How long do you think it takes to write a novel? Months? Years?

I’ve certainly known authors who spend years, sometimes decades, working on a novel. And often, they’ve never gotten past the writing stage.

Some people write a lot faster. In fact, all of the successful authors I know write comparatively quickly.

And then, there’s Dean Wesley Smith.

You might recall that I published his book How to Write a Novel in Ten Days about a year ago. You might also recall how impressive that feat was then.

And now, he’s topped it.

Welcome to Dean’s latest nonfiction book: Writing a Novel in Seven Days: A Hands-On Example.

That’s right: One week, 40,000+ words, and the eighth novel in Dean’s Thunder Mountain series (The Idanha Hotel) was in my hands.

All I can say at this point is: amazing.

Naturally, Dean wasn’t satisfied with simply writing the novel in seven days. He also blogged about it and turned in those blogs in book form.

Writing a Novel in Seven Days ebook cover web 284Here’s the synopsis:

First, USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith shattered the myth that writing fast equals writing badly—or, conversely, writing well equals writing slowly—with his book How to Write a Novel in Ten Days.

Now, Smith raises the stakes with this latest book, Writing a Novel in Seven Days. 

Chapter by chapter, Smith chronicles his process toward writing a 43,000-word novel in just seven days. He writes about his progress, his feelings about the project, and how he approaches and overcomes obstacles.

This WMG Writer’s Guide demonstrates that setting an aggressive writing goal, and accomplishing that goal, can prove successful with the right attitude and tools.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to write a novel, and certainly if you want to learn to write faster and focus on your goals, pick up this latest WMG Writer’s Guide. It might just change your whole perspective…

Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer.