Write a Book in 30 Days Courtney Kenney
2019-06-12T18:06:13+00:00
Are you someone who dreams of writing a book?
I’ve met many people who tell me they want to write a book someday. I faced a huge learning curve starting out, too. You can self-publish a book that makes you proud. It’s an incredible feeling to see your finished book for sale.
If you dream of being an author or ever wondered “What if?”—I’m here to tell you it can happen. The end-to-end process of writing a book increased my creativity, helped me grow, and improved my clarity of thought.
I’m creative. You are creative. It’s time to admit this to ourselves.
You CAN write your first book, and it’s easy to self-publish, but you must commit to it. You must write make writing a habit—and a priority—to finish your book and improve as a writer.
By writing daily—even just for 30 minutes—and breaking up the writing process into small chunks, you can complete your first draft in as little as 30 days even if you work full time.
In my book, Unleash Your Author, I break down how to write your book in 30 days so you can get it done while life goes on around you.
A 30-Day Task List to Write Your Book
Below is a simple example of how you can break down your writing tasks into small pieces to finish a draft in one month.
The approach assumes you could produce nearly 18,000 words in 21 days of writing 850 words daily.
Prep Work – Yes, you should spend a few days in advance planning your book before you start writing. This will help you write faster.
<——————————————————————————> Prep Work (a few days in advance of when you start writing)
List your book ideas
Research bestsellers in your genre
Measure demand for your topic and research keywords Mind map your book into three parts and sub-chapters
Brainstorm titles
Finalize your book idea
Create an outline
Create your kanban board of writing tasks (optional)
<——————————————————————————> Week 1 (Part One)
Days 1 – 2
Write an introduction (1,700 words)
Days 3 – 6
Write the early chapters (3,400 words)
Day 7
Re-read and edit the intro.
Total word count = 5,100.
<——————————————————————————> Week 2 (Part Two)
Days 8 – 10
Write the next few chapters (2,550 words)
Days 11 – 13
Write the next few chapters (2,550 words)
Day 14
Take a break!
Total word count = 10,200.
<——————————————————————————> Week 3 (Part Three)
Days 15 – 17
Write the next few chapters (2,550 words)
Days 18 – 20
Write the final chapters (2,550 words)
Day 21
Re-read the introduction and early chapters.
Total word count = 15,300.
<——————————————————————————> Week 4 (Conclusion)
Days 22 – 24
Write a closing chapter (conclusion) (1,700 words)
Days 25 – 27
Create your call to action material. This could be a companion workbook, an infographic, or a video available on your website.
Days 28 – 30
Go back and fill in any gaps. You’ll likely fill in more content and raise your word count.
Total word count = 17,000+
<——————————————————————————>
See how easy it is to finish a book in 30-days when you break the writing into small, daily chunks? 850 words should take anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour, depending on how fast you write. If you dictate your words, the process will be even faster.
Keep in mind 17K words is on the shorter side of most books. If you increase your daily word count, you could create an even longer manuscript. If you’re writing fiction, 17K words is a good length for a novella.
A tool that helped me boost my writing productivity was to use a spreadsheet to track word count. Get it here.
I hope this helps you on your writing journey. If you’re hoping to finish a book that you’ve started, you might want to check out my book, Unleash Your Author: Transform Your Hidden Genius Into a Book. In it, you’ll find a step-by-step plan along with strategies, tips, and personal stories that will get you in the habit of writing so you can finally finish your book.
