Blog Post 2: How NOT to write a book
Firstly, I would like to apologize for the clickbait headline here but I thought it would be an amusing way to talk about some common things you should avoid doing while working on your first book. While I intend to discuss some of the issues that can prevent you from finishing your manuscript, this is not a do’s and dont’s list for writing books. Instead, I want to take a look at some of the bigger hurdles and challenges that are often the root of why you have never finished that dream manuscript.
Now I would also like to add one caveat before we dive into all that holds us back, and that is that I am no expert. I have written exactly one book, which I self-published, and have only sold 100 copies. I do not know everything, I have no insider tips, and I have very limited success in this career path to draw from. Okay, so what do I have then? About twenty years of experience attempting to write, and one fairly big achievement to my name.
I have a book! It’s all mine. I wrote my ass off and I edited, and edited, and edited, and you get the idea. Every time I hold a copy of it in my hands I am filled with immense pride knowing that I finally made it happen after all these years. So what’s stopping you from achieving the same for yourself? To put it bluntly, you are. That statement comes without judgment, and with total compassion! After all, it was not so long ago I was in the same position as well.
Not writing is easy in a world with a million distractions and so many demands on your time. And when we try to write we get into our heads too much, nitpick small details to death, or beat ourselves up until we are so exhausted we can’t lift our pens. Having a negative attitude about yourself, biting off more than you can chew with lofty goals, or spending too much time trying to plot out the entire project is how you achieve burnout instead of the manuscript you were hoping for.
One of the easiest ways to NOT write a book is by not setting a daily writing goal. Honestly, it sounds pretty simple, right? If you don’t write, then you will never complete a book. Waiting around for that spark of perfect muse to hit you so you can blitz through a few thousand words can feel exhilarating! But that occasional rush just doesn’t have the staying power to keep you sustained for the word count length of a novel. A common phrase I use to keep myself grounded is, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’
Committing to writing is like committing to anything else, like a diet, or exercise routine. It is unglamorous, tedious, and at times frustrating. This is why it is important to work consistently over time instead of boom and bust word splurges. I guarantee you that you will make more progress over time if you commit to writing just a little bit every day, even if it is only for a short amount of time. Aim for a realistically achievable goal, a few hundred words a day, and just keep chipping away at it. As someone with a lot of issues around focus and energy, I have pretty consistently struggled with maintaining a consistent routine but it was through a brick a day that I built my castle.
Another way you can end up avoiding creating your first book is by worrying too much about what genre your story should be. Genres are more for selling and marketing concerns, not writing. More important than asking yourself what the genre of your book is, is asking what kind of stories you like to read. What sorts of narratives do you gravitate towards? Do you like globe-trotting epics, dramatic love triangles, or whodunits with humorous twists? Knowing that can help you focus your idea towards the intended payoff of the narrative.
Lastly, I want to mention a common mistake and pitfall that far too many of us fall into. This is honestly the best way to NOT write a book, editing as you go. It seems harmless at first, you write a few paragraphs before hitting a small roadblock, so you go back and reread the words you just put down, while you chew the fat on where to go next. And for some reason, that description, or dialogue exchange that was so glowing and flying off the page now a minute ago, now seems… flat. The more you look at it, the more off it seems, so you give in, and you start changing it. Fixing grammar, and syntax, choosing punchier words until at last it pops again!
But here’s the rub, you just spent a huge amount of time rereading, and editing a few paragraphs that stand entirely alone. The point of editing is to improve the flow and readability of a manuscript, not each paragraph as it is written. This might feel right in the heat of the moment but honestly, it is a recipe for disappointment. Creative energy isn’t infinite, and you risk wasting it before you even get going. So here’s what you should do instead, forbid yourself from editing anything until you have the whole manuscript completed, seriously it works!
The rough draft is never meant to read like a final copy, that is why we edit, but doing so too early means you will never get off the starting line. After all, there are a million ways to NOT write a book, but only one way you are going to finish that manuscript; keep writing! Do not give up, you can take breaks if you need to, but don’t stop! Keep this in mind, if I can write a book, so can you!