I was going to wait until I finished my writing today to make this blog post, but then I realized if I had done that, it would have been 32 days instead of 31—and that’s construing numbers, which I don’t want to do. So I’ll write this up now, before I begin writing.
31 days ago I made a conscious decision to crack down on my writing habits. I was only 4,000 words deep into the third book’s first draft.
My first book (The Jestivan) took 30 months to write at 120,000 words (the first draft). That’s a rate of 4,000 words per month, 903 words per week, 129 words per day … yikes. But let’s be honest, writing your first book is a huge undertaking.
My second book (The Untenable) took 18 months to write at 180,000 words (first draft). Crunch some numbers and you get 10,000 words per month, 2,258 words per week, 326 words per day. A lot better than my first rodeo, but still entirely too slow.
So far, with my third book (Erafeen #3), I’ve written 70,000 words in the past month (31 days).
I’ll let that marinate for a moment.
The Jestivan: 4,000 words per month, 903 words per week, 129 words per day
The Untenable: 10,000 words per month, 2,258 words per week, 326 words per day
Erafeen #3: 70,000 words per month, 15,806 words per week, 2,258 words per day (work-in-progress)
That is a staggering increase in production—exponential, really. What I wrote of The Jestivan in FOUR MONTHS I now write in a SINGLE WEEK.
Am I writing this to pat myself on the back? A little bit. I’m proud of what I’ve done. But I’m mostly doing this for you guys and girls—my readers. I’m letting you know that I’m dedicated to this process, and you should expect more books from me more frequently.
I’ve given myself both short-term goals and long-term deadlines.
Short-term:
- Minimum of 2,000 words a day
- Goal of 2,500 words
Immediate long-term:
- Erafeen #3‘s first draft completed by October 2nd.
- Erafeen #3‘s release by January 9th, 2018 (2-year anniversary of The Jestivan‘s release)
Future long-term:
- Publish FOUR books in 2018 (Erafeen #3 being one of the four).
- Make a living out of this (2019/2020)
I’m writing like this for both you and me. This is a voyage. Sure I’m captaining the ship, but my readers are my loyal crew. I can’t get through rough waters without you.
Until next time, have an ethical day.
P.S. Sad news, but The Jestivan is no longer free. It’s $2.99 on Amazon as an eBook.
