How to get it done

Q. Camille,

How long should it take to write a first draft of a novel? I wanted to finish mine this year but I am having trouble staying on track and wonder if giving myself a deadline will help. 
- S

A. Dear S, 

A first draft takes as long as you decide it takes. Have you heard of Parkinson’s Law? It’s an adage that says that work expands to fill the time you allot for it. In my experience, that absolutely applies to writing.  

Now, can you write a whole novel in a week? It’s unlikely, especially if it’s your first. Even so, you could pull it off in six weeks if that’s what you decided to do. (Among the evidence, Kazuo Ishiguro wrote The Remains of the Day in four weeks.) 

Ask yourself: when do I want to have this draft finished? I typically recommend that my clients give themselves three to six months; twelve months at the absolute most if they’re dealing with a particularly complicated plot (for example, a novel with two timelines, one of them historical). If you think about it, fiction is really a mood you sustain for 250+ pages. And in order to sustain that mood, you want to be working on your draft five days a week if at all possible in order to keep your vision in mind and remember details about your characters and plot without constantly rereading what you’ve already written. 

To answer the second part of your question, giving yourself a deadline will absolutely help you get the job done. But go a step further and give yourself a set time to work each day—and put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable appointment. I recommend a minimum of one hour to draft and a maximum of four (if you’re able to focus beyond that, kudos; many writers, myself included, are not). Then try to figure out how many words you’ll need to write during your writing time in order to get your book done.

If you discover you've overestimated what’s actually possible for you, adjust your deadline—but don’t ditch your goal. Finishing proves you have your own back and keep your promises to yourself, even when it's hard. Those results spread success to all areas of your life—and are the real reason writing a book changes you. 

—Camille