by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan
3 Tips for Completing a Book in 90 Days
Before I became published, I had the luxury of writing when the muse struck or when I had time. After I became published in 2011, I’ve had to learn how to write a novel in a shorter amount of time, even when I didn’t feel like it. That’s one of the differences between writing as a hobby and as a career—we’re bound by contract to meet those deadlines.
Until mid-2017, I juggled my writing career with a demanding day job, which didn’t allow me to have a large chunk of writing time. However, after transitioning to a new career last year, I challenged myself to learn how to write smarter and more efficiently so I could produce more books.
Toward the end of February, I received word that my editor had accepted my proposal, so then I was able to proceed with completing my manuscript. After talking with my writing mentors, they encouraged…and challenged me to set a reasonable goal that fit my schedule. I informed my editor I’d be able to submit my completed manuscript by June 1st.
Then it was time to prove it.
I did this by relying on three things—prayer, focus, and write.
Prayer—As a Christian and a writer, I rely on God to help me through all areas of my life, including my writing. I write contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after, and I want my words to glorify God. In order to do that, I need to pray over my writing and ask for God’s guidance as I craft each scene. Additionally, I pray over my schedule and ask God to provide me with quality writing time so I can get words on the screen. And finally, I pray over my manuscripts asking God to deliver them to the people who need to read those stories.
Focus—I confess this is a challenge for me. It’s so easy to get sidetracked by my to-do list, social media, iMessage notifications, and incoming emails. So when it’s time to write, it’s easier for me to avoid those distractions by turning off my wifi on my laptop and moving away from my desk. In fact, writing my scenes out by hand jumpstarts my muse, which seems to be intimidated by the blank screen. I’ve leveled up from writing them out in my notebook to using an app on my iPad that converts handwriting to text.
Write—I’m a plotter, so I brainstorm a chapter by chapter plot to ensure I have a solid story before I begin writing chapter one. In most cases, my characters offer surprising detours that may change the course of the story, but having a general direction eliminates writing myself in a corner. Once I have the plot laid out, I determine how many writing sessions I need to complete the rough draft. I write 1500-2000 word scenes and write a scene a day. If I’m on a roll, I’ll write two scenes a day, which cuts down on the number of writing sessions I need. Breaking it down by writing sessions helps me to allot the necessary time on my calendar. Then it’s a matter of BIC—butt in chair—and doing the work. I take a week for doing the character story equations (SEQ) and plot brainstorming. Then I take 4-5 weeks to write the fast draft…psst, turn off that inner critic and write the story. Then I take 4-5 weeks to edit the manuscript.
Life tends to happen, especially while on deadline, so I try to add in an additional week for padding when those unexpected circumstances arise that shift my attention away from the computer.
Writing a novel in 90 days stretched me to move beyond my comfort zone and forced me to rely on God. Even when unexpected circumstances threatened to derail me, I still managed to submit my manuscript on time.
How about you? What tips do you suggest to write smarter and more efficiently?
A Recipe for Romance
Sarah Sullivan will do whatever it takes to make her summer youth program permanent. But when she’s tasked to teach the teens basic kitchen skills, her hope goes up in flames. Not knowing the first thing about cooking, Sarah needs help. Smelling the delicious aromas coming from her neighbor’s apartment one night, she thinks she’s found her answer. Alec Seaver might know his way around pots and pans, but the lone-wolf widower doesn’t want anything to do with the free-spirited beauty next door. But after he becomes Sarah’s reluctant partner, Alec realizes that she might just be the key ingredient missing from his life.
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. She is the Operations Manager for Novel.Academy, powered by My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for almost thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and playing in her craft room with friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.