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Wow, I’m awed by Susie’s detailed writing process. She writes great fiction, fast. I however, do not. Let’s talk about my writing process so you can see how incredibly different we are, but yet end up with a novel at the end. The longest time I took to write a book was eight months, Sweet Caroline. The shortest, four months and twelve days, Diva NashVegas. My average writing time is five months, but I prefer more. Here’s why. When writing on deadline, I’m so engaged and engrossed in my current characters I can’t carry on dialog with possible future characters. When a book is done and submitted, I begin to think of the next book while waiting for rewrites. I get a high level idea and plot, usually with beginning, […]

(or, my organization and book development secrets!) Write a book in 3 months? In three hours a day? And have a family life, too? Bah! You laugh, but seriously, it can be done. Now, I’m not saying it’s easy. But the fact is, with a little “nose to the grindstone” as my father used to say, it’s possible. Here’s how: First, we talked yesterday about the four keys to a successful writer’s life. If you’ve committed to the task, found your writing space, wheedled out time from your schedule and determined to keep a running game plan, then it’s time to talk strategy. Let’s assume you have 12 weeks to write a 30 chapter book, with approximately 3000 words per chapter. That’s 1500 words per scene. That’s 6 pages per […]