I wrote my first book in 30 days. Here are 11 tips and tricks to writing a novel.

In addition to working at Insider as an entertainment editor, this year I also became a published author.

My debut novel, "This Way Out," was published around the world on July 1.

It is the story of Amar, a British-Bangladeshi man who gets engaged to his partner, Joshua, and must tell his devout Muslim family that not only is he gay, but he's marrying a white man. Amar's confession sets off a chain of dramatic events — both heartbreaking and hilarious — as he navigates his family's disapproval of his sexuality, his continued grief over his mother, and a meddling future mother-in-law.

I wrote the first draft of "This Way Out" in one month, between mid-June and July 2020. It was a challenge, to say the least, but ultimately, I'm glad I pushed myself to write it so quickly. Or it might still only exist on my computer.

Here are my top tips if you want to turbo-boost your writing career and finish your manuscript, too.

The idea for "This Way Out" first came to me in 2019, and while I wrote two or three very rough chapters at the time, I quickly abandoned the novel amid my day job and a mammoth Netflix queue.

I returned to the story a year later when London, much like the rest of the world, was locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This time, I was determined not to abandon the book again. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. So, I set myself a 30-day deadline to write the whole manuscript, including rewriting the few chapters I had already written a year before.

But before that, I needed to be in the right frame of mind.

I had reached Netflix saturation point by the time I began writing. I'd binged all of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Vikings," and my brain was yearning for more stimulation. Thankfully I had just the thing for it.

Get all the distractions out of your system before you sit down to write. Finish that show or gardening project, and go into your 30-day writing challenge focused and ready.

So, you're ready to start writing your book. What next?

I was super disciplined about my writing time over the 30 days I wrote "This Way Out."

I treated writing the book as if it was my job. After all, I considered it an investment in myself, and to get the best possible outcome — a published book! — I needed to put in the effort.

I made sure I sat at my desk each day and did some writing. If you have a day job, that can be hard but think about setting some time aside early in the morning before work if you're a morning person, or in the evening if you're a night owl.

For me, it was a combination of both. I blocked out a couple of hours each morning, around 7 a.m., and another two hours each evening, at around 8 p.m., for uninterrupted writing.

You may need to experiment with writing at different times of the day to figure out what works for you. I found that I was less productive during the daytime and easily distracted by household chores and my dog, so early mornings and after dinner worked really well.

Just remember: Consistency is key. Make sure you budget time each and every day, whatever time that may be.

While promoting "This Way Out," a lot of people have asked how I came up with the idea for my book and remarked something along the lines of, "I'd love to write a book but I don't know what I would write about."

My advice is to write the book you want to write, not the book that you think you should write.

It can be demoralizing, particularly for authors of color, to see the same types of books — "Gone Girl"-esque thrillers, for example — dominate The New York Times bestseller list, but that shouldn't deter you from writing the book that is in your heart. (And if you want to write a "Gone Girl"-esque thriller, then go for it!)

"This Way Out" is a hugely personal story to me as it incorporates some of my own lived experiences as a gay, nonwhite Muslim man. It was a story I felt compelled to write because I'd never really seen myself represented in fiction before.

Is there a story you feel compelled to tell? That's the story you should write.

In my experience, the more passion and heart you can imbue into your novel, the more motivated you are to write every day, and the easier it will be.

Because I felt so deeply about Amar's story and my cast of characters, there were days when the words just poured out of me onto the page.

And remember, you'll probably have to live with this story for a long time, so you want to love it. From the first draft to publication, I've been immersed in all things "This Way Out" for two years.

In writing, there are "plotters," who plot out their novel, and "pantsers," who simply start writing with no roadmap and see where their words take them.

There's no right or wrong way to write a book, but I'm someone that likes to be highly organized when I take on a project, and the thought of writing a book without a general roadmap would be overwhelming.

In order to give myself the best chance at success, I like to get organized before I start writing, and that means writing a synopsis of my novel first. A synopsis is a general overview of your story — beginning, middle, and end.

Most authors will have to write a synopsis when seeking representation from a literary agent, but it can serve the dual purpose of acting as a roadmap that you can always refer back to. So, instead of writing it after you write your book, I find it super helpful to write it first.

If you want synopsis inspiration, here is one about a famous boy wizard.

Another highly organized way to tackle your novel is to outline the beats of your story by chapter.

After writing my synopsis, I then break that down into a more detailed plan, noting down the key events and main characters in each chapter.

You can do this in a spreadsheet or even just by making a table in a Google Doc or Word.

Like your synopsis, this is something you can always come back to for guidance and will help you keep your story on track.

A chapter breakdown is also useful for helping keep track of how many words you need to write. If a standard novel is around 70,000 to 75,000 words and you have plotted out 27 chapters, mathematically, you might aim to write roughly 2,500 to 3,000 words per chapter.

Writing may not be the most physically taxing task, but you're going to be spending a lot of time on your manuscript, so you want to be comfortable.

When I first started writing "This Way Out," I didn't have a desk. I wrote in bed, on the couch, or at the kitchen table. After getting halfway through the book, I started to get antsy. Writing in bed would lead to a nap, and the couch would give way to the temptation of turning on the television.

So, I hit up IKEA for a desk and super comfortable ochre chair. My productivity rapidly improved.

Having a dedicated and comfortable writing space can make the world of difference. It's a space to focus and stay motivated.

When you sit down, you know you're there to work, and those other spaces — the bed or sofa — can go back to being for leisure when you're done for the day.

Books are long, and when you're climbing the proverbial Everest of writing one, it can feel like you'll never make it to that magic number, whether it's 70,000, 80,000, or even 100,000 words.

With "This Way Out," I aimed for a chapter a day, with each chapter containing roughly 2,500 to 3,000 words.

When I'm drafting, I keep myself motivated by logging my word count on a piece of paper and sticking it to the wall in front of my desk. It shows me how far I've come and how much more I have to do.

There's a real sense of achievement each day when I cross off the previous word count and log the new, higher one.

Conversely, we are all human. Not every day is going to be an amazing writing day.

Writing "This Way Out," there were some days I didn't write 2,500 to 3,000 words and I despaired that I'd never finish the manuscript. I even joked to friends that maybe I should just copy and paste excerpts from Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" to make up the word count. (Don't do that.)

Don't beat yourself up if you have one bad day. Just stay consistent and sit back at your desk the next day.

It's OK to write less some days because there will be other days when you end up writing a lot more.

Allow yourself a break and be kind to yourself.

Just because you've written a synopsis and chapter breakdown doesn't mean that your book is now set in stone.

Give yourself the freedom to chop and change things, and allow the story to take you down different paths.

I had a eureka moment writing a scene midway through "This Way Out." A character did something that I hadn't plotted initially, but their actions just made sense at that point in the story.

Even as I wrote the scene, I was surprised by how their actions deviated from my initial plan, but it really worked. That scene ended up being hugely pivotal to moving the plot forward and adding extra tension to the book.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of finally finishing your manuscript and being able to write, "The end."

Sometimes, that point may come sooner or later than intended, however. Remember: You don't have to be rigid about your roadmap.

As you write, you may feel there is another chapter to add, or you may feel that a chapter is no longer needed and end up wrapping up your story sooner than planned.

I had the latter experience writing "This Way Out." As I reached the end of the book, I still had another chapter planned, but the scenes I was writing at the time felt like a fitting end. So, I went with my gut and ended it there.

Don't force yourself to write more if you feel like you're done. Go with your gut instinct. The story will tell you when it's done.

You've finished writing your book. Hurrah! But, what now?

The first draft is just the beginning. You might write a second draft yourself, tightening up the story and adding in more detail, or you might work on it with a critique partner, professional editor, or literary agent.

Before you go back to your book, give yourself a little time away from it. Take a week, or longer. Catch up with your housework, "Real Housewives" or with your friends.

A little bit of distance from your work will help you come back to it fresh and motivated.

Once you're ready, I recommend printing out the manuscript (it feels great to hold it in your hands!), sitting down on the sofa and simply reading it, not as an author, but as a reader. Absorb the story from the reader's perspective.

Then read it again. This time, maybe you'll make some notes in the margins or underline sentences to change.

Now you're ready for your second draft.

Writing a book isn't easy. If you manage to complete your manuscript — whether it's in 30 days or longer — be proud of your achievement. Not everyone has the discipline and resilience to write that many words.

Unfortunately, the publishing industry is a tough nut to crack, and it's notoriously difficult to get published by a major publishing house.

If you do get a publishing deal, congratulations. Savor the moment.

Finally holding my book in my hands, and being able to share Amar's story with the world, made all the hard work worth it.

Good luck!

"This Way Out" is available now.