Most unfinished novels stall in the middle, not at the start. This plan breaks a first novel into stages you can finish: planning, a first draft, a rest, revision, feedback and a decision about publishing.
The writing sessions are set up as repeating tasks so the habit is on your list every week. Dates count from the day you copy the list, and the pace assumes about four short sessions a week. Stretch or shorten it to fit your life.
The plan does not tell you what to write. It gives you a route to a finished manuscript. Check current submission guidelines with any agent or publisher before you send anything.
What's in this plan
See every step
Set up(day 0)
Write one sentence on why you want to write this novel
Keep it where you will see it. You will need it around the slump in the middle.
Pick a writing time you can keep
Small and regular beats long and rare. Four 45-minute sessions a week is easier to hold than one big weekend.
Choose the tool you will draft in
Any word processor works. Pick one and stay with it so the whole draft lives in one place.
Set up a backup for your manuscript
Save to cloud storage and a second place. Losing a draft is the commonest avoidable disaster.
Pick a daily or weekly word count target
Choose a number you can hit on a bad week. Check it against your session length after the first week.
Tell one person you are writing a novel
Someone who will ask how it is going.
Weeks 1 to 4: plan the book(day 7)
Plan enough to start, not enough to stall.
Idea settled(day 7)
Write down 5 ideas that keep coming back to you
Choose the idea you would still enjoy in a year
Write the premise in 2 or 3 sentences
Who wants what, what stands in the way, and what is at stake.
Characters and world known(day 14)
Write a one-page profile of your main character
Include what they want, what they need and what frightens them.
List the 3 to 5 other characters who matter most
Sketch the setting in one page
Time, place and the rules of the world if it is not ours.
Outline written(day 28)
Choose a structure to plan around
Three acts, the hero's journey and save the cat are common. Or plan loosely if you prefer to discover the story as you write.
Write the opening, midpoint and ending in one line each
List the main scenes in order
A rough list is enough. It will change.
Check the outline for a clear turning point in each act
Draft a chapter plan with a target length for the book
Typical lengths vary by genre. Check what is normal for yours.
Months 2 to 6: first draft(day 180)
Writing habit running(day 35)
Write for one session(day 35)(repeats weekly)
Repeats on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Write forward. Do not edit what you wrote yesterday beyond a quick read of the last page.
Log your word count for the week(day 35)(repeats weekly)
Repeats on Sunday. A simple tally shows whether your target is realistic. Adjust it rather than quit.
First third written(day 90)
Write the opening chapter(day 42)
Aim to start close to the moment things change. You can fix it later.
Reach the end of act one(day 70)
Write down any plot changes in a notes file(day 90)
Do not go back and rewrite. Note the change and carry on.
Middle written(day 140)
The middle is where most drafts stall. Keep the sessions going and lower the bar if you have to.
Write up to the midpoint of the story(day 115)
Update your outline and update it to match the draft(day 120)
Doing this once, mid-draft, keeps the ending reachable.
Write through the middle section to the crisis(day 140)
Ending written(day 180)
Write the climax(day 165)
Write the final chapter(day 175)
Save the finished first draft as a separate file(day 180)
Name it with the date. Never edit this copy.
Rest, then re-read(day 200)
Put the draft away for at least 2 weeks(day 195)
Distance lets you read it as a reader, not the author.
Read the whole draft in as few sittings as possible(day 215)
Do not fix anything yet. Make margin notes only.
List the 5 biggest problems in one page(day 220)
Look at plot holes, weak scenes, pacing and character arcs.
Months 8 to 10: revise(day 300)
Structure fixed(day 250)
Fix the biggest plot and pacing problems first(day 240)
Cut or merge scenes that do nothing(day 250)
Rewrite any weak openings and endings of chapters(day 260)
Characters and voice consistent(day 280)
Check each main character's arc from start to end(day 270)
Read the dialogue aloud and mark lines that sound false(day 280)
Second draft finished(day 300)
Revise one chapter or scene(day 225)(repeats weekly)
Repeats on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Work through one chapter or scene at a time.
Save the second draft as a new file(day 300)
Months 10 to 12: feedback and polish(day 345)
Ask 2 to 4 trusted readers for honest feedback(day 305)
Choose readers who read your genre. Tell them the questions you want answered.
Write a short feedback brief for your readers(day 305)
Paste this into an AI assistant to draft one.
Prompt to copy
Write a short, friendly note asking a beta reader for feedback on my novel. The genre is <genre> and the length is about <word count>. Ask 5 specific questions about pacing, characters and the ending. Do not invent any details about my book.
Collect the feedback and note patterns(day 330)
Weigh points raised by more than one reader most heavily.
Write the third draft using the feedback(day 340)
Proofread the manuscript line by line(day 345)
Change the font or print it out. Both help you see mistakes you have stopped noticing.
Decide what comes next(day 365)
Choose between traditional publishing and self-publishing(day 350)
Both are valid. Research each route before you commit.
Write a one-page synopsis and a short pitch(day 358)
Check the submission guidelines of any agent or publisher you plan to approach.
Make a list of 10 agents or publishers to research(day 365)
Look at who represents books like yours and read their submission guidelines.