How it feels to write a book
First draft
0 words
What’s happening:
Inspiration strikes! For me, this often begins with a location. Somewhere with scope for people to come together who might not connect in any other setting (the lido in The Lido, the café in The 24-Hour Café…). I dig into the characters and they start to feel like real people. I sketch out a loose plan. The idea takes up a huge amount of space in my head. It’s what I think about when I’m brushing my teeth, cooking or trying to sleep… I keep a notebook with me and jot endless notes on my phone.
How it feels:
Ooh! This is exciting! This book is going to be the best book ever!
10,000 words
What’s happening:
I’ve introduced the characters and set up the book. I’m making a start at getting the idea down onto the page.
How it feels:
Oh. I just remembered that books are really long… Have I really got 80 – 90,000 words still to write? Can I really do this?
30,000 words
What’s happening:
I’m getting into the swing of writing. I know my characters better by now. The story is taking shape.
How it feels:
Maybe I do enjoy writing. I’m excited to see where this story and these characters take me.
50,000 words
What’s happening:
I’m around the halfway point. Emotions in the novel are high.
How it feels:
I hate writing! This idea is terrible! Why am I doing this? Who would want to read this? How am I going to tie up all these threads that I’ve started? But also - maybe I should start a new thread because I have this new idea…
70,000 words
What’s happening:
I’m approaching the end of the story. It’s the downhill section.
How it feels:
OK, maybe this book isn’t the worst idea ever. I do love my characters. And I’m excited to tie things up for them. Things are starting to come together. I can see the end in sight.
90,000 words
What’s happening:
Still writing.
How it feels:
Is this book ever going to end? I’ve been writing forever. I should be finished by now but there’s still more stuff to come. Why haven’t I finished yet? When will I finish?
120,000 words
What’s happening:
First draft complete!
How it feels:
I did it! I need cake. Or a nap. Or maybe a big cry. Perhaps all three. I know this draft is longer than it needs to be and I’m preparing myself mentally for the task of cutting and changing. But first a rest. Let’s read it back through, make some tweaks then… ping! Off to my editor. And breathe… For now!
Second draft (and third, fourth, fifth, sixth etc)
Once the first draft is complete, then comes editing… For me this is the hardest part of the process where my brain is really put to work. I have to answer big questions about the type of book I want this to be. Am I getting my idea across how I intended? How can I make it better? Then even better?
Editorial notes received
What’s happening:
I’ve received my first round of editorial notes from my editor. They are ten pages long.
Usually, these are fairly major suggestions relating to the character development, the book’s structure, the themes and the emotional beats of the story and where they need work. This can involve a lot of rewriting and cutting. I’ve rewritten some of my books completely from scratch more than once during the editing process.
How it feels:
I was right – this really is the worst book ever! I should just throw it away. I can’t make those changes. It’s too hard. I don’t want to! I should just give up now!
2 days later
What’s happening:
I’ve had time to digest the feedback. I’ve highlighted key comments and scribbled lots of notes. New ideas are starting to form. New connections are being made. If I changed x, then y would work even better…
How it feels:
These suggestions make total sense. They’re going to make the book better. I’m excited to get started. I’ve got a new perspective on the story and a new burst of energy. I’m a little daunted by the scale of what there is to do but mostly I feel eager to get back to work.
1 week later
What’s happening:
I’ve made a start on editing. I’m working through the manuscript and my editor’s notes thematically.
How it feels:
My brain hurts! I feel like I’ve got a huge knot that I’m trying to unpick and it’s just not unravelling. Every change I make impacts the whole rest of the book and it’s hard to know where to start or to keep track of what I’ve done. I don’t know if I can do this. There’s so much to do!
Some time later (usually 5 weeks later due to my deadlines)
What’s happening:
2nd draft complete! I’ve addressed the feedback my editor has given and also made changes that I thought of while I was working. The novel is feeling tighter but… There are still things I’m not entirely happy with. Tweaks that need to be made…
How I’m feeling:
Phew! I did it. I cut 70,000 words and rewrote them. I changed that part of the book that I knew wasn’t really working but I was too nervous to address. I did it! And I’m happy - the book is definitely feeling stronger. But there’s still more to do. Am I up to it?
This stage usually repeats once or twice, sometimes more. Usually, it takes a few months of back and forth - me making changes, resubmitting and my editor sending their feedback.
Once I’ve worked on the big edits, sorting out the major things that need work, we move on to ‘line edits’…
Line edits
What’s happening:
My editor has gone through the whole document and made line by line annotations. These might say lovely things like ‘I love this line!’ or they may be suggestions like ‘do we really need this sentence?’ or ‘can you think of another word here because you’ve repeated the same word in the line above?’.
How it feels:
I’m getting close to the end! Compared to what has come before, this isn’t too hard. I’ve got this!
Once we’re both happy we move on to copy edits…
Copy edits
What’s happening:
The book has been passed from my editor onto a copy editor who looks at the ‘nitty gritty’. Spelling, grammar, consistencies (does the main character have brown eyes in one chapter and blue in the next?) and inaccuracies.
How it feels:
I have been working on this book for a long time. I know I should care whether a sentence has a comma or a semicolon but… I’m so tired! But no, I want this to be as good as it can be. I’m so glad copy editors exist and am thankful for their eagle eye.
But ooh, a new book idea has popped into my head! It’s shiny and new and exciting! I want to get this finished so I can thinking about the new idea instead…
And then it’s done!
The moment when a book is finally finished (another round of proofreading comes after copy editing) feels like a big achievement. I always try to celebrate it in some way. My advice to aspiring authors would be to celebrate every milestone along the way because writing a book is a long process and you need and deserve to cheer yourself on.
But alongside the happiness and sense of satisfaction on finishing a novel, I sometimes experience a bit of a comedown too. Even when you’re so exhausted by the work you’ve put in it can feel a wrench to step away from the characters you’ve created. This is why I always like to start dreaming up my next book when I’m approaching the end of editing. It gives me the next thing to feel excited about. Even if I have to remind myself that there’s a lot of work ahead to take ‘idea’ to ‘book’…
So, what do you think? If you’re a writer can you relate to any of these stages? And if you’re a reader, do any parts of the process surprise you? I’d love to hear what you think!
This was so insightful, Libby, thank you for sharing your sometimes scary journey! I am way off being as successful as you (if it ever happens at all), but you've shown me I'm not alone in sometimes feeling negative and tired about a book I'm writing, and that it will eventually pass. Thank you! ☺️ x
Wow Libby. A whole bunch of stress along the writing route but blimey it's worth every snipped word to see and read the finished book!