and readers, usually, like to finish a book and enjoy its ending. So, as much as the fun lies in your second act, your last act is the one that will leave the final mark on your reader. Equally important, the first act is the one that will grab your reader and make him read the entire book.

So, the minimal preparation here should be this: how do I start? Keywords: attention-grabbing, exciting action, character introduction . And how do I end? Keywords: emotional connection, closing the circle, tying all the plot lines .

If you want to make the road from the first few pages until the last few pages to be a fun one for you, at least decide from the beginning what will be on those few pages. And again, you don’t have to be perfect here as we are still planning. But have a general idea of your ending. Is it a dark ending? Will the protagonist die or lose someone dear? Is there a happy ending where the boy gets the girl? Or maybe a bittersweet ending where the boy saves the girl but still loses her? Either way, if you decide this from the start, you will have a far easier time filling the gap between your beginning and end.

So, at this point: you have decided you can do this, you more or less know what your novel will be all about, you prepared yourself a generic outline, and you have established how your book starts and ends. That’s all you need, now start writing!

NaNoWriMo - 30 day novel

Keeping Up The Momentum

Timer

If you find it hard to allocate the time to write your daily quota, read my other article, Writing when Busy . It gives you some specific ideas about how to write when you are very busy.

But regardless, don’t get hung up on the daily quota too much. The daily goal is excellent, but you are looking for a weekly quota, much more than a daily one. You have to output about 12,500 words per week. Make sure you keep to that. There will be days when you write more and days when you write less. Your weekends are an excellent way to catch up, so if you missed your quota in one or two days, get back on track during the weekend. If you are over your quota, good for you, but don’t relax and rest right away. Write more; you will love it in week four when you are almost done.

Editing During NaNoWriMo

How do you edit your writing during November? The short answer is: you don’t . Given that you are writing more than 2000 words every day, chances are you don’t even need to re-read what you wrote the day before to keep your story on track. It will all be in your head. If you are in chapter 10 and can’t remember that town’s name, just put a “[?]” as a placeholder, and you will search and replace it later on.

Obviously, if you are the kind of writer who needs to read yesterday’s work to get back into the “writing mode,” do it by all means. But keep it short. Remember, your goal here is to write a lot, not to write perfectly from the start.

If you want a compromise, do this: first, write your daily quota of new words and, only if you meet it are you allowed to read your work from the day before and do some light editing. Keep it fun and challenge yourself!

Other Ways to Get Motivated

The NaNoWriMo allows the participants to join regional groups. Each group organizes various writing sessions where people get together with their laptops in a public place, like a library or a bookstore, and write. It’s an excellent motivator to be around other writers, so use them if you have trouble focusing by yourself.

The forums on NaNoWriMo are also filled with posts that help writers with advice and encouragement.

On the NaNoWriMo site, look for friendly faces or other people who write in your genres and add them as your writing buddies. You will be able to see their progress and compare it against yours.

Search the web for posts like the one you are reading right now. There’s a lot of information and many ways to get motivated. As soon as you feel like you are going stale or ready to procrastinate , turn to these resources and use them as a ‘kick in the butt.’ You will be happy later when you are done!

Last Day of NaNoWriMo – November 30

Champagne

Congratulations!! Now, take a week or two away from this novel. Work on other things. Then two weeks later, come back. Start polishing your work, but even before that, decide if your book will stay at 50,000 words or if you need more. Depending on your genre and the standards, you might find yourself in need of another 25,000 words or maybe more. Now that you know the process, adding those words should be easy.

Now you have a month to do your first review and bring your word count where you want it to be. Enjoy your holidays and your new year’s, but remember: by the end of January, you should have your second round of edits done, and your novel should now be in a somewhat presentable state.

From here on, it’s all about polishing and making it better. But that’s not the subject of this article. I just wanted you to get here, and what you do from this point on is a different story. But give yourself a warm hug and treat yourself to whatever you love most. You deserve it.

You practiced writing discipline, the most challenging hurdle on your way to writing success. Also, you improved your style, and you learned how to write fast and organize the thoughts in your head. Last but not least, you learned how to keep track of your writing and stick to your quotas.

You just became a better writer.

Also, if you read this post far from November, I challenge you to make your own NaNoWriMo. Pick any month—preferably right now, and be the only participant. Push yourself to do it. Actually, let me correct that: prove that you can do it !

Now, before you go, I have…

3 Questions For You

  • Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? If no, why not?
  • What was the highest number of words you’ve ever written in 30 days?
  • Do you write a few words every day or tend to write in long stretches a few days a week or month?

Please share your answers in the comments below. Sharing knowledge helps us all improve and get better!

iulian-ionescu

Hi there! I’m Iulian, and I want to thank you for reading my article. There’s a lot more if you stick around. I write about personal development, productivity, fiction writing, and more. Also, I’ve created Self-Growth Journey , a free program that helps you get unstuck and create the beautiful life you deserve. Enjoy!

Related posts:

write non-fiction book

outlining, planning, productivity, writing tips

so thank you sharing. I was very scared not knowing what you’re doing yourself and it will be like? I’m trying to do things for my future, I’m afraid not stumble and get up, I fear I’ve even changed the direction of making it, you have to know and what should I do. Thank you, you try your best.

Thank you so much for you very intersting article! I have registered but not participated in NaNoWriMo. I have spread youre good words in my swedish blog. Keep up youre exellent blog.  From another writelover on the other side of the world. =D

My first NaNoWriMo novel didn’t get completed until the following NaNoWriMo.  My life is crazy busy and notoriously hectic.  I’m hoping to do better this time and actually finish this year’s NaNovel before next year’s event.

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30 day method to writing a novel

How to write the first draft of a novel in 30 days

T he outline you'll complete using the 30-day method will become a snapshot of your novel. After finishing a full outline, you should feel you've got the makings of an entire book (your story should feel complete, solid, exciting and satisfying) and you should be desperate to start writing the book itself.

This first draft outline is the equivalent to the first draft of a manuscript. Because you've revised it so thoroughly, it will read with all the completeness and excitement of a finished novel. Using this outline to write the first draft of your book (which, in almost all cases, will be the final draft, needing only minor editing and polishing) should be so easy you might even feel a little guilty about it. All the hard work will already have been done creating the outline.

Throughout this guide we'll work on the assumption that the first draft of your book isn't a fully completed draft in the traditional sense, but is instead a comprehensive outline – your first, whole glimpse of the book and a snapshot of what it will be once finished. The outline you create over the next 30 days will become the foundation upon which your entire novel will come to rest. This method is a way to lay out the full course of the story as it flows from beginning to end.

Your commitment to the 30-day method

Despite its flexibility, the 30-day method requires a great deal of commitment from you as a writer. The first thing you need to become a productive writer is self-discipline. This method will give you that in spades – if you're willing to dedicate yourself to it. Not everyone will be able to complete a first draft outline in exactly 30 days on their first try, but that doesn't mean you'll never be able to do it. This method, like all methods, requires a sufficient amount of practice. The more you use it, the more time and effort you'll eventually shave off your outlining schedule. In the future, you may even notice it takes you considerably less time to write the first full draft of your book.

Does it mean you've failed if it takes you 90 days instead of 30? Of course not. If you need more (or less) time to perform certain steps in the process, you can adjust your schedule easily. But this method will probably make you work harder than you've ever worked before.

Some will enjoy the challenge; others will use the method while setting their own deadlines for each step. And others still won't be willing to allow their muse to be harnessed in this way. Find what works for you over the long term, not simply for the moment. Even if you find the next 30 days difficult, persevere – it will get easier with experience.

Understanding the 30-day method schedule

Keep in mind that each of the six stages identified in this method has its own day-to-day schedule. These individual schedules are discussed at length at the start of each corresponding chapter. Don't worry if you need to allow yourself an extra day or two for some tasks. As you become more familiar with the method, you'll find it easier to stay on schedule.

The first steps to creating a comprehensive outline are very rough — each building on the previous one. The preliminary outline you create in stage one won't contain everything. You'll just be getting your basics down at this point. With each step, you'll be developing more details about every aspect of the book, and your outline will grow to reflect that.

As you're writing the first full draft of your book, you'll also be re-evaluating your outline periodically, as your story takes on a life of its own and moves in directions you might not have planned. You won't stop evaluating the strength of your outline until the book is complete.

Creativity and outlines

Writers who haven't tried an outlining system have many questions about the process. Is it possible for an outline to be flexible? Can it take into account my individuality as a writer? Can I continue to be creative using an outline? Can I use an outline for writing any fiction genre? Will using an outline reduce the number of rewrites I have to do? Will using an outline mean it will take me less time to complete a project from start to finish? Won't setting goals clip my wings, rather than allow me to spread them?

Authors tend to be suspicious, at best, of outlines. Despite this, many are looking for a method that can give them direction – a method that embraces an individual's way of working but takes away none of the joy of creating. They want something that will streamline the process and make them more productive, so they're not surrounding themselves with half-finished projects and manuscripts in need of major revisions.

An outline can be flexible, can be so complete it actually qualifies as the first draft of the novel. It can make it possible for writers like you to achieve more with less work, reducing the number of drafts required for each project – even to the point of creating just one draft.

Instead of viewing an outline as an inflexible, unchangeable hindrance, think of it as a snapshot of a novel – one that captures everything the novel will eventually contain, but on a much smaller scale. This snapshot can be adjusted and rearranged until it's smooth and strong. By revising a comprehensive outline of your novel, rather than the novel itself, you can revise 50 to 100 pages, instead of four times that.

Without robbing you of the joy of your craft, this guide will teach you how to become a systematic, self-disciplined, productive author – no matter your genre or level of experience. The 30-day method takes into account that you're an individual and may have your own methods of getting from A to B, while helping you to clarify your vision of the story before you begin writing your first (and possibly final) full draft. No more wasted time or endless overhauls and revisions. The clearer your vision of the story before you start actually writing it, the more fleshed out your story will be once it makes it to paper.

  • How to write a book in 30 days
  • Creative writing

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Day 1: character sketches

Day 2: setting sketches and research strategies, day 3: plot sketches, most viewed.

Build Writing

30 Day Writing Challenge:The Complete Beginner’s Guide

  • Post author By Onyemechi Nwakonam
  • Post date January 3, 2021
  • No Comments on 30 Day Writing Challenge:The Complete Beginner’s Guide

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My writing life was a dream I had that never seemed to come true.

It was all filled with a mirage.

The lofty projections I had in every new year resolution.

Still, the goals crumbled from inaction.

Doing a personal 30 day writing challenge was the turning point for me.

I built a writing routine after years of struggling.

Now, I can focus on improving my craft and actionable tips to apply to my writing.

This is what happens when you build a routine.

Maybe you are like me and you want to nail in your writing goals with a thirty day writing challenge.

In this blog post we would look at:

  • What is a 30-day Writing Challenge?
  • Why you should do a thirty day challenge?
  • Types of thirty day challenges
  • How to do a thirty day challenge( with tips for starting and finishing)

Let’s get started.

What is a thirty day Writing Challenge?

A 30-day writing challenge is a type of writing challenge that spans over thirty days.

Consistent writing in thirty days.

Keep in mind that some 30 day writing challenge would involve writing a specific 

  • Number of works (poetry, short stories, etc)
  • Length of work(word count, lines for Poetry)

Why do a 30 day Writing Challenge?

There are many reasons why you should be doing a thirty day challenge

1.Build a writing habit

Research has shown that it takes 18-254 days to build a habit.

This depends on the complexity of the task to the person.

Simple tasks like drinking water at a certain time of the day take less time compared to going to the gym daily.

When getting started as a writer a thirty-day challenge can help you write over a consistent amount of time to allow the task to get ingrained into you.

If your goal is to build a writing habit your focus is different.

What do I mean?

I said earlier that a Writing habit is doing a task regularly.

It could be every day, every week days, etc.

For the purpose of the thirty days challenge, I would take the writing habit as daily Writing.

Your main goal is to show up every day to write not fretting too much about the quality/quantity of work.

Yeah, you have goals, word count targets, and other writing parameters but writing every day is more important than meeting a word count.

Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say your goal in doing a NaNoWriMo challenge is to write a 50000 words novel.

You can reach this target in different ways.

First, you can decide to do long writing sprints to come up with ten thousand words.

With this approach, you would reach your goal with five writing sprints.

But if your goal is to build a habit.

You will be obsessed with writing every single day of the challenge rather than meeting the word count.

What is a writing habit?

A writing habit is writing on a regular or consistent basis.

It is when showing up to write becomes automatic.

It gives you the time to work on tasks that are not automatic like practicing writing tips on craft.

Build your willpower

One of the most common causes of writer’s block is procrastination.

Mr procrastination is the child of low will power.

If you succeed in the challenge emphasis on “If”, you build that willpower that allows you to show up and chase your goals.

This is closely related to habits and routines.

In the grand scheme of things they all connect to help you reach your writing goals.

Produce more works

If you have plans of writing a collection of short stories, full-length poetry books, novels, or a nonfiction piece.

Doing a challenge would help you get the words down so you can focus on rewriting your vomit draft.

For me, writing is more prone to writer’s block compared to rewriting.

In writing, you are working with a scary yet powerful blank page or screen.

While in rewriting you already have something concrete you are working on.

Let me know which ( Writing vs Rewriting ) is more difficult for you and often leads to procrastinating.

If you do a storyaday challenge.

The challenge requires you to write a short story every day for thirty days.

That is about three collections of short stories.

Keep in mind that is if you are using  12 short stories per collection.

Improve craft

While writing a lot over 30 days whether it’s creative writing or nonfiction.

You become better while testing and trying out new ideas.

When Ray Bradbury was asked for his writing advice for young writers he advised them to write a short story weekly as all can’t be that terrible.

In the worst-case scenario, you have a piece of work to edit to life.

It depends on the challenge you are doing. 

If you are doing a poetry 30 day challenge you would have written 30 poems.

Most of the poems will suck.

You can always edit them.

Types of 30 day Writing Challenge

There are many types of 30 day writing challenges depending on the type of work you are writing during the thirty days.

1.Journal Writing Challenge

Journalling is an interactive recording of affairs causing you to reflect and review them.

When the term journalling is used it is often for spiritual/stoic journal.

But that’s just one of the numerous types of journals out there.

I think it’s because a stoic/spiritual journal is one that’s common to many persons.

Compared to a writing journal that only writers keep.

There are also other specific journals like

  • Reading Journal

To track your Reading goals and adventures. Using this journal you can also record your action plan from a book you have read.

  • Writing Journal(Notebook)

Those ideas that come and go can be trapped in this journal.

It is meant to help you grow your writing skills.

Things you can record are :

  • Snippets of dialogues
  • Brain dump 
  • Sketches of story

It is not written with the intent of publication.

Depending on the specific skills and area of your life you which to grow in you can have a journal to record your progress as well as frustrations, mistakes and lessons learnt.

Poetry Writing Challenge

There are many online 30 day poetry challenge.

The most popular is the national poetry writing month in April.

There is also another one in October called octopowrimo. 

They all work on the same rule. You write a poem daily for thirty days.

The websites post prompts to help you write.

Note: you don’t have to use the Prompts.

Your poem is not restricted to any length. 

You can write short poems and gigantic poems.

Short story Writing Challenge

In this challenge, you write a complete short story in a day.

From planning to putting out the first draft.

Storyaday challenge is a popular writing challenge where you write thirty short stories in a month.

If you fail to write a short story for whatever reason.

You don’t carry the incomplete short story to the next day.

I know I mentioned writing challenges hosted online.

Nothing stops you from doing a personal 30 day challenge. 

Novel Writing Challenge

The most popular example of the 30 day novel writing challenge is the NaNoWriMo challenge.

It is held in November every year.

Where you set out to write 50,000 words in thirty days.

You can set your personal goal.

You don’t have to wait for Nanowrimo in November.

Novella Writing Challenge

I made this one up but it can be done.

Not everyone can write a novel in thirty days.

How about a novel instead.

Instead of 50,000 words, we write 15,000-30,000 words.

Which is achievable for most people.

Nonfiction Writing Challenge

There are various types of nonfiction challenge.

Using the types of nonfiction we can further break the nonfiction writing challenge into:

This is a piece of work that tells the story of one’s life around a particular theme.

It isn’t the recording of one’s entire life like the autobiography.

2.Self help books

In self-help books, you can write a business book, a motivational book,

We have looked at the types of 30-day writing challenge let’s look at how you can do one.

How to do a thirty-day writing challenge?

In November 2020 while the NaNoWriMo buzz was going on I decided to do a writing challenge instead of word count.

I chose to build a writing habit.

I missed some days but I learnt a lot.

All the lessons I will share with you.

Before doing this writing challenge I have had a series of writing challenges I wanted to do.

I never started some.

For others, I started but never completed it.

This might sound silly but in some of the writing challenges, I forgot that I decided to do a writing challenge until the end of the month.

What was the magic approach?

You want to be clear and what you are writing. 

The type of genre of writing.

This doesn’t mean you can’t do a thirty-day creative writing challenge.

Of course, you can but in that case, it would be good if you know what you are doing.

2.Know your why 

Earlier on I talked about the various reasons for doing this challenge.

Find out yours. Your goals.

This would influence how you plan out your challenge.

3.Plan and Prepare

Nothing scares me most as wondering what to write as the writing time draws near.

You want to save your brain the labor of thinking of what to write so you can sit and write.

Having a plan helps you to always move on even if the Muse doesn’t show up.

If inspiration comes overflowing you can go the path.

But if nothing comes you are not stuck wondering what to do.

For the ideas, you can use writing prompt generators.

If you are doing an online challenge most of them would post prompts.

You don’t have to use it.

But you have an idea you can always fall back on when nothing comes.

If you are doing a journalling challenge there are journal prompts to get you writing.

4.Set a time

When it comes to doing a challenge it is not enough to say you are going to write.

Goals without a plan are just mere wishes.

When are you going to be writing most of the time?

But when is the best time to write.

This largely depends on you.

If you are a morning or evening person.

Enough of that.

Let’s be practical.

Do you have the time to show up consistently at that time you have set(chosen)?

The mistake I made when doing those challenges is I set my writing time as though I have just one life, The Writing Life.

The short and simple answer is….

The time you would always have to show up.

5.Prepare for Obstacles

When  I decided to do a writing challenge.

I envisage a smooth ride to that goal.

Well, that’s not often the case.

List out the things, activities, people that might stop you from showing up.

The next step is to think of how you are going to deal with those obstacles.

” We all have a plan until we are punched in the face” – Mohammed Ali

With these obstacles prepared for you won’t be caught off guard as already know they would come.

6.Test challenge

A test challenge is a challenge you do to check, verify your assumptions, and adjust based on real-time feedback.

In the previous step, you have written out the obstacles and how you wish to deal with them.

I bet there are obstacles you didn’t write about.

Solutions that are not practical.

It’s simply because you don’t know of them.

With a testing challenge, you are revealed to those shortcomings.

Let’s say you want to do a 30-day writing challenge where you write for two hours every day.

I will put it in another way.

You want to write a novel in a month and you estimated you would have to write 2,000 words every day to reach this goal.

You estimated it would take you two hours every day to reach this word count.

The test challenge would be to write to that stipulated time and see if you reached the word count.

When you do a testing challenge it would help you see if you are correct with your estimation.

Whether you are underestimating or overestimating.

And you can adjust accordingly.

This saves you the resentment from not reaching your goals because you underestimated what was required.

For me when I saw I couldn’t reach my set goal instead of continuing I gave up.

Here’s why it’s magic.

Your brain knows it’s not the main challenge so if you flop.

It wouldn’t fill your heart with discouraging thoughts.

Simply because it knows that the goal of the test challenge is not to reach your writing goals but to evaluate them.

7.Have a backup (alternate plan)

For me, my set time for writing is 7 pm

but it’s not every day I would have that time to write.

With this understanding I set an alternate plan on what to do so I can reach my daily goal no matter what.

I write before the time.

Sometimes it’s in the morning or later into the night depending on what type of obstacle.

8.Measure progress.

Look our brain loves and craves instant gratification.

This part is a life-changing lesson for me.

To measure your progress you can use a habit tracker or word counter depending on your goal.

What’s a habit tracker?

A habit tracker is a digital or physical tool you use to log in your progress every day.

A word count tracker is what you use to keep track of your daily word count.

What I want you to do is to take an old calendar 📅 and draw out boxes for the month.

You can use the forest app or habitify habit tracker for digital options.

Post the calendar where you can see it without having to go through the stress of looking at it.

For each day you complete you mark a chain that will come together as you complete more days.

There two rules

  • Don’t break the chain
  • If you ever break the chain don’t break it twice.

For a word count tracker, you can use a spreadsheet to log in the word count daily.

You can also use a physical sheet to do it.

Ilys app is an online app that will give you statistics on word count and time spent.

Seeing the chains gives me an immediate reward to work cause I don’t want to break the chain.

When you start the first day you won’t see the magic until the third and fourth day when the chain starts to connect.

A simple way to trick your brain with instant gratification.

We have talked about a lot of thirty-day challenges.

I believe that action is easy if the steps are not so complex.

Now it’s your turn what is your reason for doing a 30day challenge.

Which of the tactics are you going to apply next.

Let me know in the comments section 🤔.

Thank you for reading this post.

Try these tips out and let me know how it went.

Make sure you don’t miss a post from me by subscribing to my blog for free.

write a novel in 30 days challenge

By Onyemechi Nwakonam

Hi ,I write poetry and short prose. I am excited to help you organise your writing journey.

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Everything You Should Know About Conquering a 30-Day Writing Challenge

Tonya Thompson

When the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was first launched in 1999 by freelance writer Chris Baty, no one could have guessed how much traction it would gain over the following decades. With 21 writers participating in the original event, within ten years, over 200,000 people would compose a total of over 2.8 billion words. By 2015, 431,626 people participated from 633 different regions.

The challenge asks participants to write a 50,000-word manuscript between November 1 and November 30. This is not to be considered a final draft but to meet the contest rules, you have to write 50,000 words in 30 days, and there are checks and balances within the challenge to make sure writers do just that.

Basically, it's a crash course in helping writers understand the amount of discipline required for productivity and getting a novel completed. The focus is on hitting 50,000 words and writers are encouraged to finish their first draft quickly so that it can later be edited when the challenge is complete. There is no fee to participate in NaNoWriMo. You only have to register and put your best effort into completing it successfully.

30-day writing challenges can be a crash course in helping writers understand the amount of discipline required for productivity and getting a novel completed.

30-day challenges that led to book deals

The results of a 30-day writing challenge speak for themselves. Since 2006, nearly 400 NaNoWriMo novels have been published via traditional publishing houses and over 200 novels have been published by smaller presses or self-published. Among these titles are books like:

  • Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen , published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
  • Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, published by Delacorte Press
  • Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, published by Dutton Juvenile
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, published by Doubleday
  • Wool by Hugh Howey, published by Simon & Schuster
  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer, published by Square Fish
  • Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, published by St. Martin's Press
  • The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough, published by Del Rey Books
  • Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy, published by HarperCollins Publishers
  • Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers, published by HarperCollins Publishers
  • The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, published by Gollancz
  • The Cut Out by Jack Heath, published by Allen & Unwin
  • The Beautiful Land , by Alan Averill, published by Ace Books

I want to participate, what should I know to prepare?

If you plan to participate in the 2010 NaNoWriMo Challenge, here are a few tips to prepare for the enormous task ahead.

Be organized

As with any task, the better organized you are, the more likely you'll be to be successful and achieve your goal. So, on the front end, you'll need to set a daily word count goal, just like bestselling authors do .

November 2019 has 30 days. This means that if you're writing every day, you need to hit a daily word count goal of approximately 1,667 words, which is right under what Stephen King sets for himself as a daily word count goal. If you know that there will be days during the month you won't be able to write (Thanksgiving, for example), you'll need to factor that in.

Don't edit, just write

In her book Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within , which has sold over a million copies, bestselling author Natalie Goldberg advises:

Don't cross out. (That is editing as you write. Even if you write something you didn't mean to write, leave it.) Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar. (Don't even care about staying within the margins and lines on the page.) Lose control. Don't think. Don't get logical. Go for the jugular. (If something comes up in your writing that is scary or naked, dive right into it. It probably has lots of energy. Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

This advice has been repeated by other bestselling authors, and it's well-known within author circles that the best way to approach writing a book is to write first, edit later. There's a very logical, scientific reason for it, too. Writers create, using the right side of the brain, while editors analyze, using the left side of the brain. It's two different processes and needs to occur at two different phases of development in your creative endeavors. Since the NaNoWriMo challenge only requires 50,000 words to be written within a month, there is no need to edit yourself. The focus should be placed entirely on the creative process of writing.

Do the prep work now

If you plan to write a fantasy manuscript, the amount of work that goes into worldbuilding on the front-end is daunting, to say the least. This video can get you started on some of the core aspects of worldbuilding .

Regardless of genre, if you're not quite sure how to build your main character, this article is a good starting point for learning about the Hero's Journey and the steps that are traditionally included in it. Since all great stories follow a similar heroic arc, it's a good idea to know this arc before creating your own hero.

Additionally, a lot of writers have seen a lot of success with using The Snowflake Method. If you don't have a ton of experience in story drafting or plotting, the Snowflake Method is an easy way to get your story on the page. This article is a basic tutorial on how to approach the Snowflake Method to get your story outlined before the NaNoWriMo challenge gets started, and is good information to know on the front-end of any attempt at writing a story.

Consider creating a scene list

While a scene list is not required for writing a novel, some writers, like author J.K. Rowling , swear by them. If you want to create a scene list before your 30-day writing challenge, this article is a great resource for learning what a scene list is and how to make one .

Let your friends and family know what you're doing

American author Jessamyn West once said, Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.

There is a lot of truth in this statement, and it's perhaps a reason why writers throughout history have been notoriously crummy spouses and parents. In fact, being able to balance one's work and family life as a writer is an obstacle many writers admit to facing, so to prepare yourself for any 30-day writing challenge, you'll need to understand this simple truth on the front-end. Especially if you have a full-time job outside of your writing endeavors, you should have the conversation with your significant other and family members so they understand the amount of privacy you'll need to get 50,000 words on the page within 30 days.

Being able to balance one's work and family life as a writer is an obstacle many writers admit to facing

Anyone who has ever attempted to write a novel with multiple distractions around them understands that it's simply difficult—if not impossible—to do. Writing takes focus, and when you're not given the space and time to make that happen, you'll only be frustrated with the whole process and likely fall short of your goals.

Since the 30-day writing challenge is incredibly brief in the scheme of things (most writers take many months, even years, to complete a novel), this shouldn't be a difficult sacrifice for your friends and loved ones—especially if they understand how important writing is to you and the passion you have for accomplishing the personal goal of getting a book written and published. A little communication goes a long way in preempting any potential problems that could arise during the middle of your 30-day writing challenge, so make sure you take the time to explain to everyone why this is important to you and how they can help you succeed.

A final thought

If you're serious about getting a book written and published, taking on a challenge like the NaNoWriteMo is better than any writing class you could take. It will show you the enormous amount of discipline and creative effort that goes into writing a novel and set you on the path to better writing habits in the future.

Even if your manuscript is incredibly rough around the edges and needs a lot of editing, you've still done the hardest part of getting a book written, which is making that first rough draft. You'll end the 30-day challenge with a fresh perspective on your abilities as a writer and more passion to continue your goal of finding success in your creative efforts. So—what are you waiting for?

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How To Write A Book In 30 Days: Finish Your Book Fast!

Writing is a daunting task for many people, especially when it’s a book, but for those who love to write , the small rewards and huge achievements are endless. Writing a book can have numerous benefits for your life. You can read more about that in my article on why you should write a book. The question is, how do you write a book in 30 days? If you want to know the top tips on how to write a book in 30 days, continue reading.

Table of Contents

Nine tips for writing a book in 30 days

Writing a book is one of the most challenging and rewarding things you will ever do. However, sometimes it’s hard to know if it’s worth doing . You will learn more about yourself and the world than you ever thought possible. Here are nine tips to help you write your book in 30 days.

1. Do your research

Do your research before you start writing. Even if you’re not writing non-fiction, it’s important to know the subject you are writing about. This is especially true when it comes to science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy.

You don’t want the story to be unbelievable because of a silly mistake in the details. You can also use your research as a starting point for your story or a springboard for ideas.

Just be sure that your research doesn’t take over the story or become more important than the main characters and their actions. One way to avoid this is by writing in chronological order. It will keep you focused on what’s happening in your story rather than getting caught up in background details and research.

2. Make an outline

There’s no way to write a book without first having the book to write. That’s where outlining comes in. The outline is your blueprint, the skeleton of your story on which you hang all the meat and muscle. It’s what gives you direction. You’ll know where you’re going, how to get there, and when it’s all over what you’ve accomplished.

An outline is also an excellent tool for avoiding writer’s block. Once you’ve got your main subject clearly defined, the next step is to brainstorm everything that you can possibly think of that has something to do with that subject.

It can include interesting facts and trivia, stories, and anecdotes. You can also include personal experiences, character names and dates and locations, and information from books or research on the internet.

Anything that might be relevant should be written down. This will give you lots of material to work with when it comes time actually to write your book. Once you have your list in front of you, start organizing it into chapters or sections so that all of your related information is grouped. Determine which pieces are essential, which are nice but not necessary, and which are unnecessary.

3. Create a writing schedule

Writing a book in 30 days is an exciting challenge. It’s not just about the finished product but the writing process itself. It’s important to keep that excitement going throughout the month so you don’t burn out midway and lose motivation . The best way to do that is to create a creative writing schedule.

You need to fit your writing goals into your writing daily routine, and that means setting aside time for it day-to-day. Even if it’s just a five-minute slot between cooking dinner and walking the dog, that consistent space in your day will help you stay on track.

On top of making sure you have time every day to write, remember that you also need to schedule breaks into your day. A consistent schedule is good, but it doesn’t mean you should go nonstop. If you give yourself 15 minutes off every hour or half hour after two hours of work, you can avoid writer’s block when you sit down again.

4. Set word count goals

It’s never too early to start thinking about word count. Whether you’re trying to write a novel, a nonfiction book, or a short story, you can set daily word count goals to help you achieve your project’s overall goal. There are many ways to do this. You might aim to write just 250 words in one sitting or go for 1,000.

The important thing is that the number you choose is reasonable for the time frame and quality of work that you want. A good rule of thumb for beginners writing a first draft novel is to aim for 1,000 words per day. This is low enough that it should be achievable even on days when you’re not feeling particularly motivated. However, it’s high enough that you’ll make significant progress toward your book without getting overwhelmed by the goal.

You can always start with this as your default word count goal and then increase it once you get into the swing of things and feel confident about your ability to keep up with the pace. It’s also helpful to set up a schedule. For example, if you know that you have free writing time in the early mornings and evenings every weekday but not on weekends. Try scheduling your writing session time so that most of the weekdays are dedicated to finishing your book.

5. Establish a sacred writing space

writing fast

The best way to get yourself in the writing mindset is to create a dedicated writing space. To help you stay focused, all distractions should come from this space: no phone, no email, and no Facebook. If you have kids or roommates, make sure they know that you can’t be interrupted when you’re in your writing space.

If at all possible, choose a space with a door you can close. This helps to establish a physical boundary between the “writing” and “non-writing” parts of your life. It also gives you a physical cue to let your mind know it’s time to write. Finally, don’t forget to personalize your sacred writing space!

Hang up some inspirational photos or quotes. Put in comfy furniture and decorations that make you feel happy. Add in any other items that are important to you. Some people like candles or incense burning, while others prefer the sound of music playing softly in the background. Make this place unique for you so it will always be where ideas flow freely and easily!

6. Assemble your writing tools.

Having the proper tools on hand will help you avoid excuses when your inspiration starts to wane. First, make sure your computer that runs smoothly is free of viruses and has plenty of space to store your first novel in progress. If your computer screen has been acting up, there’s no better time than now to have it repaired. After all, you can’t afford any distractions while you’re trying to meet your deadline!

Next, review your writing software and make sure it’s up-to-date. While it’s not necessary to have the latest version of Microsoft Word or even specialized software for tens of thousands of writers, you should at least be using some word processing program that allows you to save files, format them into pages and chapters, and make changes if needed. You can also choose to use a writing app on your mobile device if that works better for you.

Thirdly, consider investing in online backup services like Google Drive or Dropbox. In the event that something happens to your computer and all of the files are lost (or worse), these services will allow you to retrieve them from another device so you won’t lose all your work.

7. Get the hard stuff out of the way first

If you’re going to write a novel in 30 days, it’s not the time to get into an argument with yourself about whether or not you can do it. The first step is to believe you can do it. You have to know that you can do it.

You should also allow yourself to temporarily buy into the story idea that you are a writer who writes because otherwise, maybe you wouldn’t really be committed to finishing the task on time. That being said, let’s get down to business.

Write the difficult parts of your book first. Those are the parts that give you pause. They’re the ones that make you shut your laptop and go watch TV or sleep for four hours instead of working on your novel.

They’re the things that make you stall and waffle and procrastinate because they keep coming up as “too hard.” The best way to silence these demons is to just sit down and write them out as quickly as possible—and then get them out of your way once and for all.

8. Know when to walk away and return to your desk

This can be difficult for some people who like to keep busy with other tasks at home or at their workplace. It’s important that you don’t take on too much during the writing process . If you feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do each day, this can make it hard for you to focus on your book.

It’s better to start small and build up from there than try and do everything at once. For example, if you’re trying not to get easily distracted while working on your novel, then set aside specific times of day when you’ll turn off all electronic devices and focus exclusively on writing without any other distractions.

Or perhaps waking up early might be better suited for creating new ideas before everyone else has woken up yet; whatever works best for you! If you’re in a coffee shop, grab another cup of coffee. Shake out your hands to release tension from typing too much or for too long. Do what you need to do to refresh yourself and return to your desk with an open mind.

9. Reward yourself

Rewarding yourself is crucial to sticking with any big, challenging project. What you choose to reward yourself with is up to you. Some people might stay motivated with a Starbucks run every time they hit a certain number of how many words, others might permit themselves to take one of their five or 10-minute breaks a little bit longer.

Whatever it is, the important thing is that you’ve decided ahead of time what that reward will be and that you’ve flagged it as something to look forward to. People are far more likely to stick with a project in the long term if they can see themselves making progress toward something they want.

7 challenges of writing a book in 30 days

write a book in 30 days

The 30-Day Book Challenge is a fun and fast way to write a book, but it’s not for everyone. For some people, the time constraints might make it seem easy, but the reality is that writing a book from scratch in one month requires a lot of planning, time, and, most importantly, motivation . Here are the common challenges of writing a novel in 30 days.

1. Finding time

With a full-time day job, family responsibilities, and other commitments, finding time to write every day is a challenge. Some people find that they can write successfully during their lunch hour, while others set daily goals of writing before or after their day job.

Many people also find it helpful to write during the weekends. If your schedule is already full and you’re not sure how you’ll fit in the time, consider what you can cut out of your schedule.

For example, if you spend three hours watching television each day, you might be able to devote one of those hours to writing.

Another option is to get up an hour earlier each day to write. Set yourself up for success by planning ahead and setting aside blocks of time for writing. If you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, eventually, you’ll get where you want to go.

2. Creating a writing routine

It’s a common refrain among those who are trying to write a novel: “I’d love to start writing, but I can’t get into the habit of doing it.” There are a number of reasons why writing is difficult to turn into a regular activity.

But by taking small steps every day and using some simple resources available online, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to form good writing habits. Your book will be well on its way toward getting finished.

One of the biggest obstacles people face when they’re trying to get into the habit of writing is not having a specific plan ahead for what and when they’ll write. Ending your day by telling yourself that tomorrow you’ll work on your project just doesn’t cut it.

The best way to develop a consistent routine is to set aside specific blocks of time for writing each day and then stick to them. If you add those times to your daily calendar and set reminders, you have a better chance of staying on track.

3. Focusing on quality

You only have thirty days until you’re done writing your book. It’s tempting just to get how many words down and then finish writing without going back to edit or change anything. It’s even easier to make excuses for why you can’t go back and reread what you’ve written.

Unfortunately, if you don’t go back and read what you’ve written, you may end up with a book full of typos, grammatical errors, and even plot holes or loose ends that could have been fixed with a five-minute reread. The good news is that there are some things you can do to prevent yourself from making excuses and avoiding reading over your work.

For example, take advantage of online resources like Grammarly that will pick up any errors for you.

You can also set aside a specific amount of time every day for rereading what you wrote the previous day. If you make it a habit to read over your work before moving on to the next novel chapter, you’ll be less likely to be tempted by the urge to skip it altogether.

write in 30 days

4. Telling a good story

The story is the most important part of any book and is what readers connect to. If you’re not telling a compelling story, you’re not going to get very far. The problem with having a short deadline is that you don’t have time to stew on your ideas or let them mature before they go on the page.

You might start with a great general idea and a solid main character, then rush ahead too quickly and lose sight of where you started. Or maybe you’ll spend too much time on the beginning of the book with the hopes of being able to write the ending without having it fully planned out—and then run into writer’s block.

Either way, you must have a solid plan for what your story is about and how it will play out before you start writing a novel. Creating an outline will help keep you on track and make sure you’re telling a pleasing story.

5. Organizing your thoughts

When faced with 30 days to write a novel, the biggest challenge is going to be organizing your thoughts and ideas. The key to writing a novel in 30 days is using organization techniques to create a logical flow throughout your book. As you are trying to get your thoughts on paper, they may seem jumbled or confusing.

It is important that you organize these thoughts so that the path you have chosen makes good sense when it comes time to begin writing. Many writers will use an outline or skeleton of their thoughts so that they can change them around as needed but still have a clear idea of where everything belongs in the book.

6. Overcoming self-doubt

There are a lot of self-doubts that come with writing a book in 30 days. You’ll doubt your ability to get it done. Your friends and family may doubt you, too. Even if you don’t tell anybody about your plan, you’ll still be waiting for someone to call you out on being crazy or unrealistic for trying something like this.

The best strategy is to ignore self-doubt and keep writing. The more doubts creep into your mind, the more you need to focus on just sitting down and getting words on the page. That’s how you write a book in 30 days!

7. Staying motivated

When you are writing a novel in 30 days, it is easy to get sidetracked by the other things that come up in daily life. It takes time to write a novel, and you need to be sure that you are going to give it the time it needs each day. Make sure that you have set aside the time to work on your book every day.

If you are having trouble staying motivated, think about why you wanted to write this book in the first place. What was your purpose for writing a novel? Who will be reading this book? Think about how spending just 30 minutes of your day on your book can make someone else’s life better.

Frequently asked questions

how to write fast

Here are the answers to some of your frequently asked questions about how to write a book in 30 days.

How long should your first book be?

There’s no magic number specifying how long or how short your first book should be. If you’re writing a children’s book , it may be only 32 pages—but that doesn’t mean that the story is any less challenging to write. On the other hand, if you’re writing a fantasy epic, it could be thousands of pages long.

But if you’re looking for a range of page numbers to aim for, here are some general guidelines based on genres.

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which began in 1999 as a challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in one month. Now it’s an international online community of writers that holds events and virtual meetups throughout the year. However, November is still the time when thousands of aspiring authors take part in the annual national novel writing month challenge.

Word count can be measured on the NaNoWriMo site, and you can track your progress against other writers. By the end of the writing month, many participants will have completed the first draft of their novels.

Should you become an author?

As a published author , you’ll have the ability to share your story with readers who will come away from it feeling inspired, moved, or possibly even changed. You might be surprised how many people out there will relate to your tale and find meaning in your words.

If you’re an avid reader yourself, you already know that books can function as a way to escape the day-to-day and take you somewhere else for a while—and writing those books can be just as gratifying as reading them.

Final words

A book is not a simple project. It’s an adventure, and it can take you on all kinds of unexpected paths. But by keeping the big picture in mind and taking a few steps to prepare yourself for the journey of writing a book, you’ll be ready for any surprises along the way.

MUO

How to Write an Ebook in 30 Days: A Step-by-Step Guide

A re you interested in writing an ebook but are intimidated by the process? Maybe you want to write but are worried that it will take you months or even years to finish your book.

While writing an ebook in 30 days isn't practical for everyone, it's definitely possible with the right tools and motivation. This article will introduce a plan for how to write an ebook in 30 days, with the preparation, editing, and formatting accounted for separately to better your chances of success.

Can I Write an Ebook in 30 Days?

Writing an ebook is simple enough, but writing one in 30 days is a different story. If you make it a goal to write your ebook in 30 days during the month of November, you can participate in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) event.

What Is the NaNoWriMo Event?

NaNoWriMo is a worldwide event that takes place every November. Participants around the world set a goal to write at least 50k words from November 1st to the 30th (this equals 1,666 words per day). There are a lot of incentives to participate in NaNoWriMo, including local events, workshops, merch, fun badges you can earn, and more.

There are many popular books that started out as NaNoWriMo books, including the smash hit Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree . Writing your book during NaNoWriMo can give you that push you need to finish quickly, so you can publish your book in a reasonable amount of time.

If we're being honest, it's pretty difficult to produce a quality body of work that will be ready for publication in 30 days. But if you break up your book into different phases, you can make the process less intimidating.

  • Planning: Two to four weeks
  • Writing: 1,666 words per day for 30 days (50k words total)
  • Editing and Formatting: Two to six months
  • Release & Promotion: Two to four months

Phase 1: Planning Your Ebook

If you want to succeed at writing a book in 30 days, spend a few weeks planning your book beforehand. There are a lot of things you can plan in advance, including the plot, chapters, and character development. You can also think about what extra features you'd like to add to your ebook , including a map, index, glossary, or foreword.

There are several tools you can use to put together a thorough plan for your book.

Pinterest is a fantastic place to get some visual inspiration for your novel. Make boards for the scenery, different characters, and whatever you feel like. While writing your book, you can refer to your Pinterest board for ideas and inspiration.

If you want to plan out scenes, timelines, etc., Notion is a great place to get organized. Notion is highly customizable and powerful, meaning you can craft intricate worlds and complex characters, all while keeping the information easily accessible.

Like many writers, you may feel dubious about using ChatGPT to help you write a novel . However, if used as a tool instead of a ghostwriter, ChatGPT is great for inspiration. Try these ChatGPT prompts to help you develop book characters .

Campfire is a planning and world-building software divided into different modules for accessibility. If you find software like Notion too daunting and prefer something that has guided prompts, Campfire could be a good choice for you.

Phase 2: Writing Your Ugly First Draft

Now that you've got your book planned out, you can focus on writing for the next 30 days. If you're writing during November for NaNoWriMo, you shouldn't have too much trouble with staying motivated and on target. You can also participate in Camp NaNoWriMo during the months of April and July.

If you're writing during any of the other months, here are some tips to help you hit your goal:

  • Create a daily word goal. Between 1000 and 3000 words is ideal.
  • Set your intentions before each writing session; what scenes are you going to write?
  • Join an online writing community for support.
  • Try an online "work gym" to help you stay focused during writing.
  • Take care to avoid getting distracted while writing on your computer.
  • Read an inspirational book like "On Writing" by Stephen King to pump you up for the task ahead.

Choose Your Software

There are many different software you can use to write your book . Scrivener is a popular choice for writers, and as a bonus, NaNoWriMo participants can receive a 20% discount—create a NaNoWriMo account and then click My Offers from the homepage.

Other popular software include Ulysses , Notion, and of course, old standbys like Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

Before splurging on software, see if it offers a free trial, so you can try it before you buy. You can also watch tutorials on YouTube to see if the UI looks appealing and easy to understand.

Once you find software you like, you can focus on writing your "ugly first draft" over the next 30 days.

What Is the Ugly First Draft?

In writing, many people refer to the "ugly first draft" as a means of writing quickly at the expense of spelling, grammar, and formatting. Think of it like a sculptor working with clay: first they create the shape, then they carve out the fine details later.

Writers will often engage in writing sprints where they attempt to write as much as possible during a specific amount of time. During these sprints, writers can't really afford to be "pretty" with their writing. It's more of a stream-of-consciousness way of writing that, while messy, gets the job done fast.

If you make a habit of doing writing sprints every day with the ugly first draft in mind, you'll have plenty of material for your book before you know it. Just make sure the writing makes sense to you, so you'll have an easier time editing it in the next phase.

Sit Down and Write

If you've thoroughly planned out your book in advance, have your software of choice, and are ready to write messily, all you need to do now is sit down and write. Of course, this is easier said than done, but remember that writing something bad is better than writing nothing at all.

Try to plan out a schedule for the next 30 days to help you stay on track. Schedule at least one or two reading sprints every day to make sure you hit your 1666-word goal. If you miss a day, you'll need to make up the word count on a different day so that you don't fall behind.

Very few writers can write 1666 words every day for 30 days straight without a hitch. There are going to be setbacks; you might get busy with other things, have writer's block, or simply not feel like writing that day. Therefore, set a cushion for yourself.

If you write 3000 words one day, don't take it easy the next day just because you're "ahead" of your goal. Aim to write every day even if you crushed it the day before. That way, when the chips are down and you're actually struggling, you'll have a bit of wiggle room.

Phase 3: Editing and Formatting

If you finished writing your first draft, congratulations! You're over one of the biggest hurdles of writing an ebook in 30 days. Now comes what is possibly the largest hurdle: writing the final draft and editing your book.

Though many books have been written during NaNoWriMo, very few get published as-is. Whether you want to edit the book yourself, hire a professional editor, or participate in peer editing, it's going to take a significant amount of time.

You'll also need to spend some time formatting your ebook for publication. You'll want to make sure it looks good on a variety of devices, including Kindles, phones, and laptops. Think about designing a book cover too, because despite the saying, people really do judge books by their covers.

If you want to publish through Kindle Direct Publishing , Amazon can help you with the formatting.

Phase 4: Release and Promotion

Now's the time to spread the word and promote your new book. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time for this step and don't get discouraged if your book doesn't start selling right away. Read up on different ways to promote your book if one strategy isn't working for you.

Write Your Ebook in 30 Days

Although the planning, editing, and promotion aspects of your ebook will require more than 30 days, writing the story within this timeframe is possible. With the help of the right software and tools, and a lot of dedication, you can have your first draft ready in just one month. Refer back to this guide if you need some help getting started.

How to Write an Ebook in 30 Days: A Step-by-Step Guide

30 Day Book Challenge Logo

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL

Write your book challenge, write your business book in 30 days.

Have you ever wanted to write a business book but never had the time to do it?

Well now you have your chance with the 30 Day Book Challenge!

Join other like minded people in a challenge that will provide you with the knowledge in order to write your dream book in just 30 days.

Shift your mindset into believing that you CAN do this and recognise that you CAN develop a new skill through dedication and hard work.

Motivation is key to our productivity, creativity and happiness and challenging ourselves regularly can show improvement in these areas.

Giving yourself something to focus on can help you feel more dedicated to tasks you find in your work and personal life.

Setting yourself regular challenges can increase positive mindset to help you tackle the negative thoughts that once told you CAN’T

Setting yourself a goal can increase productivity and creativity in your day-to-day life and help you lead a more positive mindset.

ACHIEVEMENT

Feel the positive sensation of achievement when your book is finally complete and bring a sense of fulfilment to your life.

WRITE YOUR BOOK

About the challenge.

Have you ever considered writing your own business book? It’s an interesting idea right? But what if we could tell you that in just 30 days from now you could have the next UK Bestseller, or at least a good start.

The 30 day challenge is designed to test your dedication, motivation and patience and to shift your mind into developing a skillset which can help you write ‘that’ book in 30 days.

At the end of the 30 days, you’ll have dedicated to a strict self-discipline routine which will feel like a great sense accomplishment and hopefully give you the inspiration to continue with other challenges. If the ‘challenge’ aspect isn’t quite what you’re looking for and you just want to learn the skills in order to write your business book then you can follow along at a pace that suits you.

30 DAY BOOK CHALLENGE

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how to write a novel in 30 days!

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  1. How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

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  2. How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

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  3. The Professional Book Nerds 30 Day Book Challenge

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  4. Write Your Novel In 30 Days

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  1. Write Today / LIVE IMMERSIVE WRITING SPRINTS / SESSION / CHAT / Deep Focus

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  3. Day 17: Write a book in 30 day challenge

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COMMENTS

  1. National Novel Writing Month

    National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with a first draft.

  2. 30 Tips For Writing a Book in 30 Days

    1. Embrace a new mindset. After working five years on perfecting a novel, I sent out a round of queries, received some requests for the full manuscript, but ultimately was rejected every time. I'm not one to give up, but I also knew my novel still wasn't right. I decided to shelve the manuscript and start a new book. That date was Oct. 30, 2010.

  3. How to Write A Book in 30 Days (Even if You've Never ...

    Each year on November 1, NaNoWriMo challenges you to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. The community-powered event has been going strong since 1999, and whether you're a seasoned writer or just trying to write something for the first time, NaNoWriMo is an excellent challenge with lots of community support.

  4. How to Write a Book in 30 Days: 11 Tips for Novel Success

    Tufayel Ahmed I wrote my book in 30 days. You can too. Tufayel Ahmed/Insider/Amazon Publishing In addition to being an editor at Insider, I'm also a first-time published author. I wrote...

  5. Write Your Novel in 30 Days

    Write Your Novel in 30 Days. Crafting a manuscript in a month is no easy feat. But this special issue of Writer's Digest is filled with all the tools you need to rise to the challenge, from time-management tips to in-depth articles and much more. Kristen Skunza. Sep 26, 2011. Writing Prompts.

  6. Worksheets for Writing a Novel in 30 Days

    A 30-day challenge can motivate you to do what you've put off for far too long: dedicating yourself to writing (no more excuses!). In a special newsstand-only issue that I developed, Write Your Novel in 30 Days, I selected the best content that Writer's Digest has to offer on novel writing.

  7. How to Complete a 30-Day Writing Challenge

    Writing How to Complete a 30-Day Writing Challenge Written by MasterClass Last updated: Aug 18, 2021 • 2 min read Many writers struggle with finding the time to actually sit down and write. A 30-day writing challenge is one method for getting on the right track. 1. Be prepared.

  8. How to Write a Novel in 30 Days (with Pictures)

    1 Sign up for a writing challenge. If you are starting anytime between July and November, you can participate NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org). If you're starting at a different time, you could also search online to see if there are other 30-day writing challenges that appeal to you.

  9. The 30-Day Writing Challenge: An Alternative to NaNoWriMo ...

    This is the 30-Day Writing Challenge, where we've provided creative writing exercises for every day of the month. The best part is that you can write as much or as little as you'd like without pressure and without having to feel bad about it. After all, it's all about creation in any volume, right? The 30-Day Writing Challenge

  10. How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

    2: Set a realistic daily word count target. Many authors find as they learn how to write a book that realistic, attainable targets help immensely. You might say to yourself 'I can write for an hour each day, easily.'. The truth is that surprises, last minute obligations and life in general can hijack your writing time.

  11. How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

    The NaNoWriMo rules are few. By committing to the challenge, writers embark on the quest to produce the first draft of a 50,000-word novel between Nov. 1-30. While this number may sound daunting, it can be broken down to approximately 1,667 words per day. There are features on the NaNoWriMo website to track individual progress, and to be ...

  12. 20 Ways to Write a Book in 30 Days

    1. Enjoy yourself. If you look forward to writing, you're more likely to do it. What's more, the joy you're feeling will shine through to readers. Life is short--and the time any of us has to ...

  13. 30-Day Book Writing Challenge

    Inspired by NaNoWriMo, the annual book writing challenge that takes place in November across the globe for novelists to write 50,000 words, the PYP 30-day book writing challenge helps you write the first draft of your book. The difference? This challenge is self-paced.

  14. NaNoWriMo: How To Complete Your Novel In 30 Days

    Mental Challenge. You can't wrap your mind around the fact that it is just too much in too little time. Creative Challenge. You don't have an idea for a novel right now. You will never be able to produce a sellable manuscript in 30 days. Physical Challenge. You are afraid that you cannot type so much, so fast.

  15. How to write a book in 30 days

    About 28 results for How to write a book in 30 days. 1 2. Topics. Creative writing. Fiction. Emma Donoghue. A practical step-by-step method to writing the first draft of your novel in 30 days.

  16. How to write the first draft of a novel in 30 days

    Illustraion: Jess Wilson How to write a book in 30 days Books This article is more than 11 years old How to write the first draft of a novel in 30 days Writing a novel can be...

  17. NaNoWriMo

    Welcome | NaNoWriMo Every story matters. Let's start writing yours. Writing a novel alone can be difficult, even for seasoned writers. NaNoWriMo helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel.

  18. The 30 Day Book Writing Challenge™

    The 30 Day Book Writing Challenge™ by Joshua Sprague | Trusted by 8000 students and counting | Write a non-fiction book

  19. 30 Day Writing Challenge:The Complete Beginner's Guide

    January 3, 2021 No Comments 15 10 64 My writing life was a dream I had that never seemed to come true. It was all filled with a mirage. The lofty projections I had in every new year resolution. Still, the goals crumbled from inaction. Doing a personal 30 day writing challenge was the turning point for me.

  20. Everything You Should Know About Conquering a 30-Day Writing Challenge

    The challenge asks participants to write a 50,000-word manuscript between November 1 and November 30. This is not to be considered a final draft but to meet the contest rules, you have to write 50,000 words in 30 days, and there are checks and balances within the challenge to make sure writers do just that.

  21. NaNoWriMo: How To Write A Novel In 30 Days

    1. Try And Get Ahead Of The Game. Inevitably, there will be some days in the month when real life will intervene, and you won't be able to write. If you're ahead in terms of word count, it won't feel quite such a slog to get back to the story. Aim for 2,000 words or more a day in the first week, if you can. 2.

  22. How To Write A Book In 30 Days: Finish Your Book Fast!

    7 challenges of writing a book in 30 days. The 30-Day Book Challenge is a fun and fast way to write a book, but it's not for everyone. For some people, the time constraints might make it seem easy, but the reality is that writing a book from scratch in one month requires a lot of planning, time, and, most importantly, motivation. Here are the ...

  23. How to Write an Ebook in 30 Days: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Phase 1: Planning Your Ebook . If you want to succeed at writing a book in 30 days, spend a few weeks planning your book beforehand. There are a lot of things you can plan in advance, including ...

  24. Write Your Book Challenge

    The 30 day challenge is designed to test your dedication, motivation and patience and to shift your mind into developing a skillset which can help you write 'that' book in 30 days.

  25. How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

    Learn the art of writing a book in just 30 days. Get valuable writing advice and tips to help you complete your novel. Join the writing challenge and write with me. Explore aesthetic writing tools like GoodNotes and beautiful fonts.