Writing and Researching

I’m often asked how long it takes to write a novel, and almost never know how to answer the question. Novels take years to go from concept to publication. But when I hear someone say it took seven years to write a novel, I wonder what the hell they were doing with their time.

I may start researching—which means reading books that pertain to a future novel—years before I start to write. But, once the writing begins, the book gets finished in a matter of months.

I consider that if I write about 1000 decent words a day, I’ll finish a 90,000 word novel in three months. Sure, there is the act of rewriting, that happens more than once, but the book is done in all practical purposes.

Here’s the thing: I can write new material early in the morning (that 1000 words a day), and still be able to rewrite an older book in the afternoon (after my day job). This means that I can actually work on two novels at once, since only one of them needs my creative energy.

I do take time between novels to regroup, but I could probably write two or three novels a year. Crazy? Only if you don’t like writing.