Conrad Jones - How to Write a Novel in 90 Days

Title Page

HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL IN 90 DAYS

Conrad Jones

Publisher Information

This edition published in 2013 by

Acorn Books

www.acornbooks.co.uk

Converted and distributed by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

Copyright 2013 Conrad Jones

The right of Conrad Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The Basics

Introduction

There are many guides about writing novels on the market but how many of them are written by prolific published authors? The answer is not many. How can anyone write a guide unless they have been through the writing process many times before? The simple answer to this question is they cant because they cannot feed on their own actual experiences to help another writer to avoid the mistakes and pitfalls. Most guides regurgitate information which they have picked up from creative writing books or sites. How can they give you advice when they have never sat down and focused on creating a novel which will sell, many times over? Writing a novel is the same as any other task we undertake as individuals. We have to learn how to do it in order to do it well. When you first learn to drive, you need lessons. No one walks into the kitchen and creates a gourmet dish on their first attempt. If you want a system to apply to writing a book, then you need to take advice from an author who has taken years to develop the process via experience.

When I started writing, I had no idea how I was going to go about it physically. My system was created during the process of writing 9 thrillers, 4 horrors, 2 biographies and over a dozen book marketing guides. I made mistakes and wasted time and if you want to avoid this, then you need to develop a tried and tested system which you can adapt so that it will evolve and morph into your own writing style. I will go into the exact logistics in the next chapter. There is no filling or flannel in this guide, just an exact template to follow which will enable you to create a novel in 90 days or less, depending on how the book flows for you.

The maths

First of all, you need a target to aim for. This target is flexible to a degree but you will need a guide to work by. Short stories can be a few thousand words up to about 15k. Novellas are usually 30-50k but if you are using this guide to create a full length novel then the word count needs to be in excess of 70k. Most publishers are looking for a book which will be about 250-300 pages. Any less, and its not value for money for their customers. Anymore and it becomes expensive and unprofitable to print and distribute. So lets take a full length novel of 90,000 words.

When the manuscript is finished we need around 300 words on a page. When I write a book I have a much bigger font than this because its easier on my eyes and makes rewriting and editing simpler. However when it goes to print we are looking for about 250-300 words per page. Dont get too wrapped up in the page count when you are writing because its almost irrelevant. The word count is what matters to agents and publishers. Stick to measuring your progress using the word count. This point is pivotal to the system of writing a book.

Using 300 words a page we need the book to become 300 pages long, which will give us a novel 90k in length. If we are aiming for completion in 90 days, then we need to set our daily target. Your target is to write 1.5k new words a day. This is flexible too as if you can write more words then great but it is the minimum you need to write. Therefore, in theory you can write a novel in 60 days. This gives you 30 days to take time away from the project and carry on your daily tasks in the real world, which is crucial to your mental state and that of the real people who have to suffer while you create imaginary ones!

When I begin writing a new book, I climb into my bubble and have been known to write for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 months until its finished. That is fine for me, as it is my sole occupation but it is difficult for those around me to cope with. If you write in isolation then you must balance writing with the real world.

To recap;

• 90,000 words
• 300 words a page
• 300 pages
• 1500 new words a day (5 days)
• Equates to; 60-90 days for realistic completion target.

Please dont run off to your computer and start writing the first 1.5k words just yet or you will miss the most important part of the writing process!

The hard facts

If you write 1500 words a day and dont rewrite your work, then your book will be gobbledegook. Every novel needs to be rewritten many times over. I will explain how when I go into the system. You must also remember that every novel needs time to develop and grow and you will need time to research your facts and weave them into the fiction. This all takes time if you are going to do it right but if you follow the guidelines then you will have time to spare.

You need to get your story out of your head and onto paper but you will discover that your imagination works much quicker than your hands can write. The best way to do it is to put down your story as it flows from your mind and then when you rewrite, the characters will gain more depth and the story will become richer and deeper as it develops into a novel. Rewriting is a difficult discipline to master because every writer wants to create new pages as quickly as possible. You have to grasp the concept that when you rewrite, you are not just fixing mistakes and editing, you are adding value to your story and creating new words to add to the word count. If you use a system then the discipline will come easily. Writing a book is like any other job you undertake. You have to have procedures and discipline if you are going to take a professional structured approach to creating a novel.

Having a system will teach you how to balance your work with your life outside of your writing bubble. Writing a novel is a long and lonely task and to get from one end to the other successfully, you must have balance and discipline. My first three novels were written in conjunction with running a business. I had to pay the bills at the same time as trying to become a professional author. Making a living from writing is a goal which few authors achieve, so be realistic when you begin your writing plan. Thousands of great books never get published. You need patience and a great deal of luck to make money from one book. Making money from a series of books is dependent on the quality of your first book and how it is received by your readers. If your book is good then you will sell some but there is no guarantee. I will give you a 100% tried and tested method to write your book but after that, your sales will be dependent on how good it is.

The system

You have to start with a great idea. What is your book going to be about? People often ask me where my ideas come from. I have written many thrillers and Im very lucky that my readers still find them exciting. Where do my ideas come from? The truth is that I use things which have moved me in my own life. Things which made me truly feel something inside. Most of the storylines in my novels are from my own personal experiences or from the news. You dont have to look far to find stories which have touched a nation or people across the globe.

Examples from my books;