Writing is a daunting task for many people, especially when it’s a book, but for those who love to write, the small rewards and huge achievements are endless. Writing a book can have numerous benefits for your life. You can read more about that in my article on why you should write a book. The question is, how do you write a book in 30 days? If you want to know the top tips on how to write a book in 30 days, continue reading.
Table of Contents
Nine tips for writing a book in 30 days
Writing a book is one of the most challenging and rewarding things you will ever do. However, sometimes it’s hard to know if it’s worth doing. You will learn more about yourself and the world than you ever thought possible. Here are nine tips to help you write your book in 30 days.
1. Do your research
Do your research before you start writing. Even if you’re not writing non-fiction, it’s important to know the subject you are writing about. This is especially true when it comes to science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy.
You don’t want the story to be unbelievable because of a silly mistake in the details. You can also use your research as a starting point for your story or a springboard for ideas.
Just be sure that your research doesn’t take over the story or become more important than the main characters and their actions. One way to avoid this is by writing in chronological order. It will keep you focused on what’s happening in your story rather than getting caught up in background details and research.
2. Make an outline
There’s no way to write a book without first having the book to write. That’s where outlining comes in. The outline is your blueprint, the skeleton of your story on which you hang all the meat and muscle. It’s what gives you direction. You’ll know where you’re going, how to get there, and when it’s all over what you’ve accomplished.
An outline is also an excellent tool for avoiding writer’s block. Once you’ve got your main subject clearly defined, the next step is to brainstorm everything that you can possibly think of that has something to do with that subject.
It can include interesting facts and trivia, stories, and anecdotes. You can also include personal experiences, character names and dates and locations, and information from books or research on the internet.
Anything that might be relevant should be written down. This will give you lots of material to work with when it comes time actually to write your book. Once you have your list in front of you, start organizing it into chapters or sections so that all of your related information is grouped. Determine which pieces are essential, which are nice but not necessary, and which are unnecessary.
3. Create a writing schedule
Writing a book in 30 days is an exciting challenge. It’s not just about the finished product but the writing process itself. It’s important to keep that excitement going throughout the month so you don’t burn out midway and lose motivation. The best way to do that is to create a creative writing schedule.
You need to fit your writing goals into your writing daily routine, and that means setting aside time for it day-to-day. Even if it’s just a five-minute slot between cooking dinner and walking the dog, that consistent space in your day will help you stay on track.
On top of making sure you have time every day to write, remember that you also need to schedule breaks into your day. A consistent schedule is good, but it doesn’t mean you should go nonstop. If you give yourself 15 minutes off every hour or half hour after two hours of work, you can avoid writer’s block when you sit down again.
4. Set word count goals
It’s never too early to start thinking about word count. Whether you’re trying to write a novel, a nonfiction book, or a short story, you can set daily word count goals to help you achieve your project’s overall goal. There are many ways to do this. You might aim to write just 250 words in one sitting or go for 1,000.
The important thing is that the number you choose is reasonable for the time frame and quality of work that you want. A good rule of thumb for beginners writing a first draft novel is to aim for 1,000 words per day. This is low enough that it should be achievable even on days when you’re not feeling particularly motivated. However, it’s high enough that you’ll make significant progress toward your book without getting overwhelmed by the goal.
You can always start with this as your default word count goal and then increase it once you get into the swing of things and feel confident about your ability to keep up with the pace. It’s also helpful to set up a schedule. For example, if you know that you have free writing time in the early mornings and evenings every weekday but not on weekends. Try scheduling your writing session time so that most of the weekdays are dedicated to finishing your book.
5. Establish a sacred writing space
The best way to get yourself in the writing mindset is to create a dedicated writing space. To help you stay focused, all distractions should come from this space: no phone, no email, and no Facebook. If you have kids or roommates, make sure they know that you can’t be interrupted when you’re in your writing space.
If at all possible, choose a space with a door you can close. This helps to establish a physical boundary between the “writing” and “non-writing” parts of your life. It also gives you a physical cue to let your mind know it’s time to write. Finally, don’t forget to personalize your sacred writing space!
Hang up some inspirational photos or quotes. Put in comfy furniture and decorations that make you feel happy. Add in any other items that are important to you. Some people like candles or incense burning, while others prefer the sound of music playing softly in the background. Make this place unique for you so it will always be where ideas flow freely and easily!
6. Assemble your writing tools.
Having the proper tools on hand will help you avoid excuses when your inspiration starts to wane. First, make sure your computer that runs smoothly is free of viruses and has plenty of space to store your first novel in progress. If your computer screen has been acting up, there’s no better time than now to have it repaired. After all, you can’t afford any distractions while you’re trying to meet your deadline!
Next, review your writing software and make sure it’s up-to-date. While it’s not necessary to have the latest version of Microsoft Word or even specialized software for tens of thousands of writers, you should at least be using some word processing program that allows you to save files, format them into pages and chapters, and make changes if needed. You can also choose to use a writing app on your mobile device if that works better for you.
Thirdly, consider investing in online backup services like Google Drive or Dropbox. In the event that something happens to your computer and all of the files are lost (or worse), these services will allow you to retrieve them from another device so you won’t lose all your work.
7. Get the hard stuff out of the way first
If you’re going to write a novel in 30 days, it’s not the time to get into an argument with yourself about whether or not you can do it. The first step is to believe you can do it. You have to know that you can do it.
You should also allow yourself to temporarily buy into the story idea that you are a writer who writes because otherwise, maybe you wouldn’t really be committed to finishing the task on time. That being said, let’s get down to business.
Write the difficult parts of your book first. Those are the parts that give you pause. They’re the ones that make you shut your laptop and go watch TV or sleep for four hours instead of working on your novel.
They’re the things that make you stall and waffle and procrastinate because they keep coming up as “too hard.” The best way to silence these demons is to just sit down and write them out as quickly as possible—and then get them out of your way once and for all.
8. Know when to walk away and return to your desk
This can be difficult for some people who like to keep busy with other tasks at home or at their workplace. It’s important that you don’t take on too much during the writing process. If you feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do each day, this can make it hard for you to focus on your book.
It’s better to start small and build up from there than try and do everything at once. For example, if you’re trying not to get easily distracted while working on your novel, then set aside specific times of day when you’ll turn off all electronic devices and focus exclusively on writing without any other distractions.
Or perhaps waking up early might be better suited for creating new ideas before everyone else has woken up yet; whatever works best for you! If you’re in a coffee shop, grab another cup of coffee. Shake out your hands to release tension from typing too much or for too long. Do what you need to do to refresh yourself and return to your desk with an open mind.
9. Reward yourself
Rewarding yourself is crucial to sticking with any big, challenging project. What you choose to reward yourself with is up to you. Some people might stay motivated with a Starbucks run every time they hit a certain number of how many words, others might permit themselves to take one of their five or 10-minute breaks a little bit longer.
Whatever it is, the important thing is that you’ve decided ahead of time what that reward will be and that you’ve flagged it as something to look forward to. People are far more likely to stick with a project in the long term if they can see themselves making progress toward something they want.
7 challenges of writing a book in 30 days
The 30-Day Book Challenge is a fun and fast way to write a book, but it’s not for everyone. For some people, the time constraints might make it seem easy, but the reality is that writing a book from scratch in one month requires a lot of planning, time, and, most importantly, motivation. Here are the common challenges of writing a novel in 30 days.
1. Finding time
With a full-time day job, family responsibilities, and other commitments, finding time to write every day is a challenge. Some people find that they can write successfully during their lunch hour, while others set daily goals of writing before or after their day job.
Many people also find it helpful to write during the weekends. If your schedule is already full and you’re not sure how you’ll fit in the time, consider what you can cut out of your schedule.
For example, if you spend three hours watching television each day, you might be able to devote one of those hours to writing.
Another option is to get up an hour earlier each day to write. Set yourself up for success by planning ahead and setting aside blocks of time for writing. If you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, eventually, you’ll get where you want to go.
2. Creating a writing routine
It’s a common refrain among those who are trying to write a novel: “I’d love to start writing, but I can’t get into the habit of doing it.” There are a number of reasons why writing is difficult to turn into a regular activity.
But by taking small steps every day and using some simple resources available online, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to form good writing habits. Your book will be well on its way toward getting finished.
One of the biggest obstacles people face when they’re trying to get into the habit of writing is not having a specific plan ahead for what and when they’ll write. Ending your day by telling yourself that tomorrow you’ll work on your project just doesn’t cut it.
The best way to develop a consistent routine is to set aside specific blocks of time for writing each day and then stick to them. If you add those times to your daily calendar and set reminders, you have a better chance of staying on track.
3. Focusing on quality
You only have thirty days until you’re done writing your book. It’s tempting just to get how many words down and then finish writing without going back to edit or change anything. It’s even easier to make excuses for why you can’t go back and reread what you’ve written.
Unfortunately, if you don’t go back and read what you’ve written, you may end up with a book full of typos, grammatical errors, and even plot holes or loose ends that could have been fixed with a five-minute reread. The good news is that there are some things you can do to prevent yourself from making excuses and avoiding reading over your work.
For example, take advantage of online resources like Grammarly that will pick up any errors for you.
You can also set aside a specific amount of time every day for rereading what you wrote the previous day. If you make it a habit to read over your work before moving on to the next novel chapter, you’ll be less likely to be tempted by the urge to skip it altogether.
4. Telling a good story
The story is the most important part of any book and is what readers connect to. If you’re not telling a compelling story, you’re not going to get very far. The problem with having a short deadline is that you don’t have time to stew on your ideas or let them mature before they go on the page.
You might start with a great general idea and a solid main character, then rush ahead too quickly and lose sight of where you started. Or maybe you’ll spend too much time on the beginning of the book with the hopes of being able to write the ending without having it fully planned out—and then run into writer’s block.
Either way, you must have a solid plan for what your story is about and how it will play out before you start writing a novel. Creating an outline will help keep you on track and make sure you’re telling a pleasing story.
5. Organizing your thoughts
When faced with 30 days to write a novel, the biggest challenge is going to be organizing your thoughts and ideas. The key to writing a novel in 30 days is using organization techniques to create a logical flow throughout your book. As you are trying to get your thoughts on paper, they may seem jumbled or confusing.
It is important that you organize these thoughts so that the path you have chosen makes good sense when it comes time to begin writing. Many writers will use an outline or skeleton of their thoughts so that they can change them around as needed but still have a clear idea of where everything belongs in the book.
6. Overcoming self-doubt
There are a lot of self-doubts that come with writing a book in 30 days. You’ll doubt your ability to get it done. Your friends and family may doubt you, too. Even if you don’t tell anybody about your plan, you’ll still be waiting for someone to call you out on being crazy or unrealistic for trying something like this.
The best strategy is to ignore self-doubt and keep writing. The more doubts creep into your mind, the more you need to focus on just sitting down and getting words on the page. That’s how you write a book in 30 days!
7. Staying motivated
When you are writing a novel in 30 days, it is easy to get sidetracked by the other things that come up in daily life. It takes time to write a novel, and you need to be sure that you are going to give it the time it needs each day. Make sure that you have set aside the time to work on your book every day.
If you are having trouble staying motivated, think about why you wanted to write this book in the first place. What was your purpose for writing a novel? Who will be reading this book? Think about how spending just 30 minutes of your day on your book can make someone else’s life better.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to some of your frequently asked questions about how to write a book in 30 days.
How long should your first book be?
There’s no magic number specifying how long or how short your first book should be. If you’re writing a children’s book, it may be only 32 pages—but that doesn’t mean that the story is any less challenging to write. On the other hand, if you’re writing a fantasy epic, it could be thousands of pages long.
But if you’re looking for a range of page numbers to aim for, here are some general guidelines based on genres.
| Picture Books | Picture books can range from 32 to 64 pages. Many publishers in the publishing industry have a suggested limit of 1,000 words—though picture books tend to be shorter than that. |
| Novels For Middle-Grade Readers | Novels for middle-grade readers (ages 8–12) generally run about 55,000 words (around 200 pages). You can get away with going up to about 65,000 words; anything longer than that, and you’re looking at something too advanced for middle graders. |
| Novels For Young Adult and Adult Readers | Novels for young adult readers and adult readers can range from about 55,000 to 80,000 words, but most publishers will suggest staying on the shorter end of that range—and it’s good advice! The best young adult/ adult novels are tight and fast-paced. |
What is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which began in 1999 as a challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in one month. Now it’s an international online community of writers that holds events and virtual meetups throughout the year. However, November is still the time when thousands of aspiring authors take part in the annual national novel writing month challenge.
Word count can be measured on the NaNoWriMo site, and you can track your progress against other writers. By the end of the writing month, many participants will have completed the first draft of their novels.
Should you become an author?
As a published author, you’ll have the ability to share your story with readers who will come away from it feeling inspired, moved, or possibly even changed. You might be surprised how many people out there will relate to your tale and find meaning in your words.
If you’re an avid reader yourself, you already know that books can function as a way to escape the day-to-day and take you somewhere else for a while—and writing those books can be just as gratifying as reading them.
Final words
A book is not a simple project. It’s an adventure, and it can take you on all kinds of unexpected paths. But by keeping the big picture in mind and taking a few steps to prepare yourself for the journey of writing a book, you’ll be ready for any surprises along the way.