My Wordle!

How Do I Write a Book?

Since I have begun this WRITING venture, I have found I have many friends who also write or wish to write a book. Here is some great advice for chasing that dream of Author-hood!

All it takes is, 1) talent, and 2) actually writing the thing.

As much as I hate to admit it, the second is the more important factor.

Fact is, plenty of great novels go unfinished. The statistics are staggering: of those who start writing a novel, only about 3% will finish. And unless you're the child of a rock star or Shakespeare's long-lost descendent, no agent or publisher will look at your novel unless it's complete. Only in rare instances will a publisher make an offer to a newbie novelist based on a partial manuscript. If you're struggling with finishing your novel, these tips may help:

1. Tell yourself a little white lie: that you have a real deadline. One of the main reasons writers give up is because they begin to question whether anyone really cares. Pretend there's an editor or agent waiting, drumming his or her fingers, eager for that completed manuscript to arrive.

2. Set a daily goal. I set a minimum of two hours a day, every day. You may prefer to designate a certain number of pages, such as three to five. Writing is a lot like dieting: people who approach it reasonably on a daily basis are more likely to meet with success than those who try a crash program.

3. Don't write a novel - write a first draft. A first draft can be imperfect - and in fact, it will be. That's okay. Just get the pages down. You can fix it on the second draft.

4. Be careful whom you show it to. It can be helpful to get feedback as you go, but choose your readers carefully. Giving your precious pages to someone who is frustrated at their own inability to write a novel is like handing them a gun ... pointed right at you.

5. Spend more time writing than you spend planning. It can be helpful to have an outline and some basic research.

6. Feel the joy. Remind yourself why you're writing a novel. Few people if any set out to write a first novel because they have to. They do it because they have something to say...a passion for the written word...a dream of seeing their name on a shelf next to writers they admire. Hard work may be the backbone of a writing career, but it's the joy of creating something amazing that keeps us going.

So keep going!

~Jill Smolinski~