How to Write 50,000 Words in One Month

If you write 50,000 words in a month, you won't have a book.

But with some novels totaling 70,000 to 100,00 words, it's a damn good start.

I first became interested with the idea of writing 50,000 words in such a short time frame because of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For 30 days, writers race to write 50,000 words by November 30.

Now I know what you're thinking...

Writing 50,000 words in one month sounds intimidating. However, it seems much more manageable if you break it down to the bare minimum (1,667 words per day).

So this past November, I wanted to see if it was possible to reach 50,000 words by doing the bare minimum.

Here's what happened..

Is writing 50,000 words in a month possible?

Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure- Confucius

Before starting my writing project, I wanted to make sure I was prepared.

My first step in preparation was to identify what I wanted to accomplish.

There are some well-known authors who have had the books they were working on during NaNoWriMo published.

1. Water for Elephants

2. Fangirl

3. The Night Circus

So some people may have the goal of writing a book that will be picked up by a publisher.

Other authors may want to build their following, as #NaNoWriMo is a popular hashtag during November.

And some writers may just want to connect with other other people.

There are a lot of benefits to writing during NaNoWriMo. But my goal was ultimately just to complete it. No matter what, I was going to write 50,000 words by the end of November.

The next way I prepared was by creating an outline for my work.

When I write ebooks, I get a stack of notecards. On each note card, I write out a basic outline for each chapter.

That keeps me organized and focused. I basically know where my story is going with each chapter outlined, and the only thing I have to worry about is the writing.

This is basically like making your lunch and getting your clothes ready the night before you go to work.

When you wake up in the morning, you focus on the most important things rather than small details that quickly overwhelm you.

Finally, I created a routine for writing.

For a routine, the most important thing to realize is that you will make sacrifices. You have to make time.

There are 24 hours in a day, and you aren't going to be given any extra hours. That means you have to cut back on watching television, reading, or whatever you do to unwind.

And with routines, make sure you are honest with yourself. If you are a night person, don't expect to wake up at 5:30 a.m. on the first day you start your novel.

Morning people shouldn't expect to be able to write from 10 p.m. until the early hours.

Also, don't be afraid to try new things out when you're creating your routine. For example, I found that I actually like writing in public (libraries and cafes) more than writing from my apartment.

Another example is music. I can't listen to music with lyrics when I write because I focus on the lyrics. But I started to listen to classical music, which provides background noise without distracting me.

It took me testing out new things to find out what helps my production.

Thanks for checking out the article, and remember to set yourself up for success!

If you are just starting out writing and want more details, I share my full experience in my latest ebook: How I Wrote 50,000 Words In A Month.