How to Crinkle and Generally Abuse Kickstarter Perks

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

I took the last week off for one main reason: I was feeling overwhelmed. So I did what any sane human being would and asked if I could just go home. I packed my bags, flew to the Great PNW, and hid away in coffee shops and bakeries – mostly to write.

I gave myself two primary tasks for the 10 days of blissful freedom I had before me:

Write a book
Fulfill a bunch of Kickstarter rewards

Daunting, but I think I might have actually managed it. I even got my motorcycle endorsement along the way. I realize a week may be a luxury not everyone can snag, but I think the principles below hold true nonetheless. Here’s how to write a book in a week and abuse a bunch of Kickstarter rewards as you go.

 

How to Write a Book in a Week
Rule 1: Take a Week Off

No one has time. It’s a maxim of the creative process: make time.

Not to start off like a hard-ass, but I won’t sugar coat this one. The only way to have time to write is to set that time aside and just do it. As Heinlein so gracefully pointed out: “The only difference between those who want to write and those who write is writing.”

(I’m pretty sure I didn’t make that quote up)

If you don’t have the luxury of taking a full week off, then carve time out of your regular schedule. Mark an hour on your calendar every morning as “Busy” and fill it with writing. Sacrifice the Saturday morning cartoons and pick up your pen instead. Make time.

Rule 2: Don’t Actually Try to Write the Whole Thing in a Week

Though it’s doable, I doubt it’s advisable. Especially if, like me, you’re coming off of a full 40hr work week with 26hrs of travel added on. Stir in some jetlag and your brain stew will come out steaming and savory.

Assuming you planned this week off with at least two weeks advance notice, you now have two weeks of prep time. Spend fifteen minutes at lunch outlining a chapter. Do a character sketch or interview while you’re in the shower (so many good ideas for dialogue happen under hot water). Put the time you have available to work. Every little bit counts.

I started prewriting for Vanig and the Worm on airplanes and wrote the first few chapters when I had a spare hour here or there. By the time I sat down to start my week-long blitz, I was at a point where I had momentum and knew my characters [pretty] well. It was all made easier by chipping away at it in advance.

Rule 3: Sit in the Damn Chair

This was the single-most difficult stretch of writing I think I’ve ever faced. Blame the jet lag, blame the Kickstarter anxiety and looming production schedule for Season 2 of ITN, blame whatever – I was itchy and squirmy all week. It was really, really hard to focus. Normally, if I have a few days to focus on writing full time, I can get up to 10,000 words a day and will peak somewhere above that. Last week? I was lucky to crank out 5,000 in a day.

Sometimes writing is a grind. So sit and grind away. I’m not saying to shut off all distraction – I’d go crazy – but don’t give into the distractions that pull you completely away.  Browse Facebook for a minute, watch Kung Fury to clear your head, but as soon as the urge to write returns you need to pull that document back up and start pounding away. Even if it’s only for a few hundred words.

Sit. Write. And when you think maaaaaybe I could just call it quits today: don’t.

That said, you still need to:

Rule 4: Set Limits

Put a limit on how long you’re going to write. Mine often came in the form of rides from friends or family (someone around here doesn’t own a car any more). Knowing that someone was coming to get me in an hour not only gave me an extra push to write, it gave me a sense of relief that I wasn’t going to have to do this for much longer. That made the writing itself easier.

Another option is to set a reasonable goal for your word count on the day. Don’t get hung up on it, but do your best to beat it every time.

Rule 5: If Necessary – Swap Locations

I move every few hours on a writing day – usually when I’m hungry. It’s the perfect excuse to fold up the laptop, find a new place to write, and eat somewhere in the middle. Give your brain a break, feed yourself, and find a fresh environment.

Throw Some Kickstarter Perks in to Keep it Stressful

This is actually filed under the “Don’t Do This” section of how to write a book in a week. If I could have done one thing differently, it would have been to cut the Kickstarter necessities from my week, but alas. Not to be.

How to give yourself hand cramps in a week – that’s what this blog post should be called

I spent 6.5 hours tearing up paper and crumpling it up and re-crumpling it once I’d flattened it out. I signed one hundred and… a… lot of prints. T-Shirts? Yep. All that to say, don’t clutter your week with other obligations.

I didn’t want to cut my social time down too far; I don’t get up to Spokane very often and it was graduation/move friends week. But if you can, I’d advise you cut people time to a minimum. And just don’t try to write a book in a week while you’re in the midst of fulfilling Kickstarter rewards. Especially if it involves a lot of crumpling.

How to Write a Book in a Week: In Summary

Whether you can take a day, a week, or [if the stars align and God wills it] an entire month to write one – all of this holds true for how to write a book in a week:

Make the time to write
Do as much prep work in advance as possible
Sit down and make yourself sit there until words happen
Set goals and limits in advance so you feel fine powering down
Switch up your environment as necessary to keep fresh
Cut as many stressors and obligations out as possible

Followup Question:

The working title for the book I finished this week is Vanig and the Worm. The current contender for the final title is Shadows of the Highridge Mountains.

Which appeals to you more straight off the bat? So far on Facebook it’s a pretty even split.

Post Script – Find Some Time to Have Fun

Your brain needs a break. I mentioned that I got my endorsement. For father’s day, my dad and I took an intermediate course in motorcycle safety and passed with perfect scores. Not to brag. Ok, to brag. Be sure to have some fun, clear your head, and don’t totally neglect the people you love along the way.

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