When people discover that I write for a living, they either look at me as if they are questioning my life choices, or they ask if I think they should write a book too.
Writing a novel is a long and difficult process, but it’s supposed to be fun. If you don’t have a passion for writing, then find another passion to pursue. It’s okay. Be true to yourself and don’t allow outside forces—even well-meaning outside forces—to pressure you into writing something you don’t truly love.
If you aren’t passionate about your subject, genre, and characters, then the book is going to seem less like fun and more like working on a chain gang.
In order to write an authentic novel, you have to be true to yourself at all times, from beginning to end. So let’s start that the very beginning.
Step 1: Making the Decision to Write
Before you write a novel, you must want to do it. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But strangely enough, personal desire often gets overlooked in the decision-making process. Here’s a handy flow chart to help you:
You smell where I’m stepping?
If you do not have a burning desire to write a novel, if you don’t love books, if you didn’t dream of writing as a child, if you don’t already compose stories in your head, then don’t let yourself get talked into tackling such a huge project.
If you do meet any or all of the above qualifications, then make the commitment to start and finish your novel.
Okay, decision made. How do I get started?
Open up a blank document and start writing.
Need more direction? Well, that’s what the rest of this series will do. We’ll discuss everything from creating a writing process that works for your individual needs to embracing your authentic authorial voice. We’ll go from rough draft to publication. Alpha to omega.
Happy Writing!
This post was adapted from content I originally published at Indie Jane.