Question: How can I maintain a productive writing schedule and get my first draft completed when I have obligations such as a job, family, and other responsibilities?

Answer:

Writing a book can be very challenging, not only because the task of writing takes skill and effort, but because it can require a lot of dedication to complete a manuscript. For many writers, finding the time to get the manuscript done is the biggest hurdle. Some chip away slowly by writing when time allows, while others schedule writing time every day. Ultimately, what works well for one writer may not work well for another. The time it can take to complete a manuscript largely depends on your book’s length and concept, your writing experience, and the amount of time you are able to commit to your project.

No matter your writing process, two things that are essential for getting to the finish are setting a realistic deadline to complete the first draft and creating a detailed plan to meet this deadline.

Setting a Realistic Deadline

Research shows that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals and dreams simply by writing them down on a regular basis. Setting a writing deadline to complete a book manuscript transforms an abstract dream into an actionable project. While the deadline should be realistic and flexible enough to account for life's unexpected challenges, having a target completion date creates structure, momentum, and accountability throughout the writing process. The key benefits of setting a first draft deadline include:

Creating a Sense of Urgency:
Without a deadline, it is easy to keep postponing writing sessions or endlessly revising early chapters. When writers know they have limited time, they tend to spend less energy overthinking minor details and put more energy into moving the story forward.

Silencing Your Inner Critic:
Deadlines force you to prioritize progress over perfection. By focusing on getting words on the page rather than editing as you go, you can silence your inner critic and finish your first draft much faster. Revisions will come later.

Building a Consistent Writing Habit:
When writers know they have a specific goal to reach by a certain date, they are more likely to establish a regular writing routine.

Creating Accountability:
Whether the deadline is self-imposed or shared with a critique group, editor, agent, or writing partner, it creates accountability and encourages follow-through.

Creating a Detailed Plan

Once you have a deadline set for your first draft, you can create a plan of short-term goals and milestones that will provide a roadmap for meeting that deadline. You can set daily and weekly word count goals, due dates for your first draft, revisions, and final draft, when you need to have your book cover artwork finalized, and so on. The ALC’s Book Launch Tool allows you to assign dates to tasks related to writing, editing, publishing, and marketing your book. You can even create custom tasks as needed. The benefits of creating a detailed plan include:

Providing Actionable Metrics:
Breaking a book project down into smaller chunks can make the overall goal feel more manageable rather than overwhelming. Chapters, scenes, and research goals can be scheduled, and word count goals can be calculated based on your deadline. For example, a 90,000-word manuscript due in six months requires about 500 words per day, making the first draft feel more attainable.

Achieving Important Milestones:
Hitting smaller milestones (like weekly word counts or chapter deadlines) creates a psychological reward loop, helping you build a consistent writing habit and keeping you motivated to push forward. Rewarding yourself when you reach certain milestones provides incentive to keep going.

Identifying the Best Times and Days for Writing:
Creating a detailed plan forces you to do some self-assessment and take a closer look at your daily and weekly schedules. To optimize your productivity, it’s important to understand the time of day you are most creative, and the days of the week where you can dedicate uninterrupted time to your writing.

Moving Closer to Publication:
A completed first draft is something that can be revised, edited, and eventually published. An unfinished manuscript cannot. Creating a plan helps ensure the book progresses from idea to finished product.

Building Self-Confidence:
Completing a manuscript is a major achievement. Finishing a first draft proves you can finish what you start, which builds confidence for future projects.

In addition to the ALC's Book Launch Tool, you can use the below Book Project Tracker and Word Count Log to plug in your manuscript’s total target word count, first draft deadline to calculate daily and weekly word count goals. The log accumulates word count completion, and the tracker calculates the number of words left to reach your goal.

0020.ALC Book Project Tracking Sheet_Word Count Log.xlsx

How to Use the Book Project Tracker and Word Count Log

The spreadsheet provided is set up to auto-calculate based on the following entries:

The following data auto-calculates based on the Total Target Word Count, First Draft Target Deadline, and Actual Word Count and Time Spent from the Word Count Log:

The Word Count Log on the second tab of the spreadsheet allows you to input daily or weekly word count goals and actual word counts, along with the time spent on each writing session:

It also totals up actual word counts and time spent, which auto-populate on the Book Project Tracker:

For additional information on improving your writing productivity and time management, we encourage you to check out the following ALC resources:

How can I stay on track with my writing and get my book finished?

7 Things Every Writer Needs to Become an Author

What is the Pomodoro Technique, and how can I use it to improve my writing productivity and get my book finished?

Finish that Book - Even When Life Gets in the Way

Embrace the Suck: A Guide to Surviving the First Draft

Photo credit: shulz from Getty Images; Photo credit: miniseries from Getty Images

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