Many writers are obsessed with the number of books they’re going to write in their life. Initially I also thought about how many books I could write. But later I decided to take a different route. Fewer well written books is a much better option. Now that I have more experience, a book takes approximately 4 months to appear, provided I write an hour and a half every morning. First, I read the bit I’d written the day before and then I write on.
In spite of this, a novel takes another 4 to 6 months to take final shape. During this time I read it through a few times, making corrections along the way. This second phase is even more important than the first. But many writers who are too obsessed with the number of published books devote insufficient attention to this phase, which is a big mistake.
It’s necessary to keep reading the book until there’s hardly anything left to correct. And I don’t mean just words and sentences, but the story itself. The writer must feel everything his main characters feel. You must follow your heart and add or remove sentences, paragraphs and even pages. And with every chapter, you must ask yourself if it’s necessary at all.
I’ve realized that it is best if 3 to 4 weeks pass between two readings. This gives your brain a chance to clear and you can experience the book almost anew each time.
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