How To (Really) Write a Novel in 90 Days

What does the creative writing journey look like in just 90 days?

Having written many books now, I’ve learned that writing a first draft in three months, or ninety days, is the most joyful way to stay focused, keep the story full of heat, keep the characters (and me) motivated, and actually write a book while looking after my family and work.

Finishing a first draft quickly gives me what I need to move into an editorial frame of mind later on, working with an editor to polish the novel and get it ready to publish.

I want to share with you some tips and tools I use to write a draft fast, splitting the process month by month so you can see if this might work for your next book, or even your first novel. Be inspired by some of our team at The Novelry — who, like you, had to balance other facets of life and day jobs, and see how their own writing journeys played out during this timeframe.

How to write a novel in three months: Month One

The first thing to bear in mind is that a strong first draft happens during what’s called pre-writing. During this stage, I spend time thinking about key elements of my novel, so when I get to the page, I know where I’m going. To do this, I create a nifty one-page Plan — a technique from The Novelry. While I know the story will shift and change later, I like this tentative road map with notes on genre, the main character, setting, secondary characters, and plot elements.

“The planning and mulling should absolutely be part of the process — both at the start and regularly along the way,” writing coach Kate Riordan advises.

It’s not all about typing prose and increasing the word count. If you’ve done your character homework, worked out the want and need, and have a vague idea of the midpoint, then you’ll find writing the actual scenes much easier. It’s tempting to get writing IMMEDIATELY to ward off The Fear but it’s harder (at least for me) to try to craft nice sentences while also trying to work out who the hell these people are and what they want. They’re very different jobs, so be kind to your brain!
— Kate Riordan, writing coach

To do this planning and prewriting, like Kate Riordan, I start with the main character — thinking about what they want, why they want it, and their flaw. I consider what would challenge them to actually change, too. Talking through the story at this stage with a writing companion or coach helps me see where I can deepen the story and become more expansive.

I’ve always found good preparation is key to making it work. I spend the first month making sure my novel has solid foundations: character motivations and conflicts and a plot arc. I set out key scenes I absolutely plan to write, and I make sure I know the ending so I have a goal to work toward. That means when I get writing, I can write fast, because I know where I’m going. The less I have to think as I’m drafting the prose, the better.
— Tasha Suri, writing coach

At this point, once I’ve got these pieces in place, it’s time to start writing. The challenge in the first month is to build a writing habit and to turn down any self-doubt that interrupts. To settle myself into the story, I aim for an hour a day, so I look at my calendar and book it in. At first, writing even a hundred words feels impossible. But I aim to show up and keep writing.

Many writers recommend building buffer days into the writing schedule to avoid burnout. Find whatever it is that works for you during this period.

To create my personal routine, once I’ve found the time window, I make a playlist for the book, sit down at the desk, and put on the same music every day. This is called a Flow Trigger: a small, really helpful way for me to let my brain know it’s time to write! I remind myself that it’s okay if the prose isn’t perfect. After all, writers need to give themselves permission to write “badly” in the beginning! This helps me get through self-doubt and overwhelm, and get words on the page.

One of our writers at The Novelry, Tracy Root, describes what Month One is like for her:

I have to discipline my mind repeatedly that draft one is supposed to be a bit unstructured (follow The Plan but allow for it to breathe on its own at the same time). I want to sharpen the prose as I write. I remind myself that the art portion will come in The Big Edit. I decided to put down [The Novelry founder] Louise Dean’s words “story, story, story” on a sticky note next to my title and theme for focus. I stuck it on my laptop. When I get the urge to “research” or to nitpick, I highlight and make a note in Dabble and move on. I feel it’s been comfortable to stay in the planning mode and learning mode. It can be scary stepping into actually-write-mode. However, once I started, the beautiful magic and joy of telling a story met me once I let up on the reins. Progress over perfection, at least for now!
— Tracy Root, The Novelry community

How to write a novel in three months: Month Two

In this middle month, my aim is to increase my word count and to make the plot progressively harder for my main character to stay stuck in their ways. The second month is when I really get a writing habit going.

I do try to add a rough thousand a day when I’m in writing mode and recognize the value of that discipline as the best/only way at times to get it done!
— Amanda Reynolds, writing coach

To keep myself motivated, I spend a lot of time thinking about what motivates my characters. What do they want? Why? I challenge myself to think about this in every scene. At this stage, I’m writing toward the midpoint, where the main character gets what they need even if that’s not what they want!

During this month, I often realize I still have a lot to learn about my book — it can feel like I know less than when I started. Writers try all sorts of exercises to help realize their book: for example, to help develop their characters or make more sense of their genre. I create a document called “Things I Don’t Know Yet!” and whenever I realize I have more to discover, I pop the question or thought there instead of restarting the whole book.

This helps me reduce cognitive load and stay focused: I’m reminding myself that my goal is to keep moving forward. After all, we are writing fiction: the not-knowing is all part of the storytelling magic.

Guest blogger Tashan Mehta recently put together a compelling piece about navigating these more abstract avenues, if you’re losing the sense of what your book is.

Sometimes, it feels like I’m walking in the dark with my eyes shut, so I’ll talk again with a writing friend or coach, and — this is the most important thing — keep writing regardless. Editor Gillian Holmes, who is also a multi-published author, says that at this stage, she needs to know what’s happening with the plot.

I’m more focused on plot than word count. So, if I have a boring chapter where nothing much happens, it’s a bit like having a stone in my shoe. I find, though, as the storyline comes together, I write much quicker.
— Gillian Holmes, editor

She also finds that taking time away from work and family life makes this stage easier, especially as Month Two ticks over to Month Three. She says:

It helps if I’m away. I went to New York for five days once when I had ten chapters to finish. I set myself a goal of two chapters a day, and somehow finished the book and did loads of fun things. It was the happiest writing experience I’ve had.
— Gillian Holmes, editor

How to write a novel in three months: Month Three

Writing coach and bestselling author Tara Conklin also finds that getting away helps her focus through this final push.

Whenever I am really up against a deadline (self-imposed or otherwise), I must remove myself from my real life and surroundings. A DIY writing retreat of some sort — even if it’s just a long weekend cat-sitting for a friend — has made all the difference for me. I can get more done in three days of intensity than three weeks of trying to cram it in alongside laundry and kids, etc., etc.
— Tara Conklin, writing coach

For me, at home with my kids and chaos, the grueling daily work of showing up starts to feel like a secret escape! The book itself feels like I’ve made something just for me, and often I can’t wait to enter the world and hang out with the people there. Saying that, as I’m writing toward the end, I have to be rigorous with my routine, really making sure that life doesn’t derail all the work I’ve done. Finding pockets of free time is hard, but they are out there.

At night, when the kids are asleep, I love to reread a classic work in my genre, much like how we teach our writers to use a Hero Book at The Novelry. Returning to this book, reading it over, reminds me of what I want to create on the page and how a writer I admire does it.

Think of some of the best books and writers in your own life that could help boost your imagination.

Writing coach Emylia Hall shares:

Having been very up against it with a novel draft recently, I found it hugely motivating — and reassuring — to stop thinking of my daily target in terms of word count, and instead focus it on chapters. It was a small but mighty psychological shift. I brought this change in during Month Three, but I preferred it so much that from now on with my first drafts, I’m going to aim for a chapter a day instead of 1,000 words.

This could end up being a stealthy, productivity-boosting move, as typically my chapters run to about 1,500 words. It’ll also help with the final push, when for me it always tends to become less about word count, and more about just getting the story down anyway. I’m a veteran of the three-month first draft now — I’ve written eight, with only the second Shell House Detectives novel having a more generous timeframe, because at that point I was ahead on my publishing schedule — and it’s wild to me that I’ve only just made this tweak to my process. And it was because my back was really up against the wall! I find it endlessly fascinating, how we keep learning and tweaking what works for us, book by book. Or how what can work for one book, might not for the next.
— Emylia Hall, writing coach

In Month Three, my “Things I Don’t Know Yet” document is often long and messy, but as I keep writing, I remind myself I’ll be able to work with editorial support later to fix all the things I can see need to be changed. This document has proven to be a game-changer. It’s crucial for me to keep going to get to the end! Make yourself signposts, as if you’re on a long drive, to give you an idea of the finish line.

And when I get there, I celebrate — often with a trip to the bookstore (and sometimes with a new pair of brilliant cowboy boots!). One of our writers at The Novelry shares how writing a novel in (less than) three months worked for her for her last book — let’s see if it works for you!

I did this last year and LOVED the process! For me the action of writing the things I didn’t know in a notebook was helpful because my brain worked on them in the background.

I completed my novel in 75 days but that’s because I had about 10% already written when I started. Once I had The Five Fs in place, I hit the ground running and managed to keep the pace into the second. Definitely felt myself change gear in the final few weeks, like I needed to splurge it onto the page. As a result, the ending of the first draft was definitely a lot rougher than the start but by that stage I didn’t mind.
— Lou Abercrombie, The Novelry community

However you’ve written in the past, that doesn’t matter here: perhaps the 90-day writing challenge is exactly what you need to discover your book.

Could you write a first draft in 90 days? Join The Big Write Challenge to find out

Is it truly possible to complete a whole book in a matter of months? The Big Write Challenge invites you to do exactly that.

For those signed up to either The Finished Novel Course or The Big Write itself, we’re tasking you to complete a draft of your manuscript before you count down to New Year’s Eve. Starting September 8, here is what you can expect if you join...

• Guest events with bestselling authors, such as Leigh Bardugo, Joe Abercrombie, Mary Kubica, and Andrea Mara
• Writing masterclasses, sessions with editors, and craft conversations
• A special writing retreat, complete with yoga for writers, a dedicated story clinic, and an evening session with our founder
• And much more that you can learn about right here

Have we tempted you? With The Big Write Challenge, you’ll move through six stages of drafting, each anchored by a live study group session, as you build your word count, tracked and paced by our partner tools. See if the challenge is right for you or click around our website to find free creative resources. Good luck, folks!

The Novelry is the fiction writing school for serious writers. We offer expert guidance on creative writing and one-to-one support from bestselling authors and Big Five editors, alongside a vibrant community — taking aspiring authors from a rough draft to a finished, submission-ready novel. Connect with leading literary agencies and publishers, get to know The Novelry community, and let us give you the encouragement you need to finally get your big idea published. Join us and take a course today.