It takes a great amount of work and energy and time to write something that will be read in less than a week. My previous short book, which was barely 100 pages, can be read in less than an hour if you're a fast reader. It took me 2 months to write. My novel, however, of 300 pages, took me 2 years.
I've heard all sorts of stories from writers; their novels took them from three months to 4 years. Just as reading speed varies among people, so does writing speed. Just because a full-time writer takes 3 months to write a 100.000 words book, doesn't mean I can, too. And it also doesn't mean I should.
The fact of the matter is that consistency is what will lead to a finished project and not speed. When I started writing The Shadows We Live In, I decided I was going to write 1 page a day. Slow and steady progress would have led me to a complete book by the end of the year. If I forced myself to write 1 page on the bad days, and stayed at 1 page on the good days instead of fluctuating according to my mood, perhaps this book would have been done earlier. Perhaps. I cannot know that.
When I completed my first novel it bothered me how long it took me to write it. And now I know it shouldn't have.
When I wrote Iris Woke Up, I had only just started my PhD, I wasn't working at the time, and my evenings and weekends were pretty much free. When I started writing The Shadows We Live In, however, everything had changed. And as time went by, my responsibilities doubled every year, making it even harder to find the time and energy to write. Right now I cannot commit to writing another novel until I finish my PhD, since I know it will take me forever. If I write a book in 4 years, by the time it is complete I will have forgotten how the story begins. That's why I write short stories again and take my time with them. But that's just me.
I can see how a full-time writer can write a book in 3 months' time. And I can also see how a busy person might need 4 years to complete theirs. So if you're a writer struggling to finish your WIP, don't fret. My advice would be to assess your current situation and act accordingly. Because if you are a working single parent, for instance, you should not pressure yourself to write in the same amount of time a childless, able-bodied person with a security net would. Take your time, create a writing schedule and make sure you are consistent with it. And every book you write will become easier than the previous one.
So how long does it take to write a book? As long as it takes.
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