Insights from a full-time romance author

Lilac Mills
Apr 27
3 min read

As a romance author who has has been referred to as 'prolific' on several occasions, I get asked all the time: how do you write so fast? With over fifty heartwarming romance novels and novellas published under three pen names - both traditionally and self-published - I’ve learned some effective strategies to boost my writing speed while maintaining story quality. At least, I hope that's what I do!

Why I write

The most important thing is passion. I write because I love it. Writing isn’t just a job for me, it’s an addiction - in the best way! Even when I’m not physically writing, I’m thinking about my characters, plot twists, or the next scene - whether I’m cooking dinner, swimming laps, or gardening. This constant mental engagement helps keep the creative juices flowing and the words flowing.

Treat writing like a job - but be flexible

Writing is my business and I treat it seriously. I aim to write most days, with a goal of around 2,000 words per day. However, life as an author includes more than writing: there’s editing, marketing, and other tasks that sometimes reduce my writing time. I don’t always hit the word count, and that’s okay.

I’ve written about this balance in my post You want me to write a what?

If you have to fit writing in around the day job, the family, and other commitments, then give yourself a daily word count that you can realistically stick to, even if it's 100 words a day. One hundred is better than none! But if you don't hit it, don't beat yourself up over it either.

The power of deadlines (for me, that is!)

Deadlines are my best friend. Without a looming deadline, I tend to procrastinate, and will spend hours working on book covers, blurbs, or social media instead of writing. But when a deadline is close, I can push out up to 5,000 words a day. Sometimes that means pulling off Herculean feats, like writing 30,000 words in a week to meet a tight deadline. And if you work better under pressure and you don't have an external deadline, give yourself an internal one; tell a friend you'll give them the first draft to read by a certain date, for example.

How I structure my writing day for maximum output

If you treat writing like a typical 9-to-5 job, then writing for six hours a day at about 600 words per hour could net you 3,600 words daily; that’s 18,000 words a week and roughly 78,000 words in a month.

However, I can't sustain that level of creativity and I don't know many authors who can (although I dare say there are authors out there who do that). So, I usually write about 2,000 words most days, aiming for at least 10,000 words a week or 40k plus month. I don’t stick to 9-to-5, though, as I often write early mornings or in the evenings and on weekends. This flexibility helps me fit writing around my family and life commitments.

Structuring your day to fit in writing will help you achieve your writing goals.

Early mornings and writing sprints

I wake early, often writing 1,000 words before breakfast - because that works for me. I also break my day into writing sprints, which helps accumulate a substantial word count quite quickly, and go and do other things in between such as social media or emptying the bins. The break times help me reset and refocus, and ensures that the chores or tasks that need to get done, actually get done!

If your time is restricted, writing sprints may help keep you focused. Five hundred words in the hour between getting the kids to bed and settling down to watch TV, could be enough, for instance. Find what works for you and what fits in with your lifetyle and personal circumstances.

Love your story

Fast writing is important for me because of my publishing commitments, but it’s not just about word count. The story and love of writing always come first. I let my books be as long as they need to be to tell the tale as well as I possibly can.