I’ve always wanted to write a novel in 30 days.
In traditional publishing, that probably sounds ridiculous. But in the indie world, it’s not just possible—it’s common. Some authors even manage to write and publish two books in that time. That’s a little beyond my reach (I’ve never come close to finishing even one draft that fast), but that’s exactly why I want to give it a shot.
This challenge is about pushing myself to the limit and seeing what’s possible. Of course, that also means there’s plenty of room for failure.
As someone who has written and published before, I know the pitfalls that can derail a project like this. Here are the two biggest ones I’ll be watching out for:
1. Diving in Too Early
It’s tempting to start drafting the moment inspiration strikes—but for me, that’s a trap. Without a roadmap, I’ll burn through thousands of words only to realize I have no idea where the story is going. That usually means rewrites, cuts, and wasted time. To avoid that, I’ll need my characters, arcs, and outline nailed down before day one.
2. Perfectionism
This one gets me every time. As a reader, I notice flaws quickly—and as a writer, I can’t help but obsess over them. If I let that mindset creep into the draft, my pace slows to a crawl. Then one low word count day turns into a zero word count week. The fix? Writing sprints: 20–30 minutes of non-stop drafting with headphones on and music blasting. Mistakes can be fixed later—the goal here is momentum.
My 30-Day Plan
Here’s the game plan I’m setting for myself:
Pre-Work (Days 1–6)
- Day 1: Premise, logline, theme
- Day 2: Character work
- Day 3: Act outlines
- Day 4: Scene list
- Day 5: Worldbuilding and setting
- Day 6: Review and strengthen weak points in outline
Drafting (Days 7–21)
- Goal: 4,000–4,500 words per day
- Days 7–13: 28,000 words
- Days 14–21: 28,000–31,000 words
- By Day 21: Draft complete (60,000–65,000 words total)
Editing (Days 22–30)
- Day 22: Edit first 5 chapters
- Days 23–26: Edit in 3-chapter chunks
- Day 27: Smooth transitions and hooks
- Day 28: Polish dialogue
- Day 29: Final proofread
- Day 30: Format and send to editor
So that’s the plan. But as the saying goes: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Either way, I’m excited for the challenge. I’ll share updates as I go—successes, failures, and everything in between.
Thanks for reading and for keeping me accountable 😉.
As always, happy reading!