How to Write 3-4 Fantasy Books in a Year

Before I get started, for those of you who like cheap ebooks, check out the bit at the end.

Now to today’s post.

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I’ll bet this guy wished he knew the answer.

I go to a lot of conventions, speak at schools, work one-on-one with writers, and give advice online. Much of that time is talking craft but some of it is business. Oftentimes I find myself saying the same things again and again, which on one hand is not bad — the information needs to get out — and on the other hand suggests something not so good — that the information is not getting out.

For some reason, I found myself last month giving the same info to half-a-dozen writers at different times. All coming from the same shocked question — “How do you write so much?”

So, in the interest of saving time (giving me more time to write or procrastinate), here is the shocking answer:

I don’t write so much.  I only put out about 3-4 books a year plus a few short stories. Now, that may seem like a lot, but here is the proof that not only is this not a lot, but that you (yes, you) can do it too.  Check this out:

How I Do It. The Math.

Don’t freak out. The math is basic stuff. Real basic.

Okay. On average, a professional writer like me can put out about 1,000 words per hour. That’s only an average. Some days I do more. Some I do less. This is accomplished by having written for years, so I have learned some skills, and by plotting ahead of time. When I sit down to type at the keyboard, I don’t have to waste my time figuring out what happens next.

So, if you can write 1,000 words per hour and you write 1 hour each day, at the end of a year you will have written 365,000 words (1,000 x 365 days). That, folks, is about 3-4 novels.

For only one measly hour a day!

What about the other hours of the day? Well, that’s where you spend time plotting and planning. That’s where you edit and proofread, design covers, send out review copies, write blog posts, etc, etc, etc.

And if you have a day job, that’s when you do that day job thing.

But Stuart, you say, I can’t do all that plotting while I’m at work and I’m too exhausted to do it when I get home.

Well, if you could handle that math above, then this will really blow your mind:

Let’s take out 65 days of writing. Let’s give you Two Whole Months plus a few days that you don’t have to write at all. Lump those days together or spread them out. That’s up to you. The end result:

 

365 days – 65 days = 300 days

300 days x 1,000 words per day (for only one hour of writing) = 300,000 words

 

Guess what? That’s 3 novels. And if you write shorter length novels, that could be 4 novels. For only 1 hour of writing and two months of vacation to come up with ideas and plotting and such.

It’s not that hard to do.

 

Okay, Stuart, you say, then why don’t you write 10 novels a year?

Good question. For any full-time professional writer, there are always lots and lots of business things that need to be done (you know, like writing blog posts). These things take away from fiction writing time. When I go to conventions, my writing output often cuts to at least half of normal if not more. So, that’s part of it.

This is how many feel when contemplating writing so many novels.

But, in truth, as I’ve laid out these simple numbers for others, I’ve started to ask myself that same question. Why don’t I write even more? And the answer — I’m going to write more. This year I plan to get at least 5 if not 6 books done. How? I write 1,500 words a day instead of 1,000. Not a huge change, really. As long as the business stuff doesn’t get too crazy — which, of course, it will (in fact, I’ve just received an email which may complicate a few months coming up!).

Also, keep in mind that all we’ve been discussing here is the number of words, not the quality. You still need to learn your craft. If not, you may put out lots of words but they won’t amount to much. So, while I could conceivably put out 10 novels this year, I also need to feel comfortable that I’m keeping up the quality level. Otherwise, what’s the point?

By the way, plenty of other writers put out more work than I do and keep their quality up. Dean Wesley Smith has been doing a blog diary of his daily writing routine and tracking his numbers. Check it out if you need more convincing. Or use it like I do, for inspiration!

 

You can do it!

The point of all this post, however, is simply that numerically speaking, little effort is required to produce a lot of work. You can do it, too. And you don’t have to do it tomorrow. When I first started writing, getting 250 words done each day was a challenge. That’s about 1 page.  That resulted in one book done after about a year. With practice and understanding, my daily word count has gone up. Yours will too.

 

Cheap Books Promo Stuff

You know all that business stuff I kept referring to above. Well, one business decision I’ve made for this year is to get more books out to you guys. Both in new books and old. One way to do that is by offering lots of specials all year long. There will be 99 cent books, some free books, a few Kindle Countdown deals, and more coming your way. I’ll announce stuff here on the blog, but if you sign up for the monthly newsletter (up top on the right) you’ll know about everything first, and you’ll get more time to snatch up each offer. Plus, you’ll get your first Freebie which is a short story that only goes to new newsletter subscribers!

Oh, and since the next newsletter goes out in a few days, the first cheap promo is coming fast!

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