Growing up, I thought I’d be a published author by my early twenties. I loved writing but did it sporadically at best, writing when I felt like it, always surrounded with half-finished chapters, drafted book ideas, unfinished fanfiction, scattered poems, and short stories.
I had drafted the beginning of three different novels in my late twenties when I finally decided to put my foot down, choose one of the book ideas, and actually write a novel and complete it. TO COMPLETE ONE BOOK.
I wrote a mystery novel titled, What Happened to Rachel? in 2020 and after being rejected by a dozen agents, left the manuscript alone. I mean, I was a loser, right? Untalented, clueless, boring and unoriginal.
In 2023, I decided to self-publish my book. It was still an accomplishment to write a book, after all, and why not self-publish and try to do some self-promotion instead? I re-read and edited for over a year, and finally self-published in the spring of 2024.
Because of the life-long struggle I had with completing a book, I thought it might be nice to provide my experience and some tips for anyone suffering with the same challenge. So, here we go:
- Just start writing. Put words on paper. Once you have an idea, or even a character or scene, plot it out on paper.
Even on days where you absolutely don’t feel like writing, tell yourself you’ll write for five minutes, just to open your laptop. Once you have your document open, put a timer on for five minutes. If after five minutes you’re feeling it, keep going. If not, you can finish your session there, but at least you’ll feel good you got something done.
If you’re facing the dreaded writer’s block, the best thing I’ve found to do is to still write. Yup, that’s right, write. Even if it’s crap, at least you tried. So essentially, I’ll write a very simple sentence such as, “She walked into the store,” or “He woke up in a sweat,” and just try to think of how to go from there. Oftentimes, I either think of something to write about after starting a simple sentence, or think of something completely different, scratch out the first sentence, and continue writing with the new train of thought.
You never know, you may hit gold, or you may create a scene you’ll end up deleting in edits, but for me, as long as I’m hitting my daily word target, I feel like I’m succeeding, which motivates me to continue writing.
You can also use rewards as positive discipline – reward yourself with TV or something fun after you hit your writing goal, or make a coffee to enjoy while you work.
- Write regularly.
I wrote this book by writing 2,000 words five times a week. Days where I didn’t write 2,000 words, I had to catch up the next day and write more to cover the loss. This can be excruciating, but it’s absolutely necessary to write as much as you can, on a regular basis. If you’re only writing when motivated, it’ll be very hard to finish a larger piece of work in a set timeframe.
I will admit 2,000 words is intense. I’m currently writing a second book and decided to write 1,000 words a day, everyday (including weekends) for a few months and found this more manageable.
If you’re new to writing or do better with manageable goals, I’d suggest trying to write 500 words a day unless you notice the words come easily to you for a project. You can always up the word count the more you write. The most important part is to write on a regular basis, and ideally create and follow a routine so your work is on your mind on a regular basis.
- Stay focused on your project
If you want to feel productive but writing isn’t coming to you, there are a few other things you can do to still connect you with your book.
- Brainstorm (future events, side plots, conversations)
- Map out your characters (their age, upbringing, career, looks, personality traits)
- Read and edit what you’ve already written
Do not start a new project. Instead, listen to a song or go on a walk and think of something you can add to your book. Make a short list of ideas you want to incorporate in your novel or do some brainstorming but do not start something new!
- Rest to refuel
Honestly speaking, I am a lady of leisure and definitely rest more than the average person. I rest by going on walks with my thoughts (no music, audiobook, or errand to complete), reading, and watching TV. Walking outside gives your mind a break while exercising your imagination. Reading is important to every writer, and I recommend reading every single day if you want to write. And TV, well, that’s just letting me melt my brain cells in peace – needed to not go completely bonkers.
- Read read read
I just mentioned reading but it really deserves its own section. Not only does reading improve your writing, but now that you’re writing, you’ll view books differently – you’ll start noticing interesting layouts, which fonts you like, how you want to separate your chapters, and think of ideas for your cover. Reading fiction especially improves your imagination, absolutely needed for storytellers!
The most important thing to remember on your writing journey is to set one big goal (write and complete a project), followed by mini goals (daily writing targets), and ensure you take time to rest to refuel. I hope this list is helpful to someone out there, and I hope your dream comes true the way mine has.