Sometimes writers put off writing because they think it’s going to be too hard. They think about writing 60,000 words and they get overwhelmed by the numbers and their inspiration dries up and withers away. I will share with you my experiences.
The First One Is the Hardest
Writing a book is like running a marathon. The first time is the hardest. You don’t know what to expect and you aren’t prepared for all the struggles you’re going to face. You’ve got all these doubts you’re carrying about whether or not you have what it takes and what if it isn’t good when you get it done. Once you finish that first book, though, it becomes easier to write the next one and the next one because you know you can do it.
Focus on One Hundred Words at a Time
If you look at all 60,000 words, you’ll freeze up because the task is too big to handle. But you can easily write 100 words. Most people write about 20 words a minute by hand, so that’s 5 minutes worth of writing. You can do that.
If you were to write just 100 words a day, you’ll have that 60,000 word book finished in less than 2 years. If you can add another hundred words a day, you can have that same novel finished in less than a year. Add 100 more and your novel is done in 200 days time. So, don’t focus on the big number. Focus on writing just 100 words at a time and you’ll find you’ve finished faster than you thought you could.
Stop Striving for Perfection
You do not have to pressure yourself to write the perfect book the first time through. Just focus on getting it done. Don’t worry about editing it or correcting it until you reach the end and you have the ideas in place.
The truth is the first version you write is always going to be weak. It’s going to be full of wordy exposition and overly poetic prose. You’ll have to pull out the literary equivalent of a razor blade and cut away all the dead weight to get to the good parts of your story. So, stop thinking you have to do it perfectly the first time through, because nobody does.
Find Your Why
Writing will always be work. There’s no getting around it. Anything worth having or worth doing takes work. However, if you’ll find a why that makes you cry, as my friend Suria Sparks likes to say, you’ll have the motivation you need to push past all those obstacles. Sit down and think about who needs this book. Why does it need to be written? Who needs the love story you’re telling? Who needs to hear the encouragement your book offers?
Once you’ve got those people firmly in mind, focus on them as you write. Write to them, write for them, and you’ll find that you have all the motivation you need to do the work that you must do.
Surround Yourself With Encouragers
Don’t try to tackle this thing by yourself. Get in a good writer’s group. If you don’t have one, you can join my 40 Day Writers group on Facebook. It’s free. Share your stories and get feedback from the group. You’ll find you are better than you think you are, and the group will help you figure out your weaknesses so you can improve them.
Go Into It With a Plan
Take the time to create a basic writing plan. Outline the book idea and keep the outline with you. Knowing what you want to say before you start writing makes it easier to find the right words to say.
You Won’t Regret the Journey
As hard as it is to write, as much as you must sacrifice to get it done, you will never regret having done it. In fact, your only regret may be that you didn’t do it sooner!
Next Blog Post: Finding Time to Write
I’ve shown you that you know enough to serve, that there are people that need to hear your story, and I’ve given you tips on how to get started. I’ve also told you how to overcome it if you feel you’re not good at writing. The next blog post topic I’ll cover is how to find the time you need to write without adding one more thing to your already overcrowded schedule. It can be done, and you’ll be glad you did.
Did this help?
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