Write a Novel in a Year. Seriously.
A detailed plan (because I LOVE a detailed plan)
Okay, okay. I know, it sounds extreme. Maybe ridiculous? I mean… novels are long, right? Notoriously hard to write? How can turning one out in a year be possible?
Well… it is. I think that, with a fair bit of time planning, a LOT of application, and some sympathetic support (more on that later), it’s perfectly possible to get a workable draft of a novel completed in a calendar year. It might not be absolutely publication ready. It might not be quite submission ready. But it also won’t be a messy first draft. It’ll be an edited, thought through, fully realised thing. And this is my proposal of how to get there.
What follows is a SNEAK PEEK for paid subscribers only. But next year I’ll be running an online course that takes you through every aspect of writing a novel over the course of 50 newsletters, online write-ins and a whatsapp support group. More details and pricing will be up on my website soon, or drop me a line now to find out more.
Okay. So let’s begin. This is how you write a novel in a year.
Some basic assumptions
To do this, I’m assuming that you have
at least a vague idea of what kind of thing you intend to write
around 30-60 minutes a day to give to this work (not always writing - this includes reading and sometimes even thinking)
I’ve divided this up into seasons, partly because a whole year is overwhelming, and partly because (not to be a big hippy about this) there’s a certain energy and movement that comes with the change from cold to warm, from dying back and bursting forth. If you don’t live in the same hemisphere as me you can ignore this safely though.
Winter
Planning and preparing
GOAL - have a rough plan of a book and be in a comfortable place to start in March
The first two months of the year are for the preparatory work of the novel. No writing yet! This is the time to do some in depth work on character. I recommend a read of The Science of Storytelling by Willl Storr, and following the development exercises he lays out in the appendix. Consider, as well, your setting. What are the themes of your work? What are some comparison titles? If you are an in depth plotter, this is where I’d suggest getting a spreadsheet out and starting to fill the shape of your story in. What happens in each act, and to each character? Whatever kind of writer you are, you’d be wise to consider what you intend to happen at each of the major plot points of the story.
By the end of January, you should have a one line pitch for the novel, and be able to give a clear idea of genre and comparison titles. By the end of February, you should have at least a rough idea of plot and be ready to start a draft zero.
Spring
First Draft
GOAL - finish a first draft
Just like that! Under this model I expect you to have a finished first draft by the end of June. I know, I said you had a year. BUT here’s the thing - it really doesn’t have to be good. In FACT during this four months of spring (summer is slow to come in England, ok?) I want you to write TWO drafts - a first draft, yes, but before that a draft ZERO.
This is the work of March. Over the course of the month, write every day (MAYBE you can have Sunday off) and write fast and hard - aim for 1000 words per day. And these words will be DREADFUL. That’s the point of them. What you must do is write an absolute whistlestop run through of your book, coming in at around 20,000 words but telling the whole story, and paying no attention to the quality of prose at all. All he said this and then she said that and THEN HE FIRED A GUN!!! Like you’re a five year old. Try it. It’s fun.
In April, take this scratchy, sketchy draft, and read it, and make notes, and move things around, and add and delete characters and subplots and scenes to your heart’s content. Give yourself maybe a week or two. Just scribble out notes. Don’t worry, we’re still nowhere near showing anyone any of this. Then, start the first draft in earnest. Start with a nice fresh document - there may be some parts you can type up from the previous draft, but I guess not a lot. Now you know what happens, so the heat is off. Relax into the prose. Let the story breathe. Do this for April, and May, and June as well, and until you have finished your book.
Now I won't lie, this is the part where you need the REAL motivation. A writing group, or at least a sympathetic friend. I have an idea about this at the end of the article. But whether you do it with me or not, you need some company at this point. This is the sharp end of the gig.
Summer
Reading, reflection, adventures
GOAL - take a break from the project and resituate selves as readers
Okay, now it’s summer and it’s NOT the sharp end of the gig any more. This is the soft end! I recommend that you give yourself a decent six weeks reading break here. Chomp your way through all your comparison titles, and seek out new ones, and read them too. Maybe some have come out while you’ve been writing draft one? Use all your carefully carved out time to refill yourself creatively - sit on a cushion with a vegan magnum (or luxury handheld ice cream of your choice) and read like you’re in year 8 and the summer holidays are finally here.
Towards the second part of August, it’s time to turn your eyes back to your book. Read through your first draft, and as much as you can, stay in reader mode. What’s cool about your book? What’s annoying, or boring? What would you like to see more of, and what could you do without? Make many notes, but change nothing yet. It’s nearly time to get back to work.
Autumn
Rewriting
GOAL - finish a second draft
Okay, the holiday’s over, and it’s time to rewrite your book. And sorry, but I do mean REWRITING here. Like, literally typing it all up again. Yes, I know. Painful. The thing is, it’s just the only way to get all that work you’ve done on voice and tone through your summer reading onto the paper. This time, a LOT of this will be simply typing up, but you may well still want to introduce a big change. This is fine! It’s time to write and write and write again. Catching the new-school-year energy of September and riding it through October, past Halloween and into nearly Christmas. You have three months to do this rewrite and I think you can do it.
Winter Again
Closing and preparing
GOAL - be able to take the project to market from here (whether further drafting is needed, or straight to submission)
And now it’s winter again, and there’s just a little more work to do. To close up the year and the project, I would now suggest it’s time to show someone. Perhaps you’re feeling confident and that’s person’s an agent. Maybe it’s a friend or a trusted writing companion. Maybe you feel you need to bring in a professional to do a manuscript edit here. Is it time to pay for a proofread and self publish it? But whatever it is, it’s time to tie up the loose ends, plan the next steps, and look to the following year. The following book…?
So that’s my plan. And I won’t lie to you, sticking to something like this is ROCK hard. The amount of perseverance and patience it takes is massive. But that’s almost all it takes. Like running a marathon, this is a case of time in = results out, and if you put in the hours and do the work then you will write the book. Honest.
You need help, though, and on that note, I have a proposal. I will be running an online course next year, for the whole calendar year, guiding you through this process. This will include -
Weekly newsletters with exercises and instruction for the week’s writing - and a forum to share your results
Regular writealongs on zoom
Access to an online and whatsapp community of likeminded writers with weekly check ins to provide support and accountability and the opportunity to ask any questions about the writing process.
You also have the option to add in a one on one zoom proposal review with me just before you start writing draft zero, to set your writing journey off to the best possible start.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in drop me a line to unlock earlybird pricing. And it it isn’t, take the plan above with my love and warmest wishes. What do you think? Do you think you could do it?