The list of advice is aimed at new writers who are thinking of writing a book – or – want to write a book; we are here to tell you the tough and a bit harsh things that you need to hear but might not necessarily want to hear.
Let us start with the basics – all of your excuses for not starting, not writing, not pushing through, and not finishing your book are baseless. The excuses are not based on anything solid – you know that you are wasting time and you are making baseless excuses.
Remember – there is no perfect day to start your writing project. You will want to start writing today, not tomorrow, on the weekend, or when you feel like it. If you want to be a writer and you have an idea, you will want to stop wasting your time and get to writing.
Here is other harsh writing advice that all newbies and aspiring writers need to know.
Keep reading!
Your First Book is More Likely Going to Fail
Here is the thing – first books usually suck. As an aspiring writer, you should know that your very first book isn’t probably going to be a very good one – but – you will want to write it anyway. Of course, you cannot write a book until you don’t write one.
So, the fear of failure isn’t a good excuse to keep you from writing. Just embrace the fact that your first book might not become a best-seller – but – you will still want to give it your best and write it anyway.
No Idea is Perfectly Original
If you are still musing about your idea and fretting over the idea being original, you should know that no idea can be original. There will always be another author out there who has written about the same or a matching idea.
You don’t need to hold onto perfectionism – take a few deep breaths, let go of perfectionism, and just start writing. Even if the main idea is taken by someone else, you will be writing from your mind and adding your touch to it.
The thing that brings an original spark to the book is how you write it – which is why you will want to take the trope and twist it, making it exciting and original during your writing process.
Skip That Life Story
Now, if you are thinking about writing a memoir or autobiography, you would probably want to skip that, as no one cares about your life. Your readers, family, and friends probably won’t find your fascinating life story that interesting.
This is specifically true for strangers who don’t know you. Would you like to read a stranger’s life story? Most likely not – unless they are famous or have had something incredibly dramatic and famous-making in their lives.
So, even if you jot down the memoir, the publishing house won’t really be interested in publishing that.
You will want to write it for yourself – as your first book – and even self-publish it if you want to.
You might even want to write the memoir as a writing practice – to improve vocabulary and to know the appropriate use of words, such as the difference between affect vs effect as the more you write, the better your writing skills will get – but – keep in mind that no one will be interested in a memoir.
You Can Opt for Traditional Publishing
Another piece of advice that newbie writers need to hear is that there is nothing wrong with traditional publishing. Contrary to what you might have heard, traditional publishing isn’t evil. They aren’t evil people who want to destroy your dreams of becoming a writer.
Sometimes, you just aren’t good enough. Especially for your first book – it can be a total disaster – but it shouldn’t keep you from writing. Also, only because a traditional publisher rejects your first book doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to be good enough forever.
Self-publishing can be ideal for some writers, but self-publishing shouldn’t be a writer’s automatic go-to because of the belief that traditional publishers are a bunch of capitalists who are smoking cigars and burning books and money.
Books are a labor of your writing passion, and traditional publishers love good books that they think people want to buy. So, you will want to get out of the victim mentality and think positively about traditional publishers.
You will want to keep writing and improving your writing skills.
There is No Such Thing as a Writer’s Block
Yes – you read this right! The term writer’s block is an illusion – it isn’t real. If it comes down to the common causes – writer’s block is an excuse for not writing.
At this point, you might be saying how untrue this is and that you sometimes hit a block with writing and find it hard to jot down things on paper or type in Word on your laptop. Well – yes – the thing is that writing is hard and requires serious effort, time, and dedication.
Writing a book is supposed to be hard. The thing is that you cannot always write when you are inspired. Inspiration is more of a thing for people who don’t complete their books – they leave them unfinished for the time they feel inspired again.
To become a writer, you will want to form a writing habit. There will also be times when you will have to force yourself to write – even – when you “don’t feel like it.”
Not feeling like it is this imaginary writer’s block. The difference between professional writers and unprofessional aspiring writers is that professional writers know how to push themselves through this supposed “writer’s block” when they don’t feel like writing.
It is essential to mention that while writer’s block isn’t fundamental, your mental health is real and should be treated as a priority. So, not wanting to write could signify that you need a break.
Rejection is Normal
As an aspiring writer, you should know that rejection is a normal part of the writing process. Newbie writers should welcome rejection because they will never get better unless they experience rejection.
You feel the rejection, assess your feelings by looking inward instead of blaming others and start seeing things that haven’t been working in your favor. This attitude will prompt you to revise and improve your writing skills.
