how to write a book in 8 days

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Want to write a book? Struggle with writer's block? Curse of the Blinking Cursor or just don't know where to start? You came to the right place.

Published on Dec 18, 2022

By Darby Rollins

Want to write a book ? Struggle with writer's block? Curse of the Blinking Cursor or just don't know where to start? You came to the right place.

‍ The 7 Day Book Challenge is a proven framework that teaches you how to write a book in just seven days. The challenge is designed for writers who want to write a book but don't know where to start (I will show you the entire book writing process), or for people who want to fight writer's block and those who have an idea for a book but don't know how to turn it into a finished product.

This is also for people who wants to explore different writing style and develop good writing habits. This article takes you step-by-step through the entire process, from coming up with an idea, walking you through the editing process, to getting your finished manuscript published.

We hope you'll join us in taking this challenge with the resources available to your to make your writing aspirations a reality. The challenge is self-paced, so you can study at your own speed, but we recommend that you devote at least two hours each day to writing during the Challenge if you are serious about getting your book out of your head and on to paper in one week.

The first pioneering book written with Jasper was authored by yours truly in January 2021. Since then, thousands of people have been using Jasper to smash through writer’s block and accelerate their journey to publication. I’ve teamed up with my publishing partner Zachariah Stratford, who has helped publish over 100,000 titles, to form our company The AI Author.

The framework below makes up The 7 Day Book Challenge , a process that hundreds of students have gone through in live settings with Zachariah and me to produce spectacular results.

The challenge is simple: for one week, you will commit to writing your book for just 30-60 minutes per day. Writing time doesn’t have to happen all at once–in fact, it’s better if you break it up into manageable chunks throughout the day. The goal is to make consistent progress, not to write the entire book in one sitting!

I’ve found that the vast majority of people who want to write a book have jobs, families, and other important commitments that make it difficult to find large blocks of time to sit down and write. Book writing takes time, and if you want to write a great book, you need to be prepared to commit several hours each week.

But what if you don’t have several hours each week to devote to writing? What if you only have 30-60 minutes per day?

The good 30-60 minute per day approach is designed to be sustainable over the long haul so that you can actually finish your book and see it through to publication.

If you have more time some days and less time on others, that’s perfectly fine. Just try to stick to a minimum of 30 minutes per day and you’ll be well on your way.

To help you make the most of your time, I’ve created a simple but effective daily routine that you can follow during the challenge.

The 7-Day Book Challenge Overview / Start Here

Over the next week, new writers will go from a blank page to a complete Minimum Viable Book (MVB). It doesn’t need to be your “Magna Carta”. It doesn’t need to be perfect. What it needs to be is finished and from there you will have a strong foundation on which to build increasingly better iterations until you reach your final product.

The goal is to get words on the page and to gain a better understanding of the writing process so that you can finish your book once and for all. Writer's block, self-doubt, and distractions will try to stop you along the way but if you stick to the process, I guarantee you will make incredible progress.

This challenge will also give you a chance to “work out loud” and receive feedback and support from other writers who are going through the process with you.

Ready? It’s time you let your creativity flow and get to work! Begin writing!

Day 1: Preparation

You’re at the starting line. While the Challenge’s goal is to produce a finished manuscript, the real genius of it is its repeatability. Once you have finished the first week of work, then you can begin the process again from the top. Each time you reach the week’s conclusion, you will be left with a stronger representation of your book’s concept realized in tangible form.

There are a few things you should do on Day One in order to set yourself up for success. For the first day, however, you need to start with some preparations. These include:

• Time blocking
• Find your accountability partner
• Post about your journey on social media
• Complete the 4 Core Worksheets:
• Know Your “Why”
• Setting Your Goals
• Ideal Customer Avatar
• Finding Your Spine & Content Brief

Time Blocking

Scheduled maintenance comes first. You are a busy person. This entire Challenge is dead in the water if you can’t carve out the necessary time to meet its demands. Set aside time, create a writing space, keep yourself focused, plan ahead, and go for it! 

Find Your Accountability Partner

Even if you’re going at this alone, you can’t do it alone. Your accountability partner may not have to be a writer or in your line of work, but they can still provide the necessary support needed to keep you on task, moving forward, and writing books . If nothing else, they can be the first people to give you some killer feedback.

You are not alone. This is a community challenge, which means that we’re all in this together. By posting about your journey on social media, you can reach out to others for support and encouragement, as well as offer the same in return. You may even find some new writing friends along the way.

Post About Your Journey on Social Media

Social media is one of the biggest outlets for your writing career. Not only does it give you presence, but it also makes you accountable to yourself. No one who starts a public journey wants to end up dropping out halfway through. It gets people involved, gives you some good talking points, and hypes up the work you’re doing to a larger audience.

Complete the 4 Core Worksheets ( Workbook )

We’ve got some practical worksheets to establish your project foundations. While you hit roadblocks, what you put down on these sheets helps refine your vision, putting the project back in perspective and giving you the boost you need to power on through to the finish line.

Know Your Why ( Worksheet )

Why are you doing this? Who will benefit from this book? How will you grow as a result? Get philosophical if you need to, but every journey needs motivation that matters on a personal level. Find it.

Setting Your Goals ( Worksheet )

Having a concrete idea of your goals will give you a ticket line to strive for. Are you looking for sales? To grow your brand? To change people’s lives? Whether your goals are pragmatic or metaphysical, giving yourself a reason to press on is important to keep things in perspective.

Ideal Customer Avatar (Worksheet )

An ideal customer avatar is a description of a customer/client that is best suited for your business. It could be someone who spends a lot of money or is a penny-pincher, someone who buys your product or service repeatedly, or someone who actively promotes your business because they are sold on what you offer.

Your first step is to identify who that is – identify your target audience. Who’s going to be reading this book? How will they benefit from it? What will catch your reader's attention? Your core message will fall on deaf ears if you don’t have a clear vision of who you want to be receiving it. Ask these questions to help you develop your Ideal Customer Avatar:

• What’s my target audience’s basic profile?
• What are my ideal avatar’s goals and values?
• Where do my customers/clients primarily get their information?
• What are my customer avatar's challenges and pain points?
• What are my target audience's possible objections?

Pro tip: This is where the “ The Hero’s Journey Outline ” recipe shines! You can also use another recipe called " Big Ticket Customer Avatar " to take things a step deeper. Any way you approach this exercise, do not skip it.

Finding Your Spine

Why are you the best person to write this book? What makes you the most qualified professional for the job? The answers collected from the “Know Your Why” section can be applied here, so long as you create a solid backbone for your work ethic. Feel free to list qualifications and experiences, but you will need to answer three questions:

• Who is my book helping?
• What will my reader achieve?
• How does this book help them achieve that?

You’ll have a good starting point once you’ve identified these answers and can now hit your stride on the first day.

Day 2: Research & Outline

Congrats! You made it through the first day! Preparation is vital to project success, but from here on out is where the real work begins. Actively fleshing out your book and understanding where it takes its audience starts with its structure, plotting out its progression, and knowing what concepts it focuses on.

This portion will not be for fact-checking alone, though you’ll certainly want to have your ducks in a row when it comes to quality content. The focus here is to make certain that your book will have the proper structure, as well as validation to ensure your book will be hitting the right markets with SEO-friendly chapter titles and subtitles.

The basic beat of any good book structure follows a reliable framework method that is developed over time. All the best-selling books use them. Without a strong outline, your book simply cannot easily hold water. Fundamentally, your outline keeps your book’s goal in mind, defining how each chapter leads the reader through its content to seamlessly arrive at the desired outcome.

Check out the selection of outline formats to work from. Some of our preferred frameworks include:

The Non-Fiction Book Problem Solving Outline Recipe

Since writing nonfiction books share facts or real-life events, they are great tools for making real-world connections to build on children's knowledge and personal experiences. This also means that you can use nonfiction books to further enhance people's experiences and interests.

‍ The Hero’s Journey Outline Recipe

Without direction, a clearly defined goal, and problems to solve that keep your readers engaged, your book will lack the impact you are looking for. Solving that issue preemptively begins with solid planning and a good outline. and know the best book idea for new writers.

Once you've developed a solid outline, apply the outline to each chapter to build out your book's structure. After this, to keep things organized, you'll want to create a separate document inside of your project folder for each chapter so you can stay focused and bounce between chapters effortlessly.

Please note that while going through this process, you'll want to create individual “Content Briefs” for each chapter. This is another reason that organizing them in separate documents will be helpful. Since each chapter of a non-fiction book should be self-contained, you'll be able to quickly switch back and forth between chapters without needing to re-type content into the brief –- this will save you a lot of time in the short and long run.

You can also use Templates inside of Jasper for all areas of your book. For example, you can use the ' Blog Post Outline ' Template to help brainstorm your book outline or chapter outlines. Or use ' Creative Story ' to add some character to your writing and bring your story to life .

Another example, since you'll want to sell your book once it's written, is to use Jon Benson's "Mini-VSL" Template to create a compelling video script to sell your book, or as a base for creating book blurbs!

While perhaps not as vital to the creation of your book, taking care of formatting now saves heartache down the line. It is your choice whether you want to handle the formatting entirely on your own, use paid or free software, or hire a professional to do it for you. So long as pain points are addressed and mitigated in advance, your progress should not be weighed down by formatting issues at the wrong time.

Day 3: Write, Write, Write!

Finally, it’s time to put words to paper, (or screen, as the case may be)! Actual writing begins! This will be your first full day of cranking out text as fast as your brain and Jasper will enable. For practical goals, your benchmark is around 5000 words reached before the day ends. Try to have a daily word count goal (target word count). That’s a lot to work… which is why it is critical to keep one very important thing in mind: Do. Not. Edit.

No editing. Period. Editing while writing is where authors get slowed down the most during the Challenge. This is a step-by-step process. Finish writing! If you stop every you notice a typo, clear up a line, add punctuation, or any other form of editing, you are pumping the brakes on project momentum. Once you’ve started writing, keep that train moving until you hit the 5000-word mark. Editing will come later. The words themselves – no matter how messing or imperfect – come first.

What is currently swimming around in your head has to come out, one way or another. It’s not uncommon to hit your first real writer’s block at this point. That’s to be expected. Take advantage of Jasper to clear the road ahead by letting him simplify the text, edit a bit (he doesn’t get tripped up with editing as you do), and expand on topics.

You can even use voice-to-text tools, like Otter ai or Descript apps, to keep the ball rolling.. Speaking your book out loud often breaks down the mental blockades keeping your story down. Verbalizing your most valuable points up front can liberate your thinking. All those important points can later be uploaded, picked through, and pasted into Jasper’s “Long-Form Editor” to help you identify those nuggets of creative gold.

Other tools, such as Copyscape and Grammarly, integrate well with your writing to ensure everything is grammatically sound and wholly original. Both these apps integrate inside the Jasper app making tapping into them a piece of cake.

Day 4: Write, Write, Refine!

More writing! It should come as no shock that now there’s a new stipulation. At this point, you are still getting the bulk of your manuscript out of your head. With that goal of 5000 words from yesterday fresh in your mind, you get a new goal for the day: 5000 words. Today, however, refinement comes into play.

You will be working towards making your content accessible, digestible, and legible. You are not in the editing phase yet, but your mindset should take into consideration how to make improvements in the midst of your writing sessions.

Don’t forget to make full use of the tools at your disposal. Jasper provides inspiration where you need it. It acts as a micro-editor to resolve sentence structure, simplify your content to avoid complex syntax, and as a content generator to add some meat to your work. Jasper is a fantastic writer’s assistant built right into your computer. The main reason The 7 Day Book Challenge is even possible is that participants can accomplish so much without burning out. 

Day 5: Write, Refine, Edit!

As you can tell, you’re reaching the end of the word vomit part of the journey. Having text on the page is so much more important than the overall quality of it at the moment. Day 5 is where you’ll start being able to mold your text into the image you’ve captured in your mind.

Keep focus, zero in on your goals, and keep the forward momentum going! With two full days of writing at your back, the train should be nigh unstoppable at this point!

Writing is still the focal point of the process, but as you’re nearing the end of the bulk writing block, you can start taking a few liberties when it comes to refinement and editing. Pepper in some editing practices, and use your refinement techniques to spruce up your writing without compromising your momentum.

Once the day has closed, you should be able to proudly hold up the first draft of your manuscript. That’s the goal and it’ll be an enormous relief once you hit it. 

Obviously, you should be making full use of all you’ve learned up to this point. The hardest part, besides keeping focused, is making sure you are keeping things valuable. You’ll feel the temptation to start rattling off just to fill up space with fluff, and that does no one any favors.

Your readers expect to pull value from your book, so if they have to wade through an entire chapter of drivel, nonsense, and jargon, it immediately lowers the impact of your core message.

Be aware of your audience. Think about how your book speaks to them. Most of all… do what feels right. This is still your baby and while Jasper provides incredible support, everything that’s been written has come from your passion, drive, and creativity. With day 5 closed, you’ve finished the model and done some touch-ups, but in the next couple of days, your final product will come to life.

Day 6: Edit, Refine, Design!

Would you look at that? No more writing! The hardest parts are behind you and the conclusion is in sight. Now that you have finally got the book onto the pager, the next step is, well, tricky. Now you have to somehow transform what you have written into a better version of itself. You have all day to do this! Now,  a lot of people have trouble cutting into their darlings, but it’s time to trim some fat.

With your entire manuscript laid out before you, you can focus all your energy on editing and refining its content to reflect its final form. It still won’t be perfect, but it’ll be a heck of a lot prettier than it was at the start. Things should look good, flow well, and be readable without excess writing weighing down the book as a whole.

Now let’s talk about design. You shouldn’t expect to be a graphic designer - unless, of course, you are one, in which case this section is a cinch. You just need to create a working concept. Keep it simple. Make it complex. Whatever your approach, you just need a mock cover to get your formatting in order.

In the end, you will have pulled your MVB together and will have something presentable. For this stage, we recommend using Google Docs. Not because it’s good, not because it's free, but because it’s simply the easiest option.

If worst comes to worst, you can even skip the design portion. Your manuscript just needs to be presentable and taking a crack at the design is icing on the cake. Keep it simple. Don’t reach for super complex designs that overreach your skill set. You’ll have time later to really build a compelling book design… or you can hire someone to do it for you.

Day 7: Click “Publish”

Take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You did it! In just one week you’ve made it to the end of the Challenge. You have a manuscript! Reflect on where you’ve come from, how far you’ve gone, and how Jasper accelerated the writing process in ways you never thought possible. Your book is real! It’s done! That, by itself, is one of the most fulfilling accomplishments to which anyone can lay claim.

If you like, take a last brush-through of your book, Make editing choices and refine word selection. For the most part, though, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. The next step is to let your Advanced Readers and editors read it. As scary as it sounds, they are going to tell you everything wrong with it. And that is AWESOME! Feedback is the most valuable part of the process. Feedback from the Advanced Readers community will give you valuable insights…  what works, what doesn’t work, and how it can be made better. 

With that kind of feedback, you can confidently make your final edits. Then you create a book blurb and write an author bio. At this point, you need that cover design in order, and then… the moment of truth. It’s time to upload your book!

Self-publication is more accessible today than at any other point in human history. Options like Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) are the most prolific, but other choices available may be more up your alley. You can Google ‘Self-publishing platforms’ or ‘print a book’ to find viable alternatives perfect for printing out the first edition of your new book. The publishing process is not as difficult as you may think it is. So sit back and relax!

Take a breath. You did it! You have now finished your own book. After a week of hard work, effort, and maybe a few tears, it has paid off big time. Now you can say, loud and proud, that you are a published author! That book that has been gnawing at your brain for years has made it out into the real world, all with the help of Jasper AI. 

You are now officially a pioneer in a new field of writing! You have used artificial intelligence (book writing software) to accelerate the writing process in ways never before thought possible.

During the process, you were led to the right direction.The journey you had with fellow writers was a phenomenon. That is no small accomplishment. You have the right to be proud. Know that we are certainly proud of you!

So what next?

Maybe there’s another book that’s itching to get out. Maybe you want to give another crack at the one you’ve already written, and expand on it with new thoughts, concepts, and direction. Will you broaden the outreach of your book? Make a podcast, go on tour, expand your brand? Where can you grow from here?

Ask yourself “Why?” again. The goals for this project might have been reached, but you might have found some new goals along the way. This was more than just a finish line, more than just a first completed book. It’s the start of a new career path, the dawn of a new version of yourself as a professional and individual. It’s in your grasp. All that needs doing is for you to reach out and take it.

And of course, the byproduct of this Challenge is not only getting a book written... but leveling up your AI writing skills with Jasper so you can create all sort of content 10x faster! If you aren't already using Jasper, sign-up and get 10,000 free credits to get started today - good luck!

Meet The Author:

Darby Rollins

Darby Rollins is an author, entrepreneur, and world's first Jasper user.  He is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer at The AI Author , which helps people scale their content creation with AI. In his spare time, you can find Darby drumming playing his favorite board game SideHustle around town.

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

How to Write a Book (with Tactics from Bestsellers)

What’s the secret formula to tapping into your creativity and writing a book? Some authors would tell you there is no single path to authorship , as every writer’s journey is unique. However, almost every bestselling author will have highly effective writing patterns and habits that help them reach their writing goals . In this post, we'll share some of their most commonly used tactics for starting and finishing a book.

How to write a book:

1. Start with a book idea you love

2. research by reading genre-prominent books, 3. outline the story, 4. write the opening sentence , 5. write the first draft, 6. set a schedule with achievable goals, 7. find a good writing space, 8. pick a "distraction-free" writing software, 9. finish your draft, 10. edit the manuscript, 11. publish your book for readers to buy.

There's a long, exciting road ahead. So let's get started.

The one thing you absolutely  need  to write a book is, of course, an idea. If you don't have that, you'll never get past the first page of your draft.

You may already know what you want to write about, or you may be at a total loss. Either way, you can settle on a “big book idea” by asking yourself a few simple questions:

• What do I  want  to write about?
• What do I feel is  important  to write about?
• Who will want to read about this story/subject?
• Will I be able to carry out this idea effectively?

Your answers to these questions will help you narrow it down to your best options. For example, if you have several different ideas for a book, but only one that you're truly passionate about and feel you can pull off, then voilà — there's your premise!

On the other hand, if you  lack  ideas, these questions should steer you in a firmer direction. Think about the kinds of books you love to read, as well as books that have made a significant impact on you. In all likelihood, you'll want to write a book in a similar vein.

Tools to help you find an idea

If you're grasping at straws, consider using creative writing prompts or a  plot generator  to get the ball rolling! You might stumble upon an interesting concept or story element that sparks a “big idea” for your book. (And if you're still uninspired even after trying these tools, you may want to reconsider whether you really want to write a book after all.)

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Once you've found your big idea, the next step is to research your genre. Again, if you're writing the book you like to read , you already have a leg up! Reading books in your genre is by far the best way to learn how to write in that genre yourself.

But if not, you'll want to select a couple of representative titles and analyze them.  How long are they  and  how many chapters do they have ? What does the  story structure  look like? What are the major  themes ? Perhaps most importantly, do you think you can produce a book with similar elements?

Find out what people are reading

You should also conduct market research on Amazon to determine the most  popular  books in your genre. If you want your book to succeed, you'll have to contend with these bestsellers. Go to the  Amazon Best Sellers page  and find your genre in the lefthand sidebar:

Then read those books' blurbs to figure out what really sells. What do they all have in common, and why might readers find them appealing? Does your book hold up to these standards?

Finally, think about how your book can offer something NEW. For example, if you're writing a psychological thriller, will there be a particularly sneaky  unreliable narrator , or maybe a  series of twists  that the reader never sees coming? If you're  writing a nonfiction book , do you have a unique take on the subject, or a particularly deep well of knowledge? And so on.

Going above and beyond is the only way to give your book a chance in today's hyper-competitive market. So don't skimp on the genre research, because this will tell you where the bar is and how you can surpass it.

If you want to write a great story , you need to outline it first. This is especially important if it's your first book, since you need a solid blueprint to rely on when you get stuck! (Because believe us, you will  get stuck.)

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Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

So how do you go about creating that outline for your book? We actually have a  whole other post on the subject , but here are the essentials:

• Pick a format that works for you.  There are so many different types of outlines: the free-flowing mind map, the rigorous chapter-and-scene outline, the character-based outline, and so on. If one approach doesn't work for you, try another! Any kind of plan is better than none.
• Have a beginning, middle, and end.  Way too many authors go into writing a book with a strong notion of how their story should start... yet their middle is murky and their ending, nonexistent. Take this time to flesh them out and connect them to one another.  Remember:  the best books have endings that feel “earned,” so you should try to be building toward it from the start!
• Consider your conflict points.   Conflict is at the heart of any good book  — it draws in the reader, conjures tension and emotion, and ultimately reflects the themes and/or message you want to convey. You don't have to know  exactly  where your conflict will manifest, but you should have a pretty good grasp of how it works throughout your book.
• Get to know your characters.  If you haven't done much  character development  yet, your outline is the perfect opportunity to do so. How will your characters interact in the story, and how will these interactions demonstrate who they are and what matters to them?

If you'd like to outline your story directly in a writing app, we recommend using the pre-made templates in the free Reedsy Book Editor. Simply create your account with one click below and start creating the building blocks of your story — right away.  

FREE OUTLINING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Use the Boards feature to plan, organize, or research anything.

Let's get into the actual writing and make a dent in your first draft . One of the most important parts of writing a book is  starting the story ! It's no exaggeration to say your first few pages can make or break your book — if these pages aren't good enough, many readers will lose interest, possibly never returning to your book again.

First off, you need an opening hook that grabs the reader's attention and makes it impossible for them to look away. Take a look at the first lines of these hit bestsellers:

“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

“Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery.” — The Da Vinci Code

“If all the Saturdays of 1982 can be thought of as one day, I met Tracey at 10 a.m. on that Saturday, walking through the sandy gravel of a churchyard, each holding our mother's hand.” — Swing Time

All of these books fall into different genres, yet all their opening lines do the same thing: capture the reader's attention. You can imitate them by making a similarly strong, slightly furtive statement in  your  opener!

From there, your job is to maintain the reader's interest by heightening the stakes and  inciting the plot . You should also make the reader care about the main characters by giving them distinct personalities and  motivations . (Note that “main” is a key descriptor here; never introduce more than a couple of characters at a time!)

Of course, there are infinite ways to write your first chapter. You might have to experiment with lots of different opening lines, even opening scenes, to find the right balance — but it's worth the effort to set the stage perfectly.

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Many writers believe that the key to writing an amazing book is style: impressive vocabulary, elaborate sentences,  figurative language  that would make Shakespeare swoon.

We're here to dissuade you of that notion. While style is great (as long as your prose doesn't  start to become purple ),  substance  is far more important when writing a book — hence why you should focus primarily on your plot, characters, conflict(s), and themes.

Make sure your book is all killer, no filler

Of course, that's easier said than done, especially once you've already started writing . When you get to a patchily outlined section, it's tempting to  keep  writing and fill out the page with literary gymnastics. But that's exactly what this content is: filler. And if you have too much of it, readers will become frustrated and start to think you're pretentious.

This is another reason why outlining is so important. You need to KNOW your story in order to stay on track with it! But besides outlining, here are a few more tips for making substance a priority:

• Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.  This advice comes straight from Kurt Vonnegut, and it's 100% true: if a sentence doesn't accomplish one or both of those things, try removing it. If the passage still makes sense, leave it out.
• Be conscious of your pacing.  Slow pacing is a symptom of excess description. If the events of your book seem to move like molasses, you're probably using too much style and not enough substance.
• Use a writing tool to reduce flowery language.  Speaking of great American novelists,  Hemingway  is a fantastic tool to help you write like the man himself! Simply paste your writing into the app and Hemingway will suggest ways to make your prose more concise and effective.

Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a writing playlist

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Keep readers in mind while writing

Want to write a book that people will  really  enjoy (and buy)? Well, this is pretty much the cardinal rule: you should always be thinking about your audience and trying to write “reader-first.”

For example, sometimes you'll have to write scenes that aren't very exciting, but that  serve the overall story arc . Don't rush through these scenes just to get them over with! Even if they don't seem interesting to  you,  they contribute to the reader's experience by building tension and preserving the pacing — and the reader deserves to relish those things.

Create 'fake' people who will want to read your book

When considering your readership, you should also  keep a proto-persona in mind  for marketing purposes. These are constructed personalities that marketers use to better understand their target customers. The more your book can cater to this hypothetical reader, the easier it will be to sell!

Maybe you're writing a true-crime account for zealous  true crime readers . Such readers will have pored over countless criminal cases before, so you need to include unique details to make  your  case stand out, and craft an extra-compelling narrative to engage them.

Let's move on to practical ways that you can improve your writing habits. Word count goals play a huge part in creating an effective writing process, especially if you're trying to finish your book  in a certain amount of time .

You should create word count goals for both your individual sessions and per week — or per month, if that's how you prefer to think about your writing output. For relatively novice writers, we'd recommend the following word count goals:

• 500-750 words per day
• 1,500-2,500 words per week
• 6,000-10,000 words per month

These goals are based on a pattern of 3-4 sessions per week, which is reasonable for a beginner, but still enough to make commendable progress. Even if you only follow our  minimum  recommendations — 500 words per session at 3 sessions per week — you can still easily finish your book in less than a year!

Speeding up the writing process

If you're looking for how to write a book  as fast as possible , your word count goals should look a little more like this:

• 1,500-2,000 words per session
• 9,000-15,000 words per week
• 35,000-50,000 words per month

The figures above adhere roughly to  NaNoWriMo , the event in which participants write an average of 1,667 words/day to complete a 50,000-word book in  one month . It's hard work, but it's definitely possible to write a book that quickly; hundreds of thousands of people do so every year!

But as any author who's done NaNo can attest, it's also a pretty grueling experience. Most authors find it exhausting to write such great quantities for so many days in a row — and they still have to  edit copiously  once they're done.

If this is your first book, make sure you take your time, set manageable word goals, and gradually build to bigger goals.

Use writing sessions to establish a schedule

Having a healthy writing routine is the only way you'll actually hit those word count goals — not to mention it fosters a better relationship with writing overall! To establish a healthy routine, ask yourself these baseline questions first:

• When do I have the most free time in the day/week?
• What time of the day do I tend to be most productive?
• How can I space out my writing sessions effectively?
• Will I realistically be able to balance my writing goals with other responsibilities?

The best way to set up your routine is to take advantage of your pre-existing schedule and natural patterns. So for example, if you already go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, perhaps the best time to write would be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Or if you find yourself most creative late at night ( many of us do! ), you can plan late-night sessions over the weekend/before your day off, so you can sleep in the next day.

Ultimately, you just want a well-balanced writing routine that facilitates productivity, yet keeps you from burning out. If you find that writing for several days in a row is too much for you, space out your sessions more or try to shake things up by moving to a new writing space. If you can't keep up with your goals, it's okay to reduce them a little.

Yes, writing a lot is important, but it's not more important than your mental health! Remember that writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint, and that a consistent, healthy approach is absolutely vital. Here are some tips for making the most of your writing routine.

Don't skip more than one session in a row

Life happens, and sometimes you won't be able to make a planned writing session. However, unless it's a serious emergency, you should try to get back in the saddle for your next session. Otherwise, you'll lose too much progress and feel discouraged, which typically leads to skipping even  more  writing sessions, and eventually giving up.

Track your progress

With our free writing app, the Reedsy Book Editor , you'll see the numbers update automatically depending on your activity: you'll see how many words you added  and deleted on any given day. Depending on the overall goal you set for your manuscript, you'll also see your daily targets adjust depending on how much you've written so far.

Use a site blocker to stay focused

Distraction is the enemy of routine, and the biggest distraction in our modern world is the Internet. To that end, download a site-and-app blocker to use during your writing sessions so you won't be enticed by social media or adorable cat memes. We'd recommend  Freedom , as you can schedule block sessions in advance and even keep track of your productivity   within  the app.

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How to Build a Solid Writing Routine

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Another major component of how to write a book is  where  you write, hence why it gets a separate section. If you want to complete an entire book, you absolutely must find a calm, focused space for your writing.

This may be in your house, a coffee shop, a library, a co-working space — wherever you can work productively and without interruptions. It should also be a place that you can access easily and go often. Working from home is the most convenient option in this sense, but it may be difficult if you have family around, or if you don't have a designated “room of one's own” (i.e. an actual office, or at least a desk).

What does a good writing space look like?

Try out different locations to see what works for you. Indeed, you may find that you like to rotate writing spaces because it keeps you energetic and your writing fresh! But wherever you go, do your best to make the space:

• Quiet  (noise-canceling headphones can be very helpful)
• Clean  (no clutter, especially if you do chores to procrastinate)
• Non-distracting  (nothing too fun around to tempt you away from writing; turn off your phone so other people won't bother you)
• Your own  (cultivate a nice atmosphere in your home office with posters and plants, or simply take the same seat at your local café every time — truly carve out a “dedicated writing space”)

We've already talked about a few different pieces of software to help you with writing a book. But if you haven't found the right app or program yet, never fear — there's plenty more where those came from!

Book writing software is a topic we've actually  written an entire post about , but it's worth touching on a few of our favorite writing tools here:

Scrivener 🖋️

Scrivener is  the  downloadable writing software of choice for many writers, and for good reason: it has an exceptional interface and tons of useful features. You can outline chapters with its drag-and-drop system, create labels for elements you want to track, and use various templates to plan AND format your book. If you want to feel like a true professional, you can't go wrong with Scrivener — and it's even free to try for 30 days.

Or if you're not much for outlines because your thoughts are all over the place, Milanote can help. The super-flexible interface allows you to “mind map” just as you would longhand, and rearrange different sections as you please. When writing, you can see all your notes at once, so you don't have to stress about forgetting things. It's a very refreshing, intuitive way approach that's worth a try for all disorganized authors.

FocusWriter ✍️

Speaking of intuitive, what's more intuitive than simply writing on a piece of paper, no distractions — just like the old days? Meet FocusWriter, which allows you to do exactly that. The full-screen default interface is a sheet of paper on a wooden desk: no bells, no whistles, no distractions whatsoever. Seriously, this one will get you in the zone.

The Reedsy Book Editor 📖

We couldn't leave out one of the coolest word processing, editing, and formatting tools on the market! All jokes aside, the RBE lets you cleanly format your book  as you go,  so you can watch it take shape in real-time. You can also add sections for front matter and back matter and invite collaborators to edit your text. Plus you can toggle on goal reminders to make sure that you're on track with your writing schedule. Once you finish writing, you can export the files of your book. But don't take our word for it: you can try the RBE for free right here .

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Set goals, track progress, and establish your writing routine in our free app.

Getting into the groove of writing a book can be difficult. When there are a million different things to distract and discourage you, how can you keep going with your writing routine and finish your book?

Based on ours and other writers' experience, here are a few motivational strategies for you to try:

• Make a list of reasons  why  you want to write a book.  Having a tangible reminder of your true purpose is one of the best ways to motivate yourself, so think hard: Do you want to send an important message? Reach a certain group of people? Or do you simply yearn to tell this particular story? Write down all your reasons and keep them as an ace in the hole for when your motivation dwindles.
• Find someone else to write with you.  Getting a writing buddy is another great way to stay motivated! For one thing, you get some camaraderie during this process; for another, it means you can't slack off too much. So ask your writer friends if they'd like to meet up regularly, or join an  online writing community . With the latter, just make sure you exchange progress updates and proof that you're actually writing!
• Reward yourself at important milestones.  Sometimes the best motivation is the prospect of treating yourself. If you respond well to this kind of motivation, set a goal, a deadline, and a reward for meeting it: “If I can write 10,000 more words by the end of the month, I'll go out for an amazing, fancy dinner with all my friends.” This kind of goal is also helpful because you can  tell  your friends about it, and that very act will hold you accountable.

For even more advice on how to staying motivated through the writing process, check out this Reedsy Live from author and writing coach Kevin Johns!

Don't give up

Remember how we said you'd inevitably get stuck? Well, that's what this step is all about: what to do when you hit a wall. Whether it's a tricky plot hole, an onslaught of insecurity, or a simple lack of desire to write, all writers experience setbacks from time to time.

There are countless ways to  overcome writer's block , from freewriting to working on your characters to taking a shower (yes, that's a legitimate tip!). However, here are some of the most effective techniques we've found:

• Revisit your outline.  This will jog your memory as to planned story elements you've forgotten — which may help you find the missing piece.
• Try writing exercises.  It's possible you just need to get the words flowing, and then you can jump get right back into your book. Luckily for you, we have a whole host of great writing exercises  right here!
• Share your experience with friends.  This is another great role for your writing buddy to fill, but you can easily talk about writer's block with your non-writing friends, too. If you're struggling, it always helps to vent and bounce ideas off other people.
• Take a  short  break to do something else.  Yes, sometimes you need to step away from the keyboard and clear your head. But don't take more than a day or so, or else you'll lose momentum and motivation.

Most of all, remember to take setbacks in stride and not let them get you down. As platitudinous as that might sound, it's true: the only thing that can stop you from writing a book is if you, well,  stop writing . So keep calm and carry on — every day brings new opportunities and you'll get through this.

Your aim at this point is not to emerge with an instant masterpiece. The quality almost always emerges in the edit.

You can write all day, all night, to your heart's content... but if no one else likes what you've written, you might end up heart broken  instead. That's why it's crucial to request feedback on your book, starting early and from as many sources as possible.

Begin by asking your friends and fellow writers to read just a few chapters at a time. However, apply their suggestions not only to those chapters, but wherever relevant. For example, if one of your friends says, “[Character A] is acting weird in this scene,” pay extra attention to that character to ensure you haven't misrepresented them anywhere else.

Once your book is finished, you're ready for some more intensive feedback. Consider  getting a beta reader  to review your entire book and provide their thoughts. You may want to hire an editor to give you professional feedback as well. (Find out about the different types of editing, and which type your book might need,  in this post .)

Finally, it might sound obvious, but we'll say it anyway for all you stubborn writers out there: feedback is useless if you don't actually listen to it. Separate yourself from your ego and don't take anything personally, because no one wants to offend you — they're just trying to help.

You’ve persevered to the end at last: brainstormed, outlined, and written a draft that you've edited extensively (based on feedback, of course). Your book has taken its final form, and you couldn’t be prouder. So what comes next?

Well, if you’ve taken our advice about catering to your target readers, you may as well give publishing a shot! We have a  full guide to publishing right here  — and if you’re thinking about traditional publishing,  read this article  to decide which is right for you.

Get help from publishing professionals

Publishing is another rigorous process, of course. But if you’ve come this far to find out how to write a book, you can pretty much do anything! Invest in  stellar cover design , study up on  marketing , or start writing an  irresistible query letter  that will get you an offer.

Whichever route you take, one thing will remain true: you’ve written a book, and that’s an incredible achievement. Welcome to the 0.1% — and may the next book you write be even greater than the first. 📖

13/12/2019 – 15:33

thank you for helping me find a new way to write my book

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Friday is last day for Facebook users to file a claim in $725 million settlement. Here's how.

By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: August 25, 2023 / 8:19 AM / MoneyWatch

Today is the last day for anyone in the U.S. who used Facebook in the last 16 years to get a piece of a $725 million settlement by parent company Meta tied to privacy violations. 

The settlement stems from multiple lawsuits that were brought against Facebook by users who claimed that the company improperly shared their information with third-party sources such as advertisers and data brokers. The litigation began after Facebook was embroiled in a privacy scandal in 2018 with Cambridge Analytica, which  scraped user data from the site as part of an effort to profile voters.

Meta denied any liability or wrongdoing under the settlement, according to the recently created class-action website, set up to pay out money to the social network's users. 

However, the agreement means that U.S. residents who used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, can file an online monetary claim as long as they do so before Friday, August 25, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. People who send in a claim via U.S. mail must have their letter postmarked by August 25.

How do I claim money under the Facebook settlement?

Go to the claim website  to fill out your claim, or else print out the claim and mail it to this address: Facebook Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, c/o Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. 

What information do I need to provide?

The claim asks for basic information:

• Your address
• If you lived in the U.S. between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022
• If you were a Facebook user between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022
• If you deleted your account in that period, the date range when you were a Facebook user
• Your Facebook user name
• The payment service you prefer, such as PayPal, Venmo or a prepaid Mastercard

How long does it take to fill out the form?

It should take only a few minutes. 

How do I find my Facebook name?

You can find it on Facebook's website by going to "Account" and then clicking on "Settings and Privacy." From there, click on "Settings," where you should see "Username."

On the mobile app, go to the menu and then click on your display name on top of the screen. Then select the "..." next to "Edit Profile" and your user name appears under "Your Profile Link."

Is the Facebook settlement legit?

Yes, according to Meta. 

"We pursued a settlement as it's in the best interest of our community and shareholders," a Meta spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. "We are notifying people through their Facebook notifications about this settlement so they can decide whether to participate."

However, the claim settlement administrator is warning to be alert for requests asking for personal information such as your Social Security number — something the administrator will never ask for.  Likewise, requests for payment in order to get part of the settlement are also suspect.

"[I]t is possible they are efforts to defraud," according to the claims website.

Can I update my claim if my information changed?

Yes. To do so, go to the settlement website and click on "Filed a claim? Click here to edit your claim," which is at the top of the page.

You'll need to provide your confirmation code and claim ID, which is sent to you in a confirmation email after you've initially filed your claim.

If you sent your claim electronically, you can update your claim by emailing: [email protected]

If you sent your claim by mail, you can send your updated your information, as well as your name and contact information, to the following address:

Facebook Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation c/o Settlement Administrator  1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210 Philadelphia, PA 19103

Can I file for more than one Facebook account?

The claim administrator says that if you created but deleted one or more Facebook accounts, and then later created a new Facebook account, you can claim for the full amount of time you had an activated Facebook account during that time.

However, if you had multiple accounts at the same time, you can't get a claim for those extra accounts. In other words, no double-counting, according to the claim administrator.

Can I file for a deceased person?

Yes, but it takes a few extra steps.

First, file the claim under the name of the deceased person and fill out their details in the "Your Facebook Account" section of the claim form. 

Next, you'll have to provide the claim settlement administrator with a request to change the name to the beneficiary or the estate of the claimant. To do that, you'll have to provide documentation showing the reason for the name change, such as a copy of the death certificate. Send an email to the administrator through its secure portal with the explanation and the documents that demonstrate the need for the change.

The secure portal will allow you to send an email to  [email protected] . Use the subject line: "Name Change – Facebook User Privacy Settlement" and include the claim ID from the claim confirmation, as well as the full name of the deceased person. The site will also ask you to register with your email and password. 

You can also mail the documentation to:

Facebook User Privacy Settlement Attn: Name Change 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210 Philadelphia, PA 19103

How much money will I get?

That's unclear, because the settlement amount per user will depend on how many people fill out a claim, according to the settlement website.

However, the lawyers involved in the case are likely to take a portion of the settlement as part of their fees. The claim website notes that they could be awarded up to 25% of the settlement — or $181.3 million. If they receive that much, the settlement will be reduced to $543.7 million for the Facebook users who ask for part of the claim.

Each claimant will get one point for each month when they had an "activated" Facebook account between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. The settlement administrator will add up all the points assigned to all claimants and then divide the net settlement amount by that number. 

Each claimant will receive that per point amount multiplied by the number of points they were assigned, meaning that people who have been on Facebook for shorter periods of time would likely get a lower settlement amount.

When will I get the money?

Not until later this year at the earliest.

The claims site notes that there is a final approval hearing for the settlement on September 7, when the court will decide whether to approve the deal and award attorneys' fees and other costs. If the settlement is approved, the case could still face appeals, which would take an unknown amount of time to be resolved, the website notes.

"Settlement payments will be distributed as soon as possible if the court grants final approval of the settlement and after any appeals are resolved," it notes.

Can I opt out of the settlement — and if so, why should I?

Yes, Facebook users were able to opt out of the settlement, but that deadline passed on July 26. One possible reason for doing so was if you wanted to keep your right to separately sue the company about the issues and allegations in the case, according to the settlement website. 

How do I object to the settlement?

The deadline for filing an objection to the Facebook settlement has also passed, with that deadline occurring on July 26. 

Facebook users were able to send the court reasons why the settlement shouldn't be approved, but they couldn't ask it to order a different remedy, according to the settlement website. The court can only either approve or reject the settlement — and if the latter happens, no payments will be sent out and the lawsuit will continue. 

What if I don't do anything?

If you neither file a claim nor opt out of the settlement, you give up your right to file a lawsuit, continue a suit or be part of any other litigation against Facebook about the legal issues involved in the case. You also won't get to collect any of the settlement money, according to the site.

Are there people who are excluded from the settlement?

Aside from those who opt out of the settlement, people who work for Meta, affiliated companies or subsidiaries as well as the attorneys for the plaintiff and their employees can't join the settlement. The special master, mediators and judges involved in the case can't participate either. 

The settlement also doesn't cover users outside the U.S. or people who weren't Facebook users at any time between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022.

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