| Once you sell your first novel, chances are good | | | | written in order to get back into the flow, reread |
| your editor will want you to deliver at least one | | | | the previous few scenes or chapter; you don't |
| book a year. Some writers have no problem with | | | | need to reread the whole book. |
| this schedule, while others scramble to keep up. I | | | | Follow your outline. |
| used to find it difficult to deliver novels at this | | | | Your outline should be detailed enough that it's a |
| rate, since I needed at least six months to | | | | reliable roadmap for the novel. When you're |
| develop my plot outline and at least another six | | | | writing the first draft, keep to this outline; don't |
| months to write the novel. | | | | veer off in new directions. It slows things down. |
| My current publisher wants me to deliver my | | | | Don't over-research while you're writing. |
| novels nine months apart. This was a problem I'd | | | | There will of course be times when you need to |
| always dreamed of having, but it was a problem | | | | do some research to decide something major |
| nevertheless. So I had to come up with ways to | | | | about how your story will go. But if you come to |
| speed up the writing processes. I'll share my tips | | | | a place and need some details for "color," just |
| with you below. | | | | type TK (the old journalist's abbreviation for "to |
| Set quotas | | | | come") and deal with it when the novel is finished. |
| Novels are built a page at a time. The bottom line | | | | Make notes. |
| is that you've got to produce those pages. If you | | | | Similarly, if as you're writing you think of things |
| don't write enough pages a day, you won't have | | | | you want to go back and put in, make notes |
| your novel finished on time; it's as simple as that. | | | | (right in the manuscript is fine) and deal with all of |
| Here's what I do. After my outline is written and | | | | these later. Don't go back and put them in now. |
| approved by my publisher, I take the number of | | | | Paste liberally! |
| pages I need (around 350) and divide that number | | | | Let's say I'm writing a scene set at the Wollman |
| by the number of days I have until my | | | | Skating Rink in New York City's Central Park, and |
| deadline-less two weeks for editing and polishing. | | | | I need some details for authenticity. I Google the |
| For the novel I'm currently writing, the magic | | | | rink, find some photos, and paste them right into |
| number is 13 pages a day. That's carved in stone. | | | | my manuscript so that I can look at them as I'm |
| I am not allowed to leave my office until those | | | | writing. When I've finished, I simply delete them. |
| pages are done. Quotas take the stress off | | | | You can do this with text from other sources, |
| because you know that when you've produced | | | | links to Web pages, audio-anything. Gather up |
| that number, you don't have to feel guilty when | | | | everything you need and paste it in. Just |
| you attend to other matters. | | | | remember to remove it all when you're finished. |
| Don't print out. | | | | Write directly on your outline. |
| When I'm writing a novel, I don't allow myself to | | | | Why have your outline at your elbow as you |
| print out a hard copy until the first draft is | | | | write your book? Simply turn the outline itself into |
| completely finished. Printing out-for me, at | | | | your novel, developing it paragraph by paragraph. |
| least-leads to all kinds of distractions that slow | | | | Implement any of these tips and you'll see your |
| writing down. For example, I'm tempted to reread | | | | writing going faster. You'll produce more, which will |
| everything I've written, which can lead to changing | | | | help build your career. You may come up with |
| my mind about story elements, which can lead to | | | | more techniques that work for you. With solid |
| taking my book completely apart and virtually | | | | speed-writing tricks, you can be both fast and |
| starting all over again. If you're starting a writing | | | | good. |
| session and need to reread some of what you've | | | | |