The desire of becoming an author can be exciting yet frightening: you have the chance to impact countless people with your words and insights. To be able to say you are a published author and have your writing available for the world to connect with is exhilarating, but with such fulfillments comes a great deal of work. Writing a book is no easy feat and takes self-discipline, creativity, and determination. If you’re contemplating taking on your own novel but don’t know where to start, here are my top three tips on what to consider before beginning this process:
- Stick to it and make no excuses.
Did you know only 3 percent of writers who begin writing a book end up finishing it? The most challenging part about this is not only starting but rather, committing to it. Establish your mindset and simplify the process by taking small, consistent steps. The thought of writing an entire book can feel overwhelming, and it’s the biggest reason I’ve found people do not start their books to begin with. Focusing on taking one step at a time will help chip away at this challenging endeavor. The important part is to remember to enjoy yourself and the steps you’re taking toward achieving this goal. Collaborate and build relationships with those who have like-minded values, and you will find yourself surrounded by a supportive writing community.
- Push perfectionism aside.
There is such thing as healthy perfectionism, which can drive people to perform their best. Unhealthy perfectionism, however, can lead to stress and cause an inability to complete your book. One thing that has helped me is reminding myself that I am not perfect, and my writing won’t be either. Writing a book is an intricate process and it’s important to allow yourself to be vulnerable to constructive criticism. You’re going to go through countless rounds of revisions which can make it easy to believe your writing isn’t good enough. Remember this: you’ve set out on a mission to do this. Believe that you’re good enough instead of perfect, and know you are just as qualified to write a book as anyone else!
- Identify how you want your readers to feel.
No matter what kind of novel you’re taking on, one of the most dynamic skills an author can bring to the table is intuitively moving their readers. People enjoy reading because it allows them to not only learn new concepts but also escape to another world and experience different emotions. Be specific with your word choice and make sure your readers can relate to your protagonist; show your reader how they should feel and give them a reason to keep turning the page. Let your passion shine through your words and pull your readers into the moment. Before writing a book, identify what you want your readers to take away from your writing. Pinpointing this early on will help your writing move in the proper direction and have the greatest impact. Anyone can write a book and all it takes is a great idea and plenty of determination. Writing a book helps you discover who you are and may even reignite a passion inside of you that was once lost. Any goal in life is within your reach – the first step is to simply start. Despite this difficult process, there are so many things you can gain from writing a book. If there is one thing I want you to take away from this, it’s that someone needs to hear your story. As Jodi Picoult said: “Everyone has a book inside of them – but it doesn’t do any good until you pry it out.”
AUTHOR: Nicole Buntgen