Your 2025 writing schedule...

Do you want to write a book in 2025? Let's start now.

As an editor, I recommend writing at least your first draft in a year for several reasons but this guide is going to give you a timeline for a completed manuscript ready to send to an editor.

The main reason is that regardless of how you want to publish (independently or traditionally), you should ideally be releasing a book every year to keep the interest of your readers. If you traditionally publish, your publisher will give you deadlines to write and submit your books so it's best to get used to writing with them from the start.

Another reason is creative stunting. This is a phenomenon, that I am coining, where authors spend years working on a single book idea only to finally finish and struggle to create another idea or even follow up the first book with a sequel because their creativity is so moulded to their first book.

This January...

Start with your idea and expand on it. Create a list of ideas you have for your novel in your head. Stories aren't built on one idea. They are built on many smaller ideas combined and it can be hard to organise them in the best way to plan your book. Rather than having them all floating around in your brain taking up space, clear it all out onto paper.

Think about tropes, themes, styles, scenes, characters etc.

In February...

We are going to build your world. You do not need to write every single detail but outline the important parts.

Species is an obvious one but think about the fauna as well. Is it a mostly human population? What kind of animals do they farm and eat? Are there predators that people are cautious about in their day-to-day lives? What kind of society do they live in?

Society can be a more complicated element as there are different perspectives to take into account: political structure, economic status, class denominations, family design etc. What does each of your character's lives look like based on their position in society?

*A great exercise for this is to write a passage about a character walking through town and describing what they see based on their perspective*

Magic systems are important to understand as this will affect your scenes and how your main character acts in them as well as your plot. What is needed to use magic? Who can use magic? What can you do with magic?

History has been and passed in an untold story, but it affects your current story and the society it is set in. Write a short timeline of the previous fifty years before your story is set unless there is a specific event that is relevant to your story. This is a great way to give your world more depth as well because this information will subconsciously bleed into your writing.

Remember the bigger the world the simpler the rules need to be.

…once this is done...

Research different plot structures to find one that fits your story. I will be writing a generic guide to plotting an outline and linking it here when posted. Hero's journey is popular in fantasy but you can use other templates like the save the cat method, the seven-point story or Freytag’s Pyramid.

You do not have to stick to these templates but they are a great place to start especially if you are a debut author.

Finally, we are going to outline your characters.

I leave this last in the planning stage because the world your character has grown in is going to affect them especially different parts of their personality so designing your world first is going to help bring together the picture of your characters.

Lean more on the different elements of your character's personality and behaviour rather than their appearance as readers will create their own image regardless of how much description you use and their mannerisms will come out more in written text. I also find that too much detail about a character's appearance can put a reader off. They want to create their own image that suits their preference so when you add a detail that goes against that image, it can bring a reader out of the story disrupting flow.

5 things you should know about your characters before you start writing.

Spring is here

March is the plotting month. Once you have decided on a plot structure you like to guide you, use it to begin outlining your plot from start to finish. Don't be tempted to stop most of the way and start writing prematurely. Get to the end!

Working backwards is a great way to see what direction your story is taking and find the ways your character can get there.

If you struggle with the outlining method and feel it drains your writing spirit, you may be a gardener. I recommend reading Stephen King's books on writing stories as he is also a gardener or a pantser.

Let the writing begin!

I recommend a short break after all this planning to recuperate and get inspired. Spend a week or so relaxing and reading books in your genre or with a similar style before getting into your writing routine.

Routine makes a huge difference to progress. Pick a time that you can sit down every day to add your draft. Don't set a word count goal, set a timer. This lowers the pressure and allows creativity to flow.

5 tips for setting a great writing routine. *Coming soon*

The time will fly from April to September...

The average novel is between 90 and 120 thousand words so aiming for around 20 thousand words a month will get you to your goal in 5 months.

That sounds like more than what it is. 667 words a day is around 35 sentences and half this article you are currently reading.

Methods to keep writing when you are struggling *coming soon*

October holidays are here

Ideally, when you reach this point you have finished your first draft. It may take you a bit longer or you may have even finished before this point but either way, when you find yourself at "The End", it's time for a break from writing altogether. Put down your pen, put away your laptop and don't look at your work.

This is to prevent burnout and help you approach your manuscript more objectively when you start editing. For two weeks minimum, read in your genre, relax, go for walks or anything else that will inspire you.

Time to get back to work

Pro tip: Your work is going to be shit!

This is your time to edit your first draft and I have written a guide to get you through this stage as it is kind of my job.

How to edit your first draft.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope you enjoy my writing style and read my other posts too.

If you have finished your draft and looking for a more personalised analysis of your manuscript, please email me at [email protected]

You can follow me on TikTok and Instagram at @Lnewtonbooks