How to Write a Novel in 10 Days or Less

The premise of the National Novel Writing Month is to conceive and write a novel in the month of November. This annual event challenges writers to complete 50,000 words by November 30. A greater challenge for an experienced writer is accelerating this timetable to cover 10 days or less. If the average novel spans 75,000 words, a writer would need to complete 7,500 words each day to meet this goal. This Herculean task can be achieved with a wide-open schedule, plenty of motivation and a strong set of hands.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Brainstorm ideas for a novel the day before starting your 10-day novel challenge. Use your own life as a template for you novel by choosing plots, settings and characters that are comparable to your daily routine. For example, an attorney should write a courtroom drama or make his protagonist a lawyer to eliminate the problem of character development.

2. Spend your first day completing a detailed outline of your story and writing the opening chapter. These tasks tend to stop writers from completing their novels quickly, and completion of the first chapter will get the ball rolling over the next 9 days.

3. Focus on word count rather than correcting every spelling error. Your daily count is calculated by dividing your desired novel length (typically 6,000 to 10,000 words) by 10. Keep your daily word count goal visible from your computer and aim for quantity instead of quality during the writing process.

4. Work in comfortable conditions where you will not be distracted. Writers who crave silence and work best from the comforts of their couch should not try to work at a coffee shop or library.

5. Challenge your friends and family members to write a novel in 10 days to bring out your competitive spirit. Arrange for everyone participating in the challenge to meet 10 days after the start to compare novels. Ask every participant to send in a word count for each day as a reminder of how much progress you need to make to complete your novel.

6. Decrease your expectations as you finish your final chapter to avoid disappointment. Your 10-day novel will not be ready to debut in Barnes & Noble, but it may be a good story that can be shared among friends. Keep your novel handy for future editing or to use as inspiration for future writing projects.

Tips & Warnings

• Save your novel after each paragraph to protect against blackouts and other unforeseen circumstances. Use a ZIP drive and send a copy of your novel to your home email after each chapter is complete to anticipate technical problems.
• Stall your efforts to edit the novel until the 10-day period has ended. Turn off spell-check features and ignore the temptation to review each chapter if you want to meet your goal. Ignore what you have just written until your novel is complete.

Resources

• National Novel Writing Month
• 3-Day Novel Competition

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