How to Write a Book in 30 Days PDF (That You Don’t Need!)

6 min readOct 26, 2022

Sometimes, as a blogger, I gotta write posts because people are searching for it. And a lot of you folks are searching for how to write a book in 30 days PDF. Which, like, fine. Whatever. But let’s talk about why you don’t need that PDF and how you can get down to the business of writing that book without a PDF.

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How to Write a Book in 30 Days PDF

Look. Okay. Here’s the thing.

Writing a book isn’t the hardest thing in the world. But it’s not the easiest. And if you’ve never sat down to write a whole-ass book, I’m not going to recommend that you try to write one in 30 days.

It takes stamina to sit down and write and stick with a project. Also, even if you love writing, it’s never as enticing as doing literally anything else. Just ask any writer who cleans their house when they’re on deadline.

Mopping is infinitely more satisfying than writing sometimes.

So, basically, what I’m saying is if you’re actually capable of writing in a book in 30 days, you probably don’t need a how to write a book in 30 days PDF. You already have a method.

You also don’t need anything in this list of things people Google when they quixotically decide they’re going to write a book super fast:

how to write a book in 30 days: worksheets
how to write a book PDF
how to write a book in 7 days
how to write a story PDF download
the complete handbook of novel writing PDF
book in a month worksheets PDF
writing and illustrating the graphic novel PDF
story genius PDF

So, instead of looking for PDFs to make the process of writing a book in 30 days easier, let’s talk about what you really need if you’re going to write fast.

Writing a Book in 30 Days is the Same as Writing a Book in a Year

I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. Your prep for the writing you’ll be doing is the same. The only difference is you’re going to write the book faster. So here’s what you need to do:

001: Have an idea.

This is obvious, but you have to know what your book is going to be about. You should also know the general tone you’re going for.

At this point, think big picture. Know your main characters. Know what they’re going to do. Know some scenes.

Then, when you’ve got that idea relatively solid, it’s time to outline.

002: Outline your idea.

I won’t say you need to know exactly what will be happening and when, but I will say you need to know the basic order of events. Sure, some stuff will get moved around, but you should know the big story beats.

I also recommend being as detailed as you can possibly be in the outline. So make it clear who will be in the scenes you’re outlining, and where the other characters will be. Keep the timeline clear to yourself.

The reasons for this are many. Basically, if you’re going to be writing a book in 30 days, you need to know as much as possible before you jump in. And while you’ll still be able to spontaneously come up with ideas as you’re writing, you don’t have time to come up with every little thing while you’re writing.

Outlining is for folks who want to write fast.

003: Schedule your writing time.

This is the hardest part. Seriously.

Block off the time you’ll be writing on your calendar. Pick a time and block it off, and don’t let anything come between you and the writing.

The only way to make consistent progress on your writing is to come back to it every single day. And the only way to make sure you can do that is to keep your writing time sacred.

004: Write your ass off.

When it’s time to write, you go. You go hard and fast.

If you’re taking a year to write a book, you can probably get away with writing anywhere from 300–1,000 words during your sessions. If you’re writing a book in 30 days, then you probably need to hit 2,000–3,000 words a day.

(Yes, I know the NaNoWriMo words per day is 1,667. But that’s for a 50,000 word novel, which is quite short and potentially unmarketable, depending on the genre you’re writing in.)

Remember, it’s much easier to edit a lot of words than it is to edit not enough words. So the more you get out during your writing sessions, the better.

Tools to Help you Write a Novel Fast

You don’t need a how to write a book in 30 days PDF. You need tools. Knowing how to write a novel in 30 days comes from knowing the tools that will get you there.

001: A Writing Sprint Timer

A writing sprint timer is a game changer. Whether you set the sprints for short bursts, or do full-on Pomodoros, having a writing sprint timer makes you write way more.

The idea is that you set the timer, and while it’s ticking, you write. No editing.

(I know you’ve heard me say write first, edit later.)

When the timer goes off, you can keep going. Or, you can take a break for five minutes, and then hop back into a sprint.

If you’re trying to write a book in 30 days, I recommend doing 4 sprints during your writing time, and those sprints should be around 20 to 25 minutes a piece. Everyone’s writing speed is different though, so pick a sprint time that works for you.

002: A Focus Vibe

I’ve written about Ambient Mixer before and how their environments are great for getting work done. I like them because they’re a mix of ambient, environmental sounds like rain or fire crackling or pages rustling. But there’s also some music in a lot of them too.

Recently, I started using Brain.FM and I really like it. I think it’s great for days when I need to make serious progress on client work. I love how Brain.FM has different options for the type of work you’re doing, whether it’s deep work, or if it’s more of a creative project.

Using either of these is a great way to tune out the world and focus on what you’re working on.

003: These Posts on Writing A Lot Fast

If you want to know how to write fast, you need to know about fast drafting.

If you want to know how to write 10,000 words a day, you need to know how to set the novel writing mood.

You need to know how to write a lot of words, and when you’re done, you need to know how to write more words.

But please understand that knowing is one thing, and actually being able to do it is another. So, even if you read this information, internalize it, and then attempt it, it’s going to take practice to write a lot fast.

004: The 90-Day Novel Planner

I designed this planner to help you outline your novel as well as track the writing process. Sure, it says 90 days on the cover, but writing a novel in 30 days is the same as writing it in any other time frame, only faster.

If you want to track your word count and keep all your outlines, story ideas, and book writing ephemera in one place, I recommend grabbing a copy.

005: The Pocket Word Count Tracker

If you’re going to write your ass off, you’re going to be doing writing sprints. And if you’re doing writing sprints, then you know you need to track your word count.

This little word count tracker is perfect for tracking all your writing sprints. Plus, it has 12 months worth of space to track your word count, so you could write 12 books in 30 days in the span of a year if you wanted to.

(Or you could write one book in a year like a normal person.)

Have You Ever Written a Book in 30 Days?

Do you like to write fast or do you prefer to take your time? What’s the fastest you’ve ever written a book before? Would you write a book faster than 30 days?

Originally published at https://marisamohi.com on October 26, 2022.