The Book Olympics – a novel is a marathon, not a sprint

Joe McCoubrey · Post by **Joe McCoubrey** » 23 Jul 2012, 10:24

With the London Olympic Games just around the corner there are analogies aplenty to describe the processes by which authors get a book ready for the finishing line.

Let’s for a moment overlook the obvious comparison of marathon versus sprint, ignore the temptation to talk about hurdles to be overcome, and skip the image of taking the plunge. The preparation needed to be a Book Olympian (an Author with a completed work) is every bit as dedicated as athletes who cloister themselves in training camps and pound the miles in daily exercise routines.

I’m not suggesting the physicality of writing is anything like that required by Olympians – but authors too have daily routines, and they can be just as lonely, tedious and draining as those experienced by their muscular counterparts.

There has always been a lively debate about how authors should make room in their day for a set writing routine. How many hours per day? Is there a recommended daily word count?

bizworldusa12 · Post by **bizworldusa12** » 24 Jul 2012, 02:02

nice book. Is there any book on the history of OLYMPICS ?

Thank you

BLACKLISTED

dkdai64 · Post by **dkdai64** » 24 Jul 2012, 13:13

Well shared if there is more about this kind of books please don't forget to share and I want to know about the history of the sports, if there anybody know about that kinds of book share.

billorton · Post by **billorton** » 19 Feb 2015, 17:20

Actually, I included the London Olympics in my first novel, "Hope for Change, But Settle for a Bailout." It is a slog. Novels are beasts that you have to beat back. And what I gained from that first book were productivity habits. Just like a marathon, the only way to finish is to put one foot in front of the other, and step by step you draw closer to conclusion. That first novel took about a year, working first on a manual typewriter, and then editing the text on computer. The second also took about a year. The third flew out in about six months, and I think it is the best of the three. Productivity, though, is the key, because unless you finish it, not only can YOU not read it, neither can anyone else.