Let’s cut the fluff: writing 70,000 words in five days is not fun nor is it clean. It’s not romantic. It’s not some cozy, candlelit, typing-in-a-cabin moment. It’s pure grit. It’s obsession. It’s several pots of coffee, energy drinks, hair pulled out, forehead smashed against walls, and then occasional moments of genius (and frequent existential dread).

But I did it. And here’s how I did it. Plus what I’d never do again.

First off, Why the Hell Would Anyone Do This?

Deadlines.

In my scenario I had taken on a ghostwriting project with an INCREDIBLY tight deadline. The person who hired me wasn’t sure it could be done and…I wasn’t either. But once I commit to something, if it is within my control and even if it kills me, its getting done. Let me walk you through what worked and what didn’t.

What Actually Worked

✅ 1. Detailed Pre-Planning

I didn’t just sit down and “let the muse speak.” I had a chapter-by-chapter roadmap. That meant zero time wasted wondering what happens next. I was executing, not inventing. If you’re aiming for high word count fast, this step is non-negotiable. Words on the page is the mission, worry about making it pretty and perfect later.

✅ 2. Time Blocking (Like a Psychopath)

I wrote in 90-minute sprints, sometimes longer, and tried to take 30-minute breaks in between. That didn’t always happen, but when it did, I completely detached from the project. I have no shame. Most of the time it was 30 minute doom scroll sessions on TikTok. Anything to give my mind a rest before diving back in. During each sprint I followed a very simple (yet very hard to stick to) rule: just keep typing. Even if it sucks. The majority of it sucked on that first pass, and it was a struggle to leave it be and save the editing for the editing, but I forced myself to do it.

✅ 3. Dictation

I will be honest, dictation is a huge time saver ON THE WRITING END. The issue is you make up for on the editing side. Still, it is undeniable. Dictating is three times faster than typing, on average, and personally, I found it to be more so. On a typical day, I can bust out around 2,500 words in an hour. With dictation, it was between 8,000-9,000. Keep in mind, the words are going to be shit. Lots of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ and the like as you are trying to think your way through the story in real time, but if you want to save yourself days or even weeks on getting that first draft done, this is the best way I have found to do it.

✅ 4. Low Expectations for Quality

This was a first draft. Please do not get confused on this. This was NOT a publish-ready manuscript. Not even close. I didn’t pause to edit, reread, or judge. My only job was to get the bones on the page. Judgment kills speed and in this particular case, speed was the point. When you read back through that first pass, it is going to be painful. It is going to be humiliating, even if you are the only one reading it. But if you find yourself in a situation where you need to get a lot of words down really quickly, regardless of the quality, this is the way to do it.

What Almost Killed Me

❌ 1. Not Enough Physical Breaks

I sat too long. I am used to sitting during the day, but this was just different. My body hated me by day two, and my eyes were screaming. If you’re trying this, set a timer to move every hour. Seriously. Stretch, walk, do some push-ups, do something. Get your eyes off the screen and your ass out of the chair. Your future self will thank you.

❌ 2. Social Isolation

It was quite literally a requirement to ghost everyone. It works for productivity, but by the third day you start talking to the damn dog and half expecting him to talk back. It got super lonely. Thankfully I got to see my wifey and kids every night, but the days were pretty isolated. It was required though.

❌ 3. Sleep Deprivation Catches Up

I am very thankful that I did not pull any all-nighters. I don’t even know if I am capable of that anymore, but that does not mean that I got a lot of sleep and the sleep I did get certainly wasn’t quality. I am used to unplugging at the end of the day. Playing with the kids, watching a show with my wife, maybe some video games and then crashing into bed. Not during this season. This season meant most of that was out the window and the evening hours were just more working hours!

Would I Do It Again?

I am going to be so honest…I would try just about anything to avoid it. Would I do it again? I can’t say never because everyone has a price and there are situations that call for all sorts of crazy shit. It would take a lot for me to do it again. It wasn’t fun. It was brutal. Like FUCKING brutal. That was before the editing process even began which was like double torture because quality went straight out the window during the writing. Post production was something else…yeah I really don’t want to do that shit again.

If You’re Thinking About Trying This…

Ask yourself:

• Do I have a clear outline?
• Can I completely clear 5 days of distractions?
• Am I okay with messy, unedited words?

If yes, shit, go for it. Try it. Experience it. You’ll learn more about your writing process in five insane days than in five months of tinkering and you’ll value a few good words more than you ever have before. That I can promise you.

Just remember: burnout isn’t a badge of honor. Respect your brain. Respect the process. And when you’re done? Take a damn nap.

If you made it this far, thank you. I want to say that I DO NOT recommend that this become your normal process. It really was fucking grueling. For real. I am sure there are a few freaks out there that can do this consistently and not lose their minds, but 99.9% of us aren’t that person. My honest fear in doing this consistently would be that it would kill the love for writing. It just wasn’t fun. I dreaded every day and by the end of it I needed a two week break to even think about writing again. Anything that threatens my passion is a no go for me, so just keep that in mind if you are considering giving this a try. And if you do, good luck! I will be rooting for you!

Until next time,

Tyler