What's the shortest amount of time it took you to write an entire novel in terms of weeks/months/years, and what was the word count? You can include how much time it took you to revise it after it was finished, or just tell me how long it took to write your first draft, whatever.
What's the shortest time it took you to write a novel?
- Thread starter KikiteNeko
- Start date
- Status
Shortest first draft: seven weeks, 98k words.
I haven't done any serious edits yet, because it's a sequel to another novel. The first has gone through multiple rewrites since both were written, so if any ever comes of it, the sequel will need quite the re-working.
I haven't done any serious edits yet, because it's a sequel to another novel. The first has gone through multiple rewrites since both were written, so if any ever comes of it, the sequel will need quite the re-working.
First novel: just under six months, about 75K words by MS Word's count.
And technically it was a second draft because I wrote it out by hand first and then rewrote/revised the text into an RTF document, day by day.
And technically it was a second draft because I wrote it out by hand first and then rewrote/revised the text into an RTF document, day by day.
Last edited:
Eight weeks--110,000 words. That was full time and without interuptions. Editing took three weeks after that.
Tri
Tri
12 months - but I wrote long - 240k words, and I've taken 6 months for the edit re-write, and now I'm almost finished, and it will end up at 125k
I wrote one in 40 hours, minus about 2-3 hours for sleep time and food breaks throughout. It was approx. 40K. I also wrote a 45K novella in about 36 hours a couple years ago... it was over a 48hour span, minus overnight and travel time to and from the marathon. I'll say the shortest time was about 35 hours... roughly. If you want more accurate, I'll stop watch my marathon this coming July and get back to you. (-;
- Joined
- May 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,487
- Reaction score
- 149
- Location
- Not here anymore
- Website
- www.inkspot.com
About two months I think, and I believe it was 75,000 words. That was only because I outlined it ahead of time.
Nowadays I don't outline, and it takes me a few years to write things, but now I'm speaking of serials that go on for hundreds of thousands of words, so...
Nowadays I don't outline, and it takes me a few years to write things, but now I'm speaking of serials that go on for hundreds of thousands of words, so...
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2007
- Messages
- 543
- Reaction score
- 102
- Location
- Atlanta
- Website
- weirdquietgirl.wordpress.com
95K words in a month and a half. It was summer, and I was a 16-year-old with a part-time desk job, so I basically had all the time in the world.
Twelve years later, it's still unrevised. And will stay that way forever.
Twelve years later, it's still unrevised. And will stay that way forever.
Two and a half months for a 132,000 word first draft. Two months into the second draft notes and rewrite now.
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,749
- Reaction score
- 196
- Location
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Website
- www.lloydwrites.com
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2005
- Messages
- 19,001
- Reaction score
- 6,979
- Location
- At some altitude
- Website
- www.jamie-mason.com
It took me three months to write the first draft of my first novel. It was, of course, utter shit.
I'm not a terribly fast writer. Sometimes I'm pathetically slow.
I'm not a terribly fast writer. Sometimes I'm pathetically slow.
Nano for me too, 30 days = 50,000 words and a complete manuscript. (Actually I've done Nano three times--I'm just thinking about last year's.) It took me probably another month to do the revisions, during which I added about 10,000 words. I'm pretty happy with the result, actually, and it's just started making the rounds now. 
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2005
- Messages
- 6,260
- Reaction score
- 1,358
- Location
- Scotland
- Website
- www.fictionpress.com
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2005
- Messages
- 5,027
- Reaction score
- 518
- Location
- I'm not even sure I know anymore...
- Website
- lmashton.com
88k words in 2 1/2 weeks. It's currently in editing and, for the record, the first draft was pretty decent.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
- Messages
- 13,979
- Reaction score
- 1,533
- Location
- Wisconsin's (sore) thumb
- Website
- www.firefromthesky.org
I recall doing a short one, 50,000+, in somewhat less than two months. It was the first I ever finished, big landmark. Fanfic 
I whanged out one near twice that size in four. I was in obsession mode and polishing a bit as I went. I'm not really fast, I was unemployed.
I whanged out one near twice that size in four. I was in obsession mode and polishing a bit as I went. I'm not really fast, I was unemployed.
Wow, guys. I thought I was ambitious and being unrealistic to think I could write a 75K novel in three or four months, but that's seeming more and more possible now! Thanks!
3 weeks- it was nano as well- but it has taken me 2 years to edit and polish it- I am currently waiting to hear from an agency on it. They have the full.
It's been just about 2 years and I'm still working on the first.
IN my own defence...it's the first, and I just starte writing. I had an opening scene and that was it. I only figured out the full plot about 5 months ago. Plus, I wrote a couple shorts in there while I was stuck on the plot. (Who knew, I actually need a plot for erootic romance; I can't just string together sex scenes)
The sequel should go much faster. I wrote the synopsis for it last night, and I'm gonna plow trhough the first draft in a month if I can.
IN my own defence...it's the first, and I just starte writing. I had an opening scene and that was it. I only figured out the full plot about 5 months ago. Plus, I wrote a couple shorts in there while I was stuck on the plot. (Who knew, I actually need a plot for erootic romance; I can't just string together sex scenes)
The sequel should go much faster. I wrote the synopsis for it last night, and I'm gonna plow trhough the first draft in a month if I can.
- Status