How long did it take your first novel to be completed?

Alana

Alana

I am very interested in how long it took novelists to complete their first novel, even if it wasn't published.
I am still working upon my first one and have only managed to write 22,500 words since January 1st 2005!  I know that it will probably take me at least two years to fully complete.  Even if it isn't published I will know that I have the ability to write one and will try again!
Thanks
Alana

MaryGrant

I've been on for 2 years now. It's an Historical saga and I need to write about 120,000 I've written 90,000 I intend to finish it this winter.I hope! Mary

Debs

Hi Alana,
My novel was about 90'000 words and it took me about a year to write in total. Like Dorothy said, it very much depends on how much time you have to dedicate to it. I'm fortunate in that writing is my only job - well apart from looking after three children, a husband and two dogs! I'm sure that however long it takes you, it will be a fantastic book, so keep on going!

slopey

I think that it depends on what you are writing your novel on Alana. My first which I completed in less than 6 months was a 50,000 word modern day fictional thriller. I am now into the sequall which will be approx. 60,000 to 70,000 words, and at a guess will take me about the same time. I only write part time; as I still have to work full time Monday to Friday. Good luck & I wish you well. Slopey

arrowqueen

9 months. I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

Gltagaman

My first novel, unfortunately still unpublished,was about 85,000 words written in snatches during after the working day,took nearly three years. The novel is a historical thriller. I had to spend a considerable time in research to avoid the awful phrase' I was there - and it didn't happen in the way that you wrote about it.'

DEE

9 months. I started it as an exercise on 'The UN International Year of the Family' (1994) at a writing group and liked the main characters enough to want to stay with them. I finished (110,000 words) as the year finished. I still like the characters but their book has long boring bits.
This was after a series of one-, two- or three chapter failures.
Later unpublished blockbusters took a year or a bit longer and I think are better.

Jo

Hello Alana - I've been writing my novel for centuries! Slight exaggeration, but it has been going on for years. The germ of an idea occurred around the time of the showing of the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, when I was about to leave school. Just goes to show how long these things can take. Because I'm a wild west enthusiast (read freak) I was determined to write the story of a female western protagonist, a Calamity Jane character. As it was literally a germ, the story grew in my head for years afterwards, and I was drawing pictures of my heroine based on photographs. It wasn't until I married in 1980 that I felt it was time I actually got the thing down in black and white, but I was terribly embarrassed because of the nature of the story by then. But hubby was so encouraging that I finally started it. It was very much fits and starts at that time, but when my daughter was born in 1985 I began typing it more seriously as a means of keeping me sane, because me and young parenthood did not hit it off! To cut a - very - long story short, for various reasons my story didn't get written for long periods of time, but was always in the back of my mind because it excited me, and many things inspired it and I was always writing notes. I'm back to it again because my kids are independant and I'm taking it seriously again. So there are no rules to this game. It depends on how much you want to write it and what your circumstances are. I've been taking notes myself on how long it can take to write a novel, and the longest so far has been a lifetime!

Jo

Carol

Don't know how relevant this is but, Wednesday night we had John Harvey talking to our Writers' club. Someone asked how long his novels took to write; he is full time and he expects to spend about six months on a 90,000 novel.

Howard

My first novel was written in six weeks. My goodness was it rubbish, but I learnt a lot. The one I'm working on now should take about a year (70,000 words) keeping to a strict writing routine. For me, that's the key to it; regular writing times. It becomes like jogging (cough, cough) once you start, your body starts to demand it.

moira

I started my first novel, 75,000 words, over seven years ago, spending about two or three months on it and it was 14,000. When my child started nursery 2 full days a week, I got the rest of it done in three months flat. I dedicated 9 - 3.20 as writing time and nothing else.
With my non-fic, about the same length, I did around 20,000 over about six months and then another 25,000 in two weeks, working very hard late into the night because a publisher said they wanted to see it all and I set myself that two-weeks to write and a week to edit deadline out of sheer determination. Now another publisher wanted me to expand it by at least 30,000 so again, I did the midnight oil thing and every spare minute was spent writing and three weeks later it was done. I'm really pleased with the result and think that despite the pressure it is well written - hope the publisher think so too.
I find that in order to write and get it finished, I have to set targets and be dedicated to sticking with them. I touch type which really helps and I did know what I was writing about before hand.

Alana

Thank you everyone!
I thought I would let you know that I have placed the original novel I was working on last year aside.
I have began to write another story, accepting whether it turns out to be a short story, novella or novel.  As long as I complete it I will be happy!
Good luck to everyone!
Alana

slopey

Good luck to you alana.

;-)

Stirling

I can't remember how long my first novel took.  I started it in 2001, and have spent five years writing, rewriting (as well as losing it via a crashed computer and dodgy floppy disks several times).  I have sent it to the back of my floppy disks for now.  I'm pretty convinced that it is unpublishable, having done it to death I think.

What I am writing now is a historical novel of the real story of Robert the Bruce.  In my head I plan to give myself until the new year to do my research.  I have decided to structure the novel into three books.  So if I give myself eighteen months to write one book, that means it will be four and a half years before I finish the first draft.  I intend to self-publish, so by the time I rewrite, edit, copy-edit and proof-read it will probably take about seven years.  Which means, that it will be publishable just in time to launch on the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn.

dora

I started a novel about three years ago and so far I still have only a chapter plan. :( Mind you I have been concentrating on short stories so I suppose I have an excuse.

Baggy Books

It would be interesting to hear how Stirling did.

DianaW

Complete them?!! You're supposed to complete them??! D**n!!

St Force

Everyone works at their own pace. Don't panic. I'm bee working on mine for another a year and I'm only half way through. Who knows when I'm going to finish?

louise

The first draft I can do in less than a year (8-10 months), but probably two years to perfect.

RichardS

The first draft took a year and the subsequent drafts have now taken another year so far.

I have written a number of short stories in the meantime as well though.

Red

First novel took 6 years (8 months of that first draft)

Stirling

Still in counting!

It has done a round of rewrites following agent criticisms. I am now doing further rewrites after it being critiqued. I think over the summer I'll be looking for more critiques.

Time length for a first draft depends on what else is going on in my life. Right now I have 3 essays to write, I took a look at the manuscript and just knew there was no space in my mind for fiction writing for the next week. It will probably only get worse next year as I enter the final stages of my degree.

*SA*

The first draft of book #1 took three months (started 3rd January this year). I thought I was at the final draft when I started submitting it on 24th October, but a month and five agents' rejections later, and I'm giving it another edit. I reckon this draft will definitely be the final one though, so it should be finished in a couple of weeks.

I finished the first draft of book #2 last week. I started it as soon as the first draft of #1 was done, but I was writing it while editing book #1 at the same time, which obviously took up big chunks of time I would usually have spent writing. So it took 6 months for the first draft of book #2 to be complete. I'm not too concerned about that, because it's also ended up twenty thousand words longer than book #1.

I started writing little bits of book #3 while I was in the middle of book #2, and have now started in on that one properly now that I've got book #2 laid down. I think Book #2's final draft will be done in about six months, by which time book #3's first draft should be nearly there, too.

All that since January. I think this has been a bit of a busy year for me, writing-wise. :)

*SA*

Dwight

That's a tad confusing, SA. But hey, you sure are working on your writing.

This thread is kinda old in its origins and I would love to know the outcomes of folks' writing hopes.

My only novel, now designated as the first of a trilogy, began in 2003 with early ideas and ambitions. It has been completed, rejected, halved, re-submitted, etc. and is definitely going to be published according to my determination and efforts. Because it is original and good... but not good enough yet.

Stirling

I was writing an essay on narrative POV in Tess of the D'Urbervilles last night, and as I read more about third person omniscient I got quite taken with it.

So the the plan is next week to rewrite chapter one in third person omni to see if it works AND resolves why I'm struggling.

Kaz

My first novel, "The Art of Cunning Lingers", took me just over a year to complete. The same with the second one. Mind you, a woman I met at a lit fest in the summer, told me she was on the final chapter of her first novel, which had taken her a whopping 8 years to finish. (I almost fainted). She then muttered that she hoped it wouldn't take the same amount of time to find an agent - loved that - hilarious!

Dwight

Bit of a cheeky title, Kaz. Hope it goes all the way.

Stan2

^

louise

I finish mine no problem (abt a year), but edit and edit and reedit until I'm pulling out my hair. I have a problem of knowing WHEN it's finished.

Dwight

Mine is very nearly finished, Louise. I have decided this because I am still trying to reduce it in length and con find only the odd sentence or even single words which can be cut. And I'm getting a pleasing feeling as I re-read it. I think you'll know when it's ready.

Dwight

but bear in mind that all revision and re-working is the process of learning your craft. Keep up with the 'How to' books at the same time.

lexia

"How to books" ? Who has time for them Dwight ? ;)

I have 2 novels on the go since 2002, a short story collection that is finished but havent got round to sending it anywhere, 2 poetry collections (ditto last) and one book self published which took me a year and a half to write.

I am sure this is no help to anyone at all but I have just come back on TB and have lost the knack of witticisms !

louise

[quote=Dwight]And I'm getting a pleasing feeling as I re-read it. I think you'll know when it's ready. [/quote]
I know that feeling! Good isn't it?

Red

[quote=louise]I know that feeling! Good isn't it? [/quote]

Except when you're an an incorrigible perfectionist like me, then the feeling wears off pretty quickly.

Dwight

Yes, Louise, and I'm glad you know that feeling too.

Lexia, welcome back if you've been gone a while. Hey, get all that work out there, in the hands of an agent.
Can you submit it all as a package?