How I Wrote Two Full-Length Novels in 18 Months

The sequel, which covers the years 20042016, is scheduled to release in the first half of 2018.

I wrote the first chapter ofVol.

1during the last week of July 2015.

I wrote the last chapter ofVol.

2during the last week of December 2016.

Two full-length novelsroughly 90,000 words eachdrafted over eighteen months, plus I was revisingVol.

1while I was draftingVol.

Some of it has to do with experience.

But a lot of it came down to structure and planning.

Building a Structure

TheNaNoWriMomodel, as much as I love it, doesnt work for me.

I decided to keep the chapters short.

Around 1,2002,000 words each, or the length of a freelance article.

I wouldnt be able to stop mid-sentence.

I wouldnt even be able to stop mid-chapter.

So I made sure I could complete a chapter draft in a single evening.

(Plus, I was already very familiar with writing to that 1,2002,000-word length.

I knew how the rhythms should go, and I knew how to keep people reading.)

Lastly, I decided to write two chapters per week.

This gave the project both a workload and a duration.

That meant my time-to-completion was closer to 74 weeks.

It helped that Id written a novel before.

It took me two years to finish.

Having the Background

I should mention, at this point, why I used the word probably.

I failed every time.

So why would this time be different?

I started freelance writing in 2012.

Between 2012 and 2015 I wrotea lot of short pieces.

Some of them were articles forWing WorldorPopular Science.

Some of them were first-person blog posts forThe Write LifeorThe Billfold.

I was writing all the time, and both my work and my processes were improving.

(I was also reading a lot of books, but Ive always read a lot of books.

Just throwing that in because reading is one of a writers most important skills.)

I had both the skills and the practice to succeed.

I had three years of experience in outlining ideas, writing compelling narratives, and hitting my deadlines.

In other words: I consistently wrote 14 articles a week for five freelance clients.

I could add two more chapters.

I like getting paid for my work.

I wanted the same experience withThe Biographies of Ordinary People.

Were my readers enjoying it?

Did they want to know what happened next?

Were they sympathizing with the characters and responding emotionally?

2, readers would get a book that took place in the immediately-recent past.

(Its too structured!

It should have gone through years of revisions!)

This first volume is deeply satisfying.

That, and writinga lot of short piecesfirst.