10 Hacks to Actually Get Your Novel Written

10 hacks to beat writer’s block and actually get your novel written!

2024 is the year you’re going to write that novel that you’ve been thinking about for the past 5-10 years. It’s something you’ve wanted to do, but can never find the time for. Or maybe you’re ready to dedicate the time, but don’t know where to begin.

Writing a novel is a huge, amazing goal! But there’s a reason why so many aspiring novelists who set out to write a novel, never finish: it’s really, really hard.

I know, because I’ve been there. And after many years and nearly eleven completed manuscripts under my belt, I have a few hacks that can help you get your novel written this year!

10 Hacks to Actually Get Your Novel Written

1. Prewrite

Not every writer is an outliner or a “plotter”, but I think every writer can benefit from taking a few days just to think and establish a few important plot points before he or she begins writing. You do not need to flesh out a complete outline, especially if you are an organic writer, but it can be helpful to have a target to aim at as you write. It makes drafting easier, and can help keep you on track to actually finish your draft.

I usually like to have a few of the basic elements thought out: the catalyst or inciting incident, the mid point, the climax ( or the “All is Lost” beat if you follow the Save the Cat method). I may or may not know the ending. Having some of the later points in mind can keep you from stalling out when the excitement and adrenaline from starting a novel fades, and you don’t know what to do anymore.

I have a great Ebook to help get your started in the writing process, and it’s totally FREE! Get your copy here and get started today!

2. Write Badly

I’ve heard it said in numerous ways: “You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank page.” “Write [crappy] first drafts.” (but crap is the other word) “Banish the inner editor.”

The point is this: Bad writing gets the draft done. Perfect writing and perfect drafts are like dreams: they only exist in your head. So use the adverbs and tell the story. Make all the mistakes, and remind yourself that no one has to see the first draft of your story. EVER. A crappy first draft is enormously better than an imaginary first draft, so go ahead. Write badly. Because done is better than perfect.

3. Set a Timer

This is my trick for focusing when I’m overwhelmed. I set my timer for 15 minutes, and do nothing but write for that entire time. It’s only fifteen minutes, and often, when I tune out my inner editor, I can come up with 500-750 words within a 15 minute chunk. Do that 2x per day and that’s 1000-1500 words. In two months, that’s a completed manuscript.

Is it good writing? No. But remember, that’s not the point. The point is to finish the manuscript. You can make it good writing later. For now, we just want to get the writing done.

4. Plan Your Writing Time

Schedules are busy. If you wait for the perfect moment when you have a minute, you’ll never get your writing done. In order to make your writing a priority, you need to plan when you will actually write. Treat this writing time like an appointment that you cannot miss, and will be charge if you try and reschedule. It doesn’t need to be a huge chunk of time, but you need to schedule it around your life.

Can you get up fifteen minutes earlier or stay up thirty minutes longer? Can you write on your lunch break or during the kids’ nap times? Block this time out and make it happen.

5. Set a goal

Setting out to write a novel is an emormous task. It’s not something you can do in an afternoon, and could take years to complete. So instead of looking at the whole of the goal, give yourself bitesized chunks to tackle one bit at a time.

A full length novel can range from 50,000 words to 100,000 words. That’s a lot of words. But if you back out of that goal over the course of six month to a year, you can break it down into bite sized pieces you can handle during those scheduled writing sessions.

So if you want to write a 60,000 word novel, writing 500 words a day will get you a completed draft in 4 months. Four month will pass whether or not you write, but if you commit to the word count daily, at least at the end of the four months, you’ll have a completed manuscript.

6. Banish your Phone

Put your phone on airplane more or better yet, keep it in a completely different room. And go ahead and get off the internet while you’re at it. These distractions are some of the worst offenders that get in your way.

And don’t tell me you need to check email or research things while writing. The email will still be there after your writing session, and you can leave your self a note for research to check after your writing session is complete.

7. Try NaNoWriMo

I’m a fan of NaNoWriMo. I’ve done it several times, and it’s a fun, kick-you-in-you-pants, writing bootcamp that thousands of people all over the country complete in every November.

The idea is you write a 50k draft in a month. Is it great writing? NO. But it is a completed draft that you can go back and edit later. The goal is not perfection, but completion. And, remember, done is always better than perfect.

8. Set up a Writing Routine

Sometimes it’s the little things that can get us in the right mindset to get tasks complete. Whether you light a certain candle, pour a certain beverage, or listen to a certain playlist, implementing some of these cues can help you focus and get your writing done.

Some of my favorites are:

  1. Pray.
  2. Light a beeswax candle.
  3. Pour a hot cup of coffee (morning) or a tall glass of water with electrolytes (afternoon)
  4. Listen to the project’s playlist.
  5. Scroll my project’s mood board for a minute.
  6. Read a couple of quotes that inspire me.
  7. Turn on a diffuser with some essential oils.

9. Use Apps

Of course, you can use technology to your advantage to help keep you organized, on track, and accountable. While some you have to pay for, some are totally free. Some of my favorite apps are:

Scivener Helpful to get you organized and on task. I personally use this and love it. It was designed by writers, for writers.

Trello A useful plotting and planning website to keep your thoughts organizes and help you keep track of multiple projects

NaNoWriMo A great resource and fun community to join. It can help you keep track of daily word counts, accountability and more.

Reedsy What writer hasn’t used some form of Reedsy or another. Another useful program to keep you on track to meet your goals.

Evernote Help you keep track of notes, research, ideas an more!

10. Track Your Progress

Nothing is more motivating than seeing how far you’ve come. Perhaps the only motivation your need to you watch the word count slowly creep up. But if you’d like a little extra motivation, keep track of your daily writing sessions or word count goals.

Make a graph, a sticker chart, a coloring sheet, whatever it takes to watch your slow and steady progress over time. These small hacks can give you a major boost, especially when you hit the murky middle and want to give up.

You can get your writing goals accomplished! Try one or all of these hacks and let me know how they work for you! Don’t forget to sign up below for the latest bookish news, giveaways, and writing tips coming straight to your inbox! And as a thanks, I’ll send you the exact copy of the cover letter that got me my first major byline!

Join the newsletter!

Read the Latest

Cathryn Free

, , , , , ,

Leave a comment