Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A Book in Month

Really.

I'm on deadline. I have well over two months before the book is due, but I want to have it finished by the second week of July. This will give me plenty of time to set the book aside, pass it on to my freelance editor, and then get back to it with fresh eyes. In my opinion those things are necessary for the creation of a clean, well-written book.

If you think it's not possible to write a book in a month, think again. Steeple Hill has changed its word count. Manuscripts need only be 55-60 thousand words. That means two thousand words for thirty days. Piece of cake. Really. I've done this before.

Trust me when I say that if Shirlee McCoy aka Queen of Procrastination can write a book in a month anyone can do it. The key is to stick to the daily goal. Don't go back and reread, don't edit, don't angst over how bad the writing is. Write your two thousand words with the idea that you'll have another month to go back and rework and rewrite.

Remember, a first draft is just that. The idea that a person can write a clean first draft that needs no revising or polishing is a beyond my comprehension. I'm sure there are people out there who can, but I'm not one of them. By forcing myself to finish the first draft quickly, I allow plenty of time for polishing and rewriting. Which is always so much easier than getting the first draft done.

Want to write a book in a month?

Of course you do.

So, I dare you to try.

1 comment:

Mindy Obenhaus said...

I'll pass. I'd have my family so traumatized they wouldn't know what hit 'em.