What would you say would be amount of hours to work on writing a book per week? Just a simplified average, no deadline and other factors involved?
Average writing hours per week.
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It depends on:
1. The person
2. The person's "other" job, if any (or school commitments)
3. The person's family commitments
4. A million other things.
If you really want an average of some sort, professional full-time writers say it takes about 3 months to write the first draft of a novel. Some people take a lot longer than that. I know a couple writers who get out a first draft in a month. In other words, there's no real answer to your question. At least not an answer that would work for everyone.
1. The person
2. The person's "other" job, if any (or school commitments)
3. The person's family commitments
4. A million other things.
If you really want an average of some sort, professional full-time writers say it takes about 3 months to write the first draft of a novel. Some people take a lot longer than that. I know a couple writers who get out a first draft in a month. In other words, there's no real answer to your question. At least not an answer that would work for everyone.
As Chillin' said (sorry, couldn't resist) it will depend.
Currently I have two day jobs, a couple of kids who like to remember what I look like, and a husband who likes me to speak to him on occasion. So about 20 hours a weeks.
Currently I have two day jobs, a couple of kids who like to remember what I look like, and a husband who likes me to speak to him on occasion. So about 20 hours a weeks.
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About 14 hours a week; 2 hours a day is a nice way of balancing progress with not overexerting yourself. Of course I'd encourage you to write a bit more. At least 10 if you're serious (writing in spurts is a bad idea IMO, it's easier to produce work when you make a habit out of writing). UNLESS you have other obligations and can only write at certain times. Then it's up to you to use your willpower to get the writing done whenever you can. If you do your best it will all add up! o3o
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I currently do 7-14 hours a week strictly writing. That doesn't include things like posting on Absolute Write or editing. I find that a doable daily goal is the best thing to keep me in line.
I can easily manage 20 hours a week, and I have an autistic 26-month-old and a nursing 5-month-old, *and* I almost never write when they're awake. 3 total hours a day are easy to scrounge up when you really, really want to write and really, really aren't allowed to right at that second brb something that isn't a frog feels like a frog and requires my immediate attention...
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Since I retired, probably about (5X7=35) 35 hours a week. I try to work on my writing or be actively writing a minimum of four hours a day. Some days I do more; once in a great while I do less.
And as I think of my writing as a job, around a 40-hour work week is about right.
And as I think of my writing as a job, around a 40-hour work week is about right.
I go by word counts, not hours. If I'm rolling along really well and doing 2,000 words an hour, making myself continue for five hours would be excessive, but if I'm struggling then it may take me five hours to get my 3,000 words done.
So yeah, I'm all about the results, screw time.
So yeah, I'm all about the results, screw time.
Depends on the week and what family contributions are needed.
2 hrs. I have a clean well stocked house with one personal project complete.
10 hrs. everyone is fed and the laundry and homework is done.
15. hrs. There is always McDonalds.
20 hrs the kids are threatening to call DEFACS themselves.
Last week I hit 16 hours
2 hrs. I have a clean well stocked house with one personal project complete.
10 hrs. everyone is fed and the laundry and homework is done.
15. hrs. There is always McDonalds.
20 hrs the kids are threatening to call DEFACS themselves.
Last week I hit 16 hours
Word counts on my own stuff, but I work as an editor as well so I spend about 60 hours a week on writing stuff.
I do 37 hours at an office but 20 of those I must spend writing (it's a quiet job with lots of free time). I email myself the scenes. I would use drop box but our organisation has it blocked. Once I'm home I do another 15 hours a week.
So about 35 in all.
So about 35 in all.
It varies greatly for me depending on my workload for the week. I had a few weeks where I got no writing done whatsoever due to chaos in my family, having to get a new car (plus all that involves), intense amounts of schoolwork, and getting Fallout New Vegas. The past couple of weeks, I've spent probably 40-50 hours a week or so writing and editing my novel trilogy, not counting any time spent on AW. That does include my research, but I research every. little. detail.
During November, I probably average 80 hours a week.
The past couple of weeks, I've spent probably 40-50 hours a week or so writing and editing my novel trilogy, not counting any time spent on AW. That does include my research, but I research every. little. detail.During November, I probably average 80 hours a week.
About 40 hours a week when I sit down and get to writing after doing the research, interviews, plot outlining, character back stories, angsting around and staring at walls.
It varies greatly for me depending on my workload for the week. I had a few weeks where I got no writing done whatsoever due to chaos in my family, having to get a new car (plus all that involves), intense amounts of schoolwork, and getting Fallout New Vegas.
During November, I probably average 80 hours a week.
I have to stay away from games like that now. The last time I bought a BIG game, it was Red Dead Redemption. On the stats screen I saw that I'd put 50+ hours into it. It almost made me sick. Don't get me wrong, the game was great, but I can't feel good about spending that kinda time on a game when it could be valuable to my writing. And now Vegas is going really cheap in the local shops...
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I average two hours on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night, then four hours on a Saturday and Sunday. I could do more but I like to see my wife plus I don't think my day job would be too happy if I took time out of that to write.
Over my gap year, I wrote for about 2-3 hours a day. But that did include getting stuck and thinking about ideas. Mostly, I just aimed for 2,000 words a day (and when you're writing a kid's book, that makes you finish pretty quick).
But now I'm in university, it just depends on the workload. If I have an essay or a test coming up, I'll probably juggle writing with preparation, then do the work as quickly (and well) as possible. I'm currently looking at writing between 500-1,000 words a day, but it varies a great deal week by week.
But now I'm in university, it just depends on the workload. If I have an essay or a test coming up, I'll probably juggle writing with preparation, then do the work as quickly (and well) as possible. I'm currently looking at writing between 500-1,000 words a day, but it varies a great deal week by week.
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If I'm on a roll with a WIP, I might write anywhere from 4-10+ hours in a day (depends on whether it's a workday or not). If I'm struggling, I might skip days entirely, and on others I might only spend 30 minutes or so.
Word count varies dramatically, too. Again, if I'm on a roll I can do 1k in roughly 20 minutes (thank you Write or Die!), and if I'm not I can spend an hour on a single paragraph.
Word count varies dramatically, too. Again, if I'm on a roll I can do 1k in roughly 20 minutes (thank you Write or Die!), and if I'm not I can spend an hour on a single paragraph.
I do this for a living. I spend about 12 hours writing, 10 hours promoting my work and 5 hours doing admin/organization stuff.
I'm not very disciplined. I plan to write every day, for a few hours. But I end up playing games, so I might get maybe a couple of hours, spread out. So I guess... 6 or 7 hours a week. Definitely not as long as I want.
I stick to the same hours Monday through Friday, so twenty-five hours there. Add five when I work on Saturday, which isn't all that often. I never write on Sunday.
But if you mean how many hours go into the average novel, I doubt there is an answer. The most I've ever written in a day was 12,000 words, but I know a couple of writers who can double this. One writer can get by with one draft, and a quick second pass, while others may think the novel needs five or six drafts. The fastest I've known once wrote a novel, one that sold, in four days. Another in nine days. I can think of dozens that were written first word to final draft in less than a month.
What matters is how many hour you can find to write each day without burning out, and without giving up a life outside of writing. Find the number that works for you, make them a habit, actually sit down and write when those hours roll around, and the novel will take as long as it takes.
But if you mean how many hours go into the average novel, I doubt there is an answer. The most I've ever written in a day was 12,000 words, but I know a couple of writers who can double this. One writer can get by with one draft, and a quick second pass, while others may think the novel needs five or six drafts. The fastest I've known once wrote a novel, one that sold, in four days. Another in nine days. I can think of dozens that were written first word to final draft in less than a month.
What matters is how many hour you can find to write each day without burning out, and without giving up a life outside of writing. Find the number that works for you, make them a habit, actually sit down and write when those hours roll around, and the novel will take as long as it takes.
As others have said, it depends. But if you're looking to triangulate a vague idea based on individual responses:
I spend several months planning a novel, then about a month churning out the first draft. While writing the first draft, I spend almost all my free time (minus any health issues that arise from fibromyalgia) writing, so about 40-50 hours a week.
Subsequent revisions take a couple of months or so, depending on the novel. Post-beta revisions take another month or so.
But what works for me, or anyone else, may not work for you. I have friends who write near-pristine first drafts, but it takes them a year or more to complete. This is just what works for them.
I spend several months planning a novel, then about a month churning out the first draft. While writing the first draft, I spend almost all my free time (minus any health issues that arise from fibromyalgia) writing, so about 40-50 hours a week.
Subsequent revisions take a couple of months or so, depending on the novel. Post-beta revisions take another month or so.
But what works for me, or anyone else, may not work for you. I have friends who write near-pristine first drafts, but it takes them a year or more to complete. This is just what works for them.
5-10 hours, depending.
I try to write for an hour every morning. Some mornings it doesn't happen (hence the 5). Sometimes I'm inspired and put in extra during evenings or weekends (hence the 10).
I rarely do more than 10. I work maybe 50 hours a week, need to keep my house clean/cook/see other people/do other things. TBH, I'm not even sure that I'd *want* to write 20 hours a week. That said, my piddling bit of time works out to 1,000-2,000 words a day when I'm not editing my stuff so...I don't feel too bad about it.
I try to write for an hour every morning. Some mornings it doesn't happen (hence the 5). Sometimes I'm inspired and put in extra during evenings or weekends (hence the 10).
I rarely do more than 10. I work maybe 50 hours a week, need to keep my house clean/cook/see other people/do other things. TBH, I'm not even sure that I'd *want* to write 20 hours a week. That said, my piddling bit of time works out to 1,000-2,000 words a day when I'm not editing my stuff so...I don't feel too bad about it.
My personal average is probably 10-12 hours actual writing time... plus thinking about it, staring at the wall and thinking about it, staring at the blank page, getting into the right emotional state, drinking coffee, making notes... at that pace my first draft took about two months and the whole thing about 8.
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