29 books and counting . . .
Q & A with Christina Benjamin
Being an author of over twenty novels, one of the questions Christina Benjamin gets asked the most is how she manages to write so much. Check out her response below.
Q: How do you write so much so quickly?
A: Writing has become a numbers game for me, which I find strange, being that I hated math so much that it’s half the reason I was attracted to writing as a student. But think about it . . . as an author my job revolves around a lot of numbers.
- how many novels I write
- how many days it takes to write them
- how many words are in each
- how many pages in each
- how many pages are read each day
- how many books are sold each day
- how much to spend on advertising
- how much to price the book at
The list goes on and on. But what I manly focus on is the time. Of course time is precious so for me I want to get as much done as I can as quickly as possible while still creating something worth reading. With that in mind I’ve created a structure that works for me: The 9 Day Novel.
The 9 Day Novel: 5 steps to writing a book quickly
- Outline:
- create a rough outline.
- outline chapters. (one sentence per chapter will keep you on track)
- Character Bible:
- create a board or document that lists your characters in detail.
- it saves time not having to go back to see what color eyes you gave someone.
- Start writing:
- write the first five chapters (aka 6k words) in one sitting.
- it’s always the hardest so don’t think about it too much, just rip off the bandaid and do it.
- Schedule a writing retreat:
- somewhere away from home where you can lock yourself away and write without distraction. (I prefer to have no internet access – aka: distraction)
- choose somewhere quiet. (I like boring old hotels, not ones with a fun bar or pool – aka: more distraction)
- Set a word count:
- 7k words a day will get you to a novel in 9 days.
- When I’m working on a new novel, I write 5k words a day. NO MATTER WHAT. (it’s my job and reminding myself that helps keep me accountable.)
- While on retreat my goal is usually 10k words a day.
- Tip: create a spreadsheet to track the times you write and the word counts you achieve. (Think of it like clocking in at work. It’ll help you find your most productive times and replicate them.)
This formula currently allows me to publish a book every 8 weeks. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
Happy Writing. xoxo – Christina Benjamin
