I often hear people say they’d love to write a book one day. How hard can it be? That was me a few years ago. Perhaps it’s the allure of crafting worlds with words or a harmless way to play out their fantasies. Whether it’s penning crime novels that keep readers on the edge of their seats or weaving tales that transport one to other realms, becoming a writer is a journey filled with challenges, learning, and profound satisfaction. However, becoming a writer is not solely about putting pen to paper; it begins with a fundamental step—becoming a reader.
The Bedrock of Writing
To embark on the writer’s journey, one must first immerse oneself in the world of reading. Reading widely and voraciously opens a treasure trove of knowledge, styles, and insights, laying the groundwork for your writing. It’s through exploring the works of others that you begin to understand narrative structures, character development, and the subtle art of weaving themes into a story. Reading is not just a pastime; it’s an essential exercise in learning the craft from the inside out.
Honing Your Skills
Writing is an art that demands continuous improvement. As you navigate your writing journey, be prepared to refine your skills. This includes mastering grammar, expanding vocabulary, and experimenting with different writing styles. Workshops, courses, and writing groups can offer valuable feedback and teach you new techniques, helping you to grow and evolve as a writer.
Writing in the Genre That Ignites Your Passion
Writing within a genre that truly excites you is crucial for a fulfilling writing career. This passion infuses your work with authenticity, making research enjoyable and adding depth to your storytelling. Moreover, you can tap into a community of like-minded readers and writers. These communities can be invaluable sources of support, inspiration, and feedback. They offer a space to share ideas, learn from others who share your passion, and engage in conversations that can spark new insights and directions for your work.
Understanding and respecting your genre’s conventions is vital. Each genre, be it crime fiction, fantasy, romance, or science fiction, comes with its own set of rules and tropes that readers anticipate. Understanding these elements is crucial, as it allows you to meet your readers’ expectations while finding opportunities to innovate and add your unique twist.
Be prepared for your passion for a genre to evolve in the future, leading you to explore new areas that reflect your growth as a writer.
Learning from the Masters: Inspiration and Influence
One of the most enriching aspects of being a writer is learning from those who have tread the path before you. Study the works of authors you admire, dissecting how they build tension, develop characters, or paint vivid scenes. Each book, article, or poem you read can serve as a masterclass in a particular aspect of writing.
My list of masters (not exhaustive) includes authors like Elly Griffiths, Cara Hunter, C L Taylor, C S Lewis, Lee Child, Harlen Coben, Frank Peretti, Agatha Christie, and Raymond Chandler.
Plotting vs. Pantsing: Navigating the Creative Labyrinth of Novel Writing
When embarking on the novel-writing journey, authors often find themselves at a crossroads, choosing between two distinct approaches to crafting their narrative: plotting and pantsing. Each method offers a unique path through the creative labyrinth, and understanding the difference between them can empower writers to select the approach that best aligns with their individual style and the demands of their story.
Plotting
Plotting involves meticulously planning the storyline before embarking on the writing process. Like a cartographer charting unknown territories, plotters map out the narrative landscape of their novel in detail, outlining chapters, character arcs, key events, and the climax ahead of time. This approach provides a clear roadmap for the story, ensuring that the narrative remains focused and coherent from start to finish.
Plotters often rely on tools such as storyboards, outlines, and character sketches to visualise the structure of their novel. This pre-writing phase allows them to identify potential plot holes, pacing issues, and character development challenges before they become deeply embedded in the manuscript. As a result, plotting can lead to a more streamlined and efficient writing process, with fewer revisions needed in later stages.
The primary advantage of plotting is the sense of direction it provides. Knowing where the story is headed can reduce writer’s block and ensure that each scene contributes meaningfully to the narrative. However, some writers find this approach restrictive, feeling that a too-rigid outline stifles creativity and spontaneity.
Pantsing
In contrast, pantsing—or writing by the seat of your pants—involves diving into the novel-writing process with little or no formal outline, allowing the story to unfold organically. Pantsers often start with a basic idea, a character, or a scene and let the narrative develop naturally as they write. This approach is akin to an explorer setting out on an adventure without a map, relying instead on intuition and the spontaneous discovery of the story’s path.
Pantsing allows for a high degree of creative freedom, enabling writers to explore various narrative possibilities without the constraints of a predetermined outline. This can lead to unexpected plot twists, dynamic character development, and a story that feels alive, evolving unpredictably as it progresses.
However, the pantsing approach can also present challenges, such as meandering plots, inconsistent pacing, and the potential for significant rewrites. Without a clear outline, pantsers may find themselves facing dead ends or needing to backtrack and revise substantial portions of their manuscript to maintain narrative cohesion.
Choosing Your Path
The choice between plotting and pantsing is deeply personal, often reflecting a writer’s temperament, creative process, and the specific demands of their project. Some writers may prefer the security and clarity of plotting, while others thrive on the thrill and flexibility of pantsing. Many authors find themselves somewhere in the middle, adopting a hybrid approach that combines elements of both methods to suit their individual needs and the unique challenges of each novel.
Ultimately, whether you plot meticulously, write by the seat of your pants, or navigate a path somewhere in between, the key is to embrace the approach that best supports your creative process and helps bring your narrative vision to life. Each method has its merits and challenges, and the right choice is the one that allows you to reach the end of your novel-writing journey with a sense of accomplishment and a story that resonates with your intended audience.
The Virtue of Perseverance
Perseverance in writing is not merely about overcoming occasional obstacles or bouts of writer’s block; it’s about facing one of the most daunting challenges for any writer—finishing your book. This final hurdle can often be the most formidable, testing the limits of your determination and commitment to your craft. And by finishing, I mean all the edits, too.
Finishing a book requires more than consistent writing; it demands a deep dive into the essence of your story, tying up loose ends, ensuring character arcs come full circle, and that the narrative flows cohesively from beginning to end. It’s a stage where many aspiring writers falter, as the excitement of the initial chapters gives way to the complexity of bringing everything to a satisfying conclusion.
The middle sections of a book, often referred to as the “muddy middle,” can be particularly challenging. It’s where the initial burst of inspiration may start to wane, and the end might seem too far to reach. This is where perseverance becomes crucial. Pushing through this phase, continuing to develop your plot and characters even when the path forward isn’t clear, is what separates those who dream of writing a book from those who complete one.
Setting small, achievable goals can be incredibly effective during this phase. I set myself daily word counts of 1500 to 2000 words a day. Instead of being daunted by the entirety of what’s left to write, focus on completing a single chapter, scene, or even a page. Celebrate these small victories, for they are the steps that lead to the completion of your manuscript.
Another aspect of perseverance is the willingness to revisit and revise. Finishing a book is not just about reaching the end of your manuscript; it’s about refining what you’ve written, ensuring that every element of your story works harmoniously. This often means going back to earlier sections of your book, reworking passages, and sometimes making difficult decisions to cut content that doesn’t serve the overall narrative. For me, revising is the longest and hardest part of writing.
Perseverance also means being resilient in the face of self-doubt. The closer you get to finishing, the louder the voices of doubt can become, questioning the value of your work or your ability to complete it. It’s essential to push through these moments, to remind yourself why you started writing your book in the first place, and to hold onto the belief that your story deserves to be told. Writing can be very isolating and lonely. That’s why having people you can workshop your story with can be a real encouragement, and also keep you grounded.
Perseverance and patience can often be tested when working with your editor. They are there to help you produce the very best story and help it become a best seller.
Ultimately, finishing a book is a testament to a writer’s perseverance. It’s an achievement that goes beyond the final word count or the completion of a manuscript. It’s about having the tenacity to see a project through to its conclusion, to overcome the myriad challenges along the way, and to emerge not just as someone who writes but as a true writer. Remember, every book that now sits on a shelf, every story that has touched the hearts and minds of readers, was once just an idea in a writer’s mind, brought to fruition through perseverance.
Combatting Procrastination
Procrastination is the nemesis of productivity. Setting regular writing schedules, creating deadlines, and establishing achievable goals can help combat the lure of delay. Even when inspiration seems distant, writing inspires creativity and leads to unexpected breakthroughs. So, keep writing, even if it doesn’t seem much at the time. Something beautiful will result.
Boldness in Writing
To make your mark as a writer, you must be bold. This means taking risks in your storytelling, exploring uncharted themes, and not shying away from expressing your unique voice. Boldness sets your work apart and resonates with readers seeking fresh perspectives.
Embracing Criticism
Feedback, though sometimes hard to swallow, is crucial for development. Be open to constructive criticism from peers, editors, and readers. It provides a fresh perspective on your work, highlighting areas for improvement that you might not have seen yourself. It’s easy to say don’t take it personally—it can be a struggle not to take criticism to heart. But always try to move on from it with something positive. Remember to focus on the good things people say.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Many writers, at some point, grapple with imposter syndrome—the feeling of not being good enough or fearing being exposed as a “fraud.” You can doubt that you can ever write that next book, believing the first was just a fluke. Overcoming this requires building confidence in your abilities and understanding that every writer is on a journey of growth. Celebrate your achievements, however small, and remember that every successful writer was once a beginner. You have every right to stand with others who have gone through what you have gone through. You’ll be surprised how many famous authors battle with imposter syndrome.
Conclusion
Becoming a writer is a profound journey of self-discovery, continuous learning, and perseverance. It starts with a passion for reading, a commitment to honing your craft, and the courage to share your voice with the world. Embrace the challenges, learn from every experience, and remember that every word you write brings you one step closer to the writer you aspire to be.
If you don’t write that story you keep meaning to share with us, you make us all the poorer for it. Make us rich, write the story.