🕰️So… How Long Should It Really Take to Write a Book?" (Hint: There’s No Magic Number)

 

How I Almost Broke My Writing Spirit (And What Saved Me)

Let me tell you how I almost broke my writing spirit.

It started, as these things often do, with a Google search.

You know the one:
“How long does it take to write a good book?”

I know. Rookie mistake. 🤦🏾‍♀️

But in those early days of my writing journey, I was desperate for a roadmap. Some proof I was on the right track.

I wanted a formula. A gold-standard timeline that would ensure my book wasn’t trash.

So, like any curious (and slightly anxious) writer, I dove headfirst into forums, blog posts, YouTube interviews, and infographics with timers, word count charts, and “Author Secrets You NEED to Know.”

Here’s what I found:

  • Some writers spent two years crafting their debut.

  • Others took six months and swore by slow, meaningful progress.

  • A few wild ones typed “The End” after 14 days of caffeine-fueled chaos.

All of them had something to say. And I—wide-eyed, impressionable, and lowkey panicked—believed them.

🧪 The Experiment (aka: My First Book)

I tried to mold myself into the writer I thought I had to be.

I told myself: “If it takes other authors months—or years—to write something good, then surely I’ve got to do the same, right?”

I committed five months to that first book. Outlined, wrote, rewrote, deleted, retyped. Hours every day trying to feel like a “real writer.”

And what came out?

Honestly? Almost complete garbage. 🙃

Don’t get me wrong—I still love the character, and I learned a lot. But I was so wrapped up in mimicking someone else’s journey that I never gave my voice, my process, or my instincts the respect they deserved.

Instead of writing a book I felt passionate about, I was writing someone else’s timeline with my name on it.

🤯 The Truth I Wish I’d Known Sooner

There is no universal timeline for writing a book.

Let me say that again for the people in the back (and for my past self, frantically refreshing Google):

There. Is. No. Universal. Timeline.

Your book might take two weeks to write. And guess what? That doesn’t automatically make it bad.
It might take two years—and that doesn’t automatically make it brilliant.

Time spent ≠ quality produced. It’s the work within that time that matters most.

⏳ So How Long Does It Take Me?

It depends.

Sometimes I write a book in 4 to 8 weeks—the words pour out like a flood, and I’m swept up in it.

Other times, it’s a slow burn. A 3- to 7-month process where I dig, reflect, second-guess, fall in and out of love with the plot, and finally hit my stride.

And that’s okay.

That’s better than okay.

It’s real. It’s mine.

Honestly? It’s probably more common than those ultra-glamorous “I wrote a bestseller in one weekend!” headlines make you think.

🛑 What Slows Writers Down (Besides Netflix)

Let’s talk about the real culprit that delays great writing:

Comparison.

Too many of us try to fit our creativity into someone else’s calendar.

We treat other authors’ experiences like gospel instead of anecdote.

We assume if we’re not struggling for years—or if we are struggling for years—we must be doing it wrong.

Here’s the truth:

Some books are lightning bolts. ⚡
Some books are bonfires. 🔥

Both can be amazing.
Both can flop.

It has nothing to do with how long it took and everything to do with how honest, refined, and intentional the story is by the time you’re done with it.

📈 Writing Fast ≠ Writing Wrong

Let’s break a myth while we’re here:

Writing a book fast doesn’t mean it’s sloppy or shallow.

If your creative process is fast-paced and you’re deeply in tune with your story, there’s nothing wrong with finishing a book in record time.

Some of the most successful indie authors finish 3–5 books a year because their workflow supports it.

But it only works because that’s what works for them.

The key question is:
Does this pace serve my story—or am I just racing against invisible competition?

🧘🏾 What I Do Now (And Recommend to You)

These days, I’ve learned to listen to the story, not the stopwatch.

Here’s what I’ve changed:

  • I stop measuring my process against someone else’s highlight reel.

  • I allow the story to breathe and evolve naturally.

  • I don’t set arbitrary deadlines based on what worked for someone else.

  • I give myself permission to write quickly—or slowly—based on what the story needs, not what social media says is “normal.”

  • I create because I love it—not because I’m trying to hit a productivity quota.

Some books still come fast. Others take their sweet time.

Both have taught me more than any article ever could.

🛎️ Final Advice for Anyone Currently Panicking

Stop Googling timelines.

Start trusting your instincts.

Don’t rush just to prove you can.

Don’t slow down just to “seem more professional.”

Let the story grow.

Let the characters speak.

Let yourself be surprised.

And above all?

Write the way you write.

Your dream book won’t show up faster because you worried it into existence.

It’ll arrive when it’s ready—and when you are, too.

🖊️ TL;DR (Too Long; Definitely Worth It)

  • Some people write in 2 weeks. Some in 2 years. Neither is wrong.

  • Mimicking someone else’s timeline won’t make your book better.

  • I’ve written books in 4 weeks and others in 7 months—both types have value.

  • Quality comes from clarity, not speed.

  • Your story, your pace. Always.

Thanks for sticking with me through another one of my deep dives/rambles/writing confessions!

I hope this post helped calm your nerves, made you laugh at least once, and reminded you that your timeline is valid.

Now go on.

Write.

Breathe.

Trust your pace. ✍🏾💛

— Makitia Thompson

#Mindsindesign #Makitiathompson #Themiduniverse

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