Hey everyone,
You know I like lists, right? This one, with the most important lessons I’ve learned while finishing 13 books, has been a long time in the making. Here goes.
- “Here’s the thing: the book that will most change your life is the book you write. The act of writing things down, of justifying your actions, of being cogent and clear and forthright—that’s how you change.” – Seth Godin
- It will always take longer than you think it will.
- The more important the story is to you, the harder it will be to write.
- Writing can be triggering at times, especially if you deal with tough subjects.
- Writing a book, especially a novel or memoir, will lay bare your insecurities, both as a writer and a person.
- Write and release. Don’t be so attached to your words that you keep them at the expense of the story. There will be wastage. Let it go.
- You’ll have good days. You’ll have bad days. It’s a mistake to attach too much meaning to either.
- Self doubt is totally natural.
- You are never as good as you think you are. Never as bad either.
- If you aren’t scared to put it out in the world, you haven’t gone deep enough.
- If you’re constantly saying you don’t have time to write a novel, you’re most likely not ready to write a novel. You are allowed to put it away guilt-free if it’s not the right time. If it is, suck it up and schedule 20 minutes a day.
- Write for yourself first.
- If you make a habit of drinking and/or smoking while writing, you might find that is incredibly difficult to separate the bad habits from the writing.
- Play to your strengths, ask for help with your weaknesses.
- Without clarity on characters and story, you will spend years spinning around in circles trying to find it.
- Just because you know the theory of writing doesn’t mean you know how to implement it.
- Your book will never be finished until you decide to finish it.
- Only writing can make you a better writer. Not reading about writing, not discussing writing, not thinking about writing. Actual writing. Words on the page.
- A book is not a baby. No one gets hurt if you get it wrong. Be open to getting it wrong.
- No one ever writes a book alone.
- The only people who tell you it’s okay that you didn’t keep your commitment to your writing are the people who don’t give a shit about whether or not you keep your commitment to your writing.
- Create milestones. Celebrate them. Create new milestones.
- No one has ever written a book without some level of sacrifice.
- Writing regularly is a habit. Not writing is also a habit.
- Beware of people who have all the answers. There is no one-size-fits-all approach but there are lots of ideas that you might benefit from hearing. Listen to them, test them, implement what feels right to you.
- Your book will change. That’s okay. Trust your story and trust your instinct. If you start to hate it, change it until you love it again.
- You will be challenged in ways that you don’t want to be challenged and didn’t anticipate being challenged.
- It won’t be perfect.
- Fear and doubt are normal guests in the writing process that show up from time to time. Acknowledge them. Ignore them. Keep writing anyway.
- Confusion doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It simply means that you still have things to work out.
- Those 500 words will come faster when you know that you can’t move out of the chair until they do.
- You have to want to tell it because if you’re not truly committed to telling it, you will keep censoring yourself. Do you really want to share this story?
- As you approach the bulky middle and things get difficult and dreary, you will find new ideas for new books and you will be tempted to chase them. Don’t.
- People will treat your writing seriously when you first treat it seriously.
- Word count is not a good measure of progress. How connected you feel to the book at the end of a writing session is.
- No one ever writes a book. At most, what you’re ever writing during a session is a scene.
- Writing fiction is not the same as writing nonfiction. They require different skills. If you write excellent nonfiction, it may still require patience and practice for you to write excellent fiction. Don’t lose heart if you’re not getting there immediately.
- “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Don’t hide from your emotions. Use them.
- Nothing teaches you how to finish a novel like finishing a novel. Many writers start; not everyone finishes.
- The question is not “Is it done?” but “Am I ready to let it go?”
- Fiction will sometimes—often—be the truest thing you’ve ever written.
- You will not be the same person when you finish the book as you were when you started. It’s possible that years have passed and life has changed, but the book itself will change you, too.
- You will learn more from writing 100 pages than you will from reading 100 books. You should still read them.
- A first draft of an 80,000-word novel will take, on average, anywhere from 80 to 160 hours. Whether you spread out those hours over two weeks or two months is entirely up to you.
- This book will test you. Books often do. The only way you’ll stick with it is if you know your why. Why are you telling this story? Why do you want people to read it? Why do you want to be an author? Each time you find yourself flailing, remind yourself of your why.
- Set deadlines. They’re everything.
- Enjoy the journey. You’ll only ever get to write this book once.
More tomorrow.
Cheers,
Natasha