You’re writing or revising. The work at this stage is craft – finishing chapters, tightening drafts, getting feedback. Tools matter less than discipline, but the right tools save real time.
Guides for this stage
Writing or revising the manuscript. Start with the craft questions (how to plan, how to keep writing daily, how to break block), then the toolkit decisions, then pre-pick where you’ll format later.
Plan the book
- Plotting vs pantsing – Outline-first vs discovery-led – the trade-offs and the hybrid approach that gets first-time authors to a finished draft.
- How to outline a novel – Five structures that get you to the end – Three-Act, Save the Cat, Snowflake, Story Circle, Hero’s Journey, and which fits which genre.
Keep writing daily
- Daily writing routine – Realistic word-count targets, time blocks, accountability systems, and how to recover from missed days.
- Beating writer’s block – Seven diagnostic causes of block and the specific fix for each – diagnose, then act.
For fantasy + sci-fi specifically
- Worldbuilding – how much is enough – Bare-minimum worldbuilding for chapter 1, then build as the story demands. How to escape the worldbook trap that kills most fantasy novels.
Get early feedback
- Beta readers – find, brief, use feedback – How to recruit 3-5 beta readers in your genre, write a brief that produces useful feedback, and turn notes into a stronger manuscript.
Stay sustainable – the long career
- Burnout – spot, prevent, recover – How burnout differs from writer’s block. The recovery protocol. Building sustainable cadence that lasts a decade, not 4 years.
Pick your writing tool
- Reedsy vs Scrivener – Which writing tool fits your project – feature, price, and workflow comparison.
- Scrivener – deep dive – How to use Scrivener for writing, organising, and compiling for KDP and Kindle.
- Reedsy Book Editor – deep dive – How Reedsy’s free online editor works and whether it’s enough for your book.
- Best free open-source tools – A complete free-software toolkit – EPUB editors, layout, image, and admin tools.
- AI writing tools (2026 honest guide) – Sudowrite, Claude, ChatGPT, ProWritingAid – what each is actually for, what KDP requires you to disclose, workflows that work.
- Dictation – 2-3x your output – Dragon vs Apple vs Google. Typically much faster than typing.
Pre-pick your formatting tool
- Best formatting software (2026) – Decide now where you’ll format later – Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy, Scrivener, Kindle Create.
- Vellum vs Atticus – Paid-tool head-to-head – costs, workflows, and which suits the UK market.
- Atticus – full review – Atticus deep dive – features, pricing, how it compares to Vellum and Scrivener.
- Kindle Create – full review – Amazon’s free formatter – is it good enough for your book, or do you need more?
- Kindle Create vs Vellum – Free vs paid formatting – practical comparison of output quality and value.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should I write per day? 500 words a day is a sustainable target for many authors with day jobs – produces a 90,000-word draft in six months. 1,000-2,000/day suits full-time writers. 5,000/day (NaNoWriMo pace) burns many people out fast.
Should I plot the book first or just start writing? For first-time authors: hybrid plotting. Spend a few hours on a one-page beat sheet, then write. Pure pantsing (no outline) leaves many first novels abandoned. Pure plotting can kill momentum.
What’s the best writing software for indies? Scrivener (£45 one-off) for fiction with complex structure. Microsoft Word or Google Docs for simpler projects. Reedsy Book Editor (free, browser-based) for those who want clean output. Don’t switch tools mid-book – pick one and commit.
How do beta readers work and where do I find them? Beta readers are unpaid genre fans who read your near-finished draft and give structured feedback before you spend on an editor. 3-5 betas is the sweet spot. Find them via your newsletter, /r/BetaReaders, StoryOrigin (free author-swap platform), or paid via BookSirens.
Is it OK to use AI to help write my book? AI tools work well for brainstorming, outlining, structural feedback, and self-editing acceleration. AI as ghostwriter (publishing AI-generated prose) can disappoint readers, and KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated content. Best practice: human-written first draft + AI-assisted revision.
