The Truths About Writing A Book And Writing in General

For this week, I want to give advice and reveal some of the hard truths about writing a book and writing in general.

1. Writing a book isn’t something just anybody can do. It takes four things:

• Passion: If you are not passionate about writing, then your work will most definitely reflect that, and you’ll probably quit before you really get started.

• Discipline: You have to write every day at least for an hour if you want to make actual progress and really get your writing where it needs to be. That takes discipline. Laziness and Procrastination are always waiting to jump us.

• Creativity: This speaks for itself.

• Time; lot’s of time: If you’re serious about going down in history or just becoming a better writer then you’ll zone into your work for hours, every day. You’ll have to accept that friends, sometimes family, and other responsibilities come second. Set a schedule and stick to it. Get up at four in the morning and write until six, seven, or eight. Find the balance that works for you.

2. You have to be patient. I’m still relatively new to the game, but I’ve done my research, and I’m seeing firsthand that patience is everything.

3. Your first draft is just that and nothing more. It is not complete. Do not make the mistake of even thinking that. You want to keep reading through your book until you’re sick of looking at it. You want to rewrite over and over until you feel there’s nothing that could possibly be better.

4. Find some trusted individuals. You’re going to need:

• Beta-readers

• Somebody to vent to when you get too stressed and start doubting yourself

• Somebody to take your mind off your writing for a while

5. Definitely find out if you want to publish the Traditional way or go the Indie route. You’ll need to ask yourself some questions:

• How much money am I willing to spend?

This is important because going to the indie route can be more expensive sometimes.

• How long am I willing to wait to see my book on the shelves?

Traditional publishing often takes longer than self-publishing. Why? Well, in traditional publishing you often have to find an agent to represent you and hopefully sugar-coat you to a publishing house that you’re comfortable with and wants to take you under their wing. Then there’s the rewriting, the publishing house may not like something about your book and tell you to change it. Many authors struggle with publishing houses because of the lack of freedom in the writing, the book covers, the pricing, etc.. Self-publishing, on the other hand, is quicker because you’re free to do as you please with your work, but that too can come with drawbacks. I will cover the pros and cons of Traditional vs. Indie in another post.

6. Everybody isn’t going to like what you put out there into the world. Everybody will not support you. At the end of the day, writing is often a lonely experience. So make sure to stay active in your social life, and don’t ever forget why you started writing because that is what will make your story beautiful.

7. When you first start, you’ll suck. Your writing will be horrible. Don’t fret over it. Whenever I read through my first two books I want to rip out my eyeballs. It just means you can grow. And that you will, if you write daily.

That’s it ladies and gents. I’m currently still working on book covers for RED FIST with my designer. While I’m waiting for that, I’m writing a short story for this contest called Writers of the Future. If anybody else is interested, there are deadlines, so get on Google. I’ll be sharing a short story next week or perhaps another Sneak Peek into RED FIST. I hope you all have a wonderful day.