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First, I would like to say, no, this post does not give you a mathematical equation to literally figure out how many hours, days, months, years, whatever, that it will take you write your novel. Obviously there are a lot of factors that depend on you personally as a writer.
But what this post does give you is a questionnaire that helps you determine how complex your novel is, which will then, hopefully, help you gauge what kind of effort and energy you will need to complete your story.
While some authors write faster than others, some stories, frankly, take longer to write than others.
And it doesn’t just depend on the length of your manuscript. Some stories have simpler structures, others more complex. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when plotting your novel to help you gauge how long it will take to write it.
Keep track of your answers. They run from simple to complex, with the letter “A” being simple and onward, more complex. Remember, the more complex doesn’t mean the better your story is. Simple stories can be powerful too.
(Note that I created this myself, so if you have any ideas for improvement, please let me know. This was the best I could get it at this moment.)
How large is your cast of characters?
A. Small cast of characters
B. Medium cast of characters
C. Large cast of characters
How many different settings are in your story?
A. Story takes place in mostly one area. (For example, the character never leaves the farm.)
B. Story takes place over a lot of different areas I’m familiar with
C. Story takes place in another time
or place that I will need to research extensively
D. Story takes place in another time
and place I will need to research extensively
or
Story takes place on a completely different world I need to create from scratch