So, I finished the fourth draft of my novel. It's a very important number, because now all I have to do is have a friend critique it, make a few changes if necessary, then start the process of agent querying. And that, by the way, is my intended route. I would much rather have an agent to worry about everything than do it on my own. Agents can move faster and make sure everything is legit. Of course, if I can't get an agent, I'll go it alone. But that is my first choice. I should be able to start shopping my novel by June or July. It's very exciting.
So, there is a question in here. I started writing my novel in January of 2006. It's now May of 2007, so it took 17 months to finish my first novel. How does that sound? Short, long, neither?
Matt
Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :
Sounds great to me. Well done and best of luck!
For me, the trouble is finding a friend
Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :
Good job.
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
quote:So, there is a question in here. I started writing my novel in January of 2006. It's now May of 2007, so it took 17 months to finish my first novel. How does that sound? Short, long, neither?
It depends, don't you think? If you were a full time writer, that would be very slow, I think. Most full time write at least one novel a year -- that is, from the first word of the first draft to the final polish.
But you're not a full time writer. So taking 17 months to write a novel seems like good part time work to me.
Posted by RMatthewWare (Member # 4831) on :
quote:For me, the trouble is finding a friend
Finding friends that want to read my book is easy. Finding friends that can actually give constructive advice and not be afraid of hurting my feelings? Just one at the moment, but he's awesome.
Matt
Posted by J (Member # 2197) on :
Congratulations! Good luck with the querying.
Posted by InarticulateBabbler (Member # 4849) on :
Congratulations.
Posted by I am destiny on :
congratulations and good luck in the querrying process. d~
Posted by Lynda (Member # 3574) on :
That isn't a bad time frame for someone who isn't a full-time writer. Good for you! And good luck with the querying.
Lynda
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
No set times. My last finished novel took five years to finish. My novel before that took nine months. (Or was that the one before that? It's all so long ago I forget.)
I've gone down as low as one week---not that it was very good, but it was finished. (Not that the other ones were any good, either.)
My latest unfinished novel is already almost as long as said last novel, but that's only taken nine months to get that far. (I've done better this year, too: I completed twenty-five thousand words of a rough draft novelette, and just fifteen minutes ago finished the second draft at twenty-one thousand words.)
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
The first novel is the hardest one to finish. You'll get faster.
I would start studying how to send it to publishers, also. Much easier to get an agent when you have a contract in hand.
