How to Write a Book in a Weekend
Are you a budding writer who harbors dreams of writing and publishing your very own book? Well, I'm guessing you are (why else would you be reading this article in the first place?). Anyway, if you happen to be a working professional, or a self-employed individual, or a businessman (basically, if your profession is anything except that of a full-time writer), then the weekend would probably be the only time you have to sit down and pen your ideas. That naturally translates into multiple weekends to write a single book. But what if you don't have that kind of patience? What if you want to write your literary masterpiece in one, single weekend? Is it possible? Can it be done? And if it can, then how can you achieve this seemingly impossible task? Well, let us see.
Can You Write a Book in a Weekend?
To be honest, I would say that in all probability, the only book that one could possibly write in a weekend (in its entirety), would be a collection of short stories, a compilation of poems you have written, or a diary of the week's proceedings. Anything that you write cannot be extremely massive in terms of either volume or matter. Several people harbor dreams of writing a novel. I apologize for being the naysayer here but the fact of the matter is that writing an entire novel over the span of a weekend is practically impossible. The type of characterization, research, and background setting that a novel requires needs time and effort. Anyway, now that I've made it clear as to what types of books can be realistically written within the space of a weekend, let me now give you some tips for writing your book over the weekend.
Tips to Write a Book in Two Days
I take this opportunity to thank my favorite author, the one and only Jeffrey Archer. In an opportunity of a lifetime, I happened to meet him a couple of years back, and everything he said that day at the fan club gathering comes to my mind in this context. Though Mr. Archer (to the best of my knowledge) hasn't yet managed to achieve the feat of writing a whole book over a weekend, he did, nevertheless mention his daily work ethic and the systematic process he follows in order to writing a book. I honestly believe that his ideas, his work ethic, and his way of working is something that all serious writers should take inspiration from, regardless of whether they want to write a book in a weekend, in a month, or in a year. Borrowing a bit from what that brilliant storyteller said that memorable May evening, here are some writing tips which will help you if you want to write your book over a single weekend.
- Be clear about your subject, idea or concept. Storytelling is like playing God - you create your own world in the pages that you pen. So if you want to write a novel, you should first have in place the general outline of the plot and the main characters. It is the core around which your literary world will be built.
- Follow a systematic and disciplined work ethic. Mr. Archer follows a daily regimen of rising at six in the morning, writing for two hours, then taking a two hour break, followed by another two hour writing session, then another break, then another writing session...break, writing session, break, writing session...and so on. You are free to design your own work schedule, you don't have to blindly follow someone's timetable. However, what matters is that you go about your writing with sincerity and utmost seriousness. Writing a book is no joke (even if it is a joke book that you're working on!).
- Go with the flow. You don't always have to write a book sequentially or in chronological order (in terms of storyline). Break it down into chapters and write the chapter that you're feeling good or passionate about at that point of time. If you get stuck in the classic 'writer's block', don't fight yourself to overcome it. Take a breather.
- If it is a short story that you're writing, then you might consider writing it in the reverse order of events. Mr. Archer, when questioned on how he goes about writing short stories, replied that he always knows what his ending is going to be, and he accordingly molds the story to reach its destination. Maybe you could try it out!
- Last but not the least, be passionate about what you write. Write something because you feel good about it. Don't write a book simply because you envision yourself selling millions of copies and making hundreds of thousands of dollars. That won't work. Concentrate on your writing skills and focus solely upon the quality of your literary piece of work. If your book is good, it will surely sell. And if it sells, it will surely bring you the benefits.
