Starting any new project is like standing at the edge of unexplored territory — exciting, a little daunting, and filled with endless possibilities. Writing your first book is no different but I have good news! You don’t need to have everything figured out right away; all you need is a spark — an idea, a character, a question, a problem that needs solving — something that won’t leave you alone. From there, it’s about taking one step at a time, allowing your imagination to guide you and your voice to grow stronger with every word. Embrace the uncertainty, trust your creativity, and remember: every great author once started exactly where you are now — at the beginning.
So let's get started...
- Getting Started: That blank page can feel intimidating. Some people get stuck overthinking what to say when all the while, they were saying, "Man, I can write a book on this!" So let's start, one sentence at a time.
- Staying Consistent: Writing a book takes time, give yourself some grace but put yourself on a schedule. When I completed my second book, I committed to writing SOMETHING every night between 9 - 10 pm. Identify the best time for you and stick to it.
- Overcoming Self-Doubt: Thoughts like “Who's going to read this?" or "Who knows me?" or "Does anyone even care about this?" can creep in and make writers second-guess their work. Trust me, there is an audience out there that needs to hear what you have to say.
- Creating Plot and Structure: Think about the message you want to get across. How will you start telling the story or what is the first part of the process? Then move on to the middle and then finally, what do you want to leave your readers with in the end. Try attacking this by thinking about the table of contents. What's in it? Write down all of the topics and move them around to make the content flow.
- Character Development: Making characters feel real, complex, and relatable takes time and intention. What is relevant today, what is the story you are trying to tell or the problem you are trying to solve? Build characters around those thoughts.
- Finishing the First Draft: Perfectionism can be crippling, just write it down, incorrect grammar, poor sentence structure and all. Clean it up in the editing process but allow your creativity to ooze out on the pages like lava for your first draft. Editing as you go will slow you down, just get out the content and polish it up later.
- Time Management: Balancing writing with work, family, and other responsibilities can make it hard to find time and energy for writing. That's why in order to stay consistent, you have to be intentional and schedule a time to write daily, weekly, monthly (depending on your timeline). Plan out every waking moment of every day.
- Maintaining Momentum in the Middle: Beware of a “sagging middle.” This is common in writing. Ever see a movie that falls off in the middle and loses your interest? Yeah, you don't want that. This is a good time to revisit your why and maybe add a plow twist to spice things up. The main thing is, you don't want to lose your reader here so reconnect with your message and drive it home.
- Revisions and Editing: The first draft is only the beginning. Reworking scenes, fixing plot holes, managing flow and polishing the language can feel overwhelming. You can hire an editor versus going through this process yourself. Sometimes that gets hard so choose a professional that understands and connects with your voice.
- Conquering the Fear of Sharing: Once the book is done, you may find yourself still afraid to share your work. Fear of criticism and/or how others will react. Will it sell? Remember, it's not about you. It is about the audience of people who have been waiting for you to finish your work. Take the last step and publish that book!
Knowledge isn’t a treasure to hoard — it’s a light meant to guide others. I am here to help you, let me know what you need more tips on in the comments.