The challenge is officially two-thirds of the way over now, so it’s time for another check-in. Can I write a novel in 90 days?
Back in May, I announced that I would be taking on the challenge of writing my next novel in 90 days to prove that it’s possible to start and finish a book even with limited time.
For anyone who puts their writing off for fear of not having enough time to get it done, this is meant to be the reassurance that it’s possible when you prioritize it.
While I have certainly written books in less time, this has been a fun experiment and challenge for me. I haven’t cut back on the amount of freelancing work and book coaching that I have been doing while taking on this project.
That being said, it means that most of my writing on this novel comes on the weekends – and I still find that I’m crushing it. So, let’s check in and see where we are and where we’re going.
Status Update: Where is My Story?
The average novel might clock in anywhere from 50,000 words at the short end to 100,000 words on the long end. I say that to give you a frame of reference for where I’m at in the story. This book definitely won’t be on the short end of things as I have just hit the midpoint and am nearing the 50,000-word mark already.
I have a working title for this book finally (which you may already know if you’re on my Substack newsletter!): Maybe We Can Laugh About It.
My husband has been referring to this book as my “feel-good cancer book” for a little while, but I would argue that he might not be that far off the mark. Juniper has come to life on the page and is showing me exactly who she is and what she wants out of life. She has a wicked sense of humor and a spirit of resilience that astounds me.
Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect from the book: Juniper’s life is turned upside down by her husband’s cancer diagnosis and their impending divorce. As she navigates the waters of her grief, she must decide if she’s going to laugh or cry her way through it.
As you might have already guessed, Juniper is the kind of person who laughs her way through it. But that doesn’t mean she can’t feel the pain. There’s an adage that writers have to make their main character suffer – and Juniper gets plenty of that too! My heart breaks for her at some points and cheers her on at others.
She is a person all her own, and I can’t wait to see how her story wraps up.
Where I’m Going in July
At this point, I’m roughly halfway through the book. I know – it doesn’t seem like I’m going to hit the finish line by the end of July if it took me two months to make it halfway, but I assure you that I’m not out of the game yet. I spent the first month of the project plotting, planning, and working with a book coach (who had some seriously insightful comments that changed the trajectory of my story).
June was the first month that I sat down and dug into the story. I started with a blank page just like everyone else, no matter how much heavy lifting I did initially. The difference was that I already had insight into the story and a somewhat clear idea of what direction to point my ship.
That heavy lifting initially gave me the impetus to start drafting ASAP when the calendar flipped. I rewrote the three beginnings I had turned into my book coach (see my post here about the 3X rule for starting your story). So where does that leave me for July?
The truth is that I actually don’t have a clear idea of where Juniper ends up at the end of the book. I have a vague idea of what she leaves the story with and how it serves the theme of the story, but the particulars have yet to be revealed. Does she get the guy in the end? Does she laugh or does she cry?
July is all about finding out what she does next.
My goal for the month is to write 1,000 words per day (which is less than I would ordinarily write for NaNoWriMo). This feels like a solid and achievable goal to me, given my other commitments. I may do all 7,000 words for the week on the weekend, but the average should even out over the course of the month.
And of course, I tend to hit a flow state and often write more than the minimum. This past weekend, I wrote 12,500 words so there is a good chance I will finish the book and start revising it all in the span of the next thirty days.
As was the case in May, I’m starting to have Shiny Object Syndrome and I have an idea for my next novel playing in the back of my mind. I keep telling myself that I can outline and plot and plan for that project in my spare time, but I won’t start writing on it until Maybe We Can Laugh About It is finished.
I don’t use my computer at night, so plotting is done the old-fashioned way on index cards for this new story. I’m not taking time away from this project to give to another; I’m just reallocating some of the time that I would spend reading to something else.
How Are You Doing with Your 90-Day Novel?
That’s a wrap on my update for the 90-Day Novel challenge: I’m steadily working my way to The End and am perfectly on track for where I need to be. We’ve had a crazy couple of months with a major move, but I still found time to work on the book.
To be honest, writing from Juniper’s point of view was a refreshing change of pace.
I would love to hear how you’re doing on your latest work in progress! How is your process going and where do you need more support to get to the end?