Voices of Fiction – Time to write a book – Part Four

Welcome to Voices of Fiction.

We continue with our discussion of how long it takes to write a book.

Please welcome our guests.

Carole Ann Moleti is a nurse-midwife in New York City, thus explaining her fascination with paranormal and urban fantasy. Her newest fiction is featured in Beltane: Ten Tales of Magic. Excerpts of Carole's memoir, Someday I'm Going to Write a Book: Diary of an Urban Missionary has been published most recently in the new, irreverent Not Your Mother's Book Series. - Website, Blog, Twitter

Pembroke Sinclair has had several short stories, novellas, novels, and nonfiction published in various places. She writes an eclectic mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, some romance, and previously Westerns. - Blog, eTreasures, Amazon

Joylene Butler is the author of Dead Witness and Broken But Not Dead. - Website, Blog

Ellen Spain is a retired Federal Investigator, now turned author, editor, and educator. She is active with EPIC, PennWriters, RWA, SCBWI, and the Pittsburgh East Writers. - Website




Welcome Authors!

Question: How long does it take you to write a book?

Carole Ann Moleti: About a year of solid writing for a novel since I usually have to stop and do more research here and there. That doesn't count revisions, which can take me anywhere from two to three months. Short stories range from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the mood of the muse.

Pembroke Sinclair: It depends on the book. I've written novels in 3 months, then spent the next two or three revising, and sometimes it's taken a lot longer, years even. The book usually decides when it's done.
 
Joylene Butler: It used to take 3 months to write the first draft. But over the years I've tried to challenge myself and thus have chosen more difficult plots that are much tougher to write. I also have two published novels that require constant networking and marketing, and that's taken a huge chunk of my time. I'm hoping to change that this winter and finally complete my current WIP. I'd like to say it takes me 15 months from start to finish, but since becoming a published author in 2008, life has been anything but normal.
 
Ellen Spain: Following the old-adage, write what you know and write it well, I can draft a novella based upon my experiences and/or travels from start to final manuscript for the editor in thirty days, writing eight hours a day, six days a week. * The problem is I have a lot of family obligations; I sometimes get a cold or allergies and must chill out; I am usually writing two books during the same time period; and I am the Acquisitions Editor-in-Chief for a publishing house. Thus, realistically, my novella takes me up to sixty days to complete. * I can write a full-length novel in less than twelve months after my research is completed. If I add the up-front research, that will add an extra month. In the "Secrets in the Fog" series, the "Invisibility Project" took me ten months to write; "Danny's First Love" took me three weeks; "The Haunted Lighthouse" about four months; and Book Four "Hidden Treasures" set on Nova Scotia, more than a year. Add a little more time to get your pre-promotion work started including tweaking your personal web site. I totally changed all of my former web's main page at EllenSpain.com to reflect that I am a serious professional writer. All this takes time, but the business of writing a book is more than typing out your draft. * However, I think it is more important just to keep yourself on a realistic writing schedule that you can prioritize with your normal living life. First learn the techniques and requirements of "How to Write" genre fiction, then decide on what genre you feel comfortable to write and learn those writing rules. Next, write a novella for a publisher and go through the publishing process. Finally, plan up to two years to write your eighty thousand word novel and be fully satisfied that you accomplished that goal. You then can call yourself a novelist.

Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)