Simple Rules To Help You Write Your Novel Quickly

Write your novel faster with these useful tips!

Writing a novel can’t always be a super speedy process. Taking your time is the best thing to do in certain circumstances. However, there is a difference between being thorough and meticulous, and procrastinating. If you start finding the whole novel-writing process is becoming painfully slow, it might be helpful to read these tips! Below we outline how to ensure you get the first draft of your novel down - and fast. Because if you take too long, you might lose motivation altogether. 

So what can you do to write your novel quickly? 

Get your structure sorted before you start

The more planning you can do, the more straightforward the writing process will be. There is nothing wrong with writing when the mood strikes us. But, for most of us, if we don't have a writing timetable in place we won't get much done. Create a complex and detailed outline that covers all your plot points, create chapter outlines, character arcs, and details of the main dramatic conflicts as well as your setting so that you have all the details clear in your mind before you begin. It’s also good to consider at this stage what you know about yourself as a writer already. Which bits do you struggle with the most? Paying particular attention to these early on will ensure you don’t hit a roadblock later, or if you do, you’ll feel fully equipped to deal with it and move on. 

Get super organized

If you want to keep your momentum and motivation high, you need to start being strict with yourself. Not only do you need a water-tight writing regime that you prioritize above all else, but also systems in place to track and organize your ideas. Nothing will slow you down more than having a brain wave and then searching back through scribbled notes and disorganized pieces of writing to attempt to find what you are looking for. If you want to ensure your book doesn’t have any inconsistencies and plot holes, idea tracking will also ensure you don’t have to keep going back over your manuscript to avoid contradicting something you wrote earlier. By staying organized you can keep your timeframe and the details of your world accessible and to hand whenever needed. 

Now is not the time for tinkering

Speedy novel writing means putting your nose to the grindstone and getting those words onto the page. If you while away the hours tinkering and editing and trying to perfect each sentence, you won’t get anywhere fast. Instead, let the first draft be rough and sort the finer details later on. Just keep moving forward even if you find yourself cringing at the last thing you wrote. 

Write in shorthand and leave bits you are stuck on

Writing in shorthand can be an excellent way to get the story out while saving you time. If you haven’t quite figured out how each scene will link together or how everything plays out, it’s also OK to skip over or just jot down a few ideas and sentences and come back to them later rather than getting stuck on something and feeling like your getting nowhere with it. 

Keep tasks small and manageable

If you want to write your novel quickly, you'll no doubt understand what a mammoth task it is. However, if you divide the things you have to do into bite-sized chunks, you will feel less overwhelmed and can tackle one thing at a time, moving ever closer to your goal of completing that first draft as you do!

So now you know how to write your novel quickly, why not read some more tips about how to write faster (and better too?)

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