Can you write a book whilst at university?

Would it be possible to write a decently sized book of around 70k words whilst studying a demanding 3-year undergraduate degree or would it mean I'd have sacrifice my social life and / or my academics?

Reply 1

londonmyst

19

Yes.
It's possible to write, edit and proofread a book whilst at uni studying a full time 3 year degree course.
I know a few people who wrote books of 85,000-110,000 words whilst studying a 1-2 year degree course.

Good luck!

Original post by Pisceanprince

Would it be possible to write a decently sized book of around 70k words whilst studying a demanding 3-year undergraduate degree or would it mean I'd have sacrifice my social life and / or my academics?

Hey there @Pisceanprince !

It depends on whether you think you can do it whilst prioritising your studies. If you'd rather do that than do things like joining societies then I don't see why you couldn't do it over a three year time period. It honestly depends if you think you can put your mind to it or not. I definitely think it's do-able. I wouldn't sacrifice your academics to be honest because then what's the point of you being there. You could always just throw together some concepts and come up with a first draft during uni and then fine-tune it once you've got more spare time like at the end of the year or during holidays.

Hope this helped!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU

Hi there,

Writing a book while completing your university studies is definitely possible.

However, it all depends on the type of student you are.

If you know how to manage your time properly, recognize your priorities and genuinely enjoy writing, then this should be an enjoyable and easy process for you.

Additionally, if you prefer your own company and dislike going out, it will help you save a lot of time and focus on writing.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend to occasionally go out, speak to new people and try different experiences. This will help you network, thus support your future career.

But please remeber to focus on your studies especially if you're studying a demanding course.

I hope I managed to help!

Best of luck,
Melanie
LSBU Rep

Reply 4

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by Pisceanprince

Would it be possible to write a decently sized book of around 70k words whilst studying a demanding 3-year undergraduate degree or would it mean I'd have sacrifice my social life and / or my academics?

Having published books in the past (albeit non-fiction).

The important bit will be: 1) the contents i.e. ensuring a plot/story of a decent calibre (decent being relative to the market of similar published works) - and 2) the editing & quality stages.

the writing i.e. words on a page will probably be relatively easy, assuming you develop an appropriate strategy on how you will write it.

(edited 4 months ago)

Original post by Pisceanprince

Would it be possible to write a decently sized book of around 70k words whilst studying a demanding 3-year undergraduate degree or would it mean I'd have sacrifice my social life and / or my academics?

Hi there,

I wrote a 20k word travel guide this summer while between the 2nd / 3rd year of my degree. This was also alongside working and travelling so I think it's possible to write an entire book alongside a 3-year degree.

All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep

Can you write a book whilst at university?

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