My Number 1 Tip For Writing a Novel
When I’m asked for advice with writing a novel, I always mention one tip that really helped me, and I’ve realized that I’ve never posted about it here. Writing a novel can feel daunting, especially when you look at the amount of writing it takes to finish one. When I started writing I didn’t realize the work that it would take to get it from a few words on a page to a full fledged story. I had many times where I felt like I had a huge amount of work ahead of me or I had a challenge to face that I didn’t really want to face at the moment. An example of that would be when I realized I needed to rewrite the first chapter when I was two thirds into writing the novel.
The one thing that always consistently carried me through this was focusing on writing a story that I enjoyed writing. I knew that my motivation would be a lot lower if I was writing something I disliked, and I knew it would be much harder to sit at my desk everyday to work on my project if it were like that. This is always my first piece of advice when it comes to writing. Some people would argue that you need to focus on writing something that sells. In my opinion writing something that you are passionate about will always be better written, and will be something unique that only you could write. That has more value to me, and I think it has more value to those who want to read your works.
Writing something that you like also makes it easier to work on harder days. Many times I worked on Dream Sparks with a headache, and even worked on it while I was sick with a head cold a couple times. There were days where I felt discouraged, or felt like procrastinating. I think I would have quit if I had disliked what I was working on, as this started out as a dream of mine more than a goal. There’s another aspect that I see discussed online frequently, and that is how a hobby is not fun anymore once it becomes your job. I think that it can still be fun, but you have to make a special effort to keep it that way.
This doesn’t only fit for writing, but also goes along with any type of creative endeavor. When we work on art that we are passionate and inspired about everything goes more smoothly, and the art has more depth to it. It also makes it easier to fine tune and expand upon. When we’re working on something we don’t like we’re not going to give it the same energy that we do on the things that are enjoyable to us. How we feel about our art seeps into what we are working on, whether we are aware of it or not. We are the ones that can keep dreams alive, it takes dedication and a love for what we are doing. If you’re having trouble with something you’re creating, try asking yourself how you can make it more likable to you. Sometimes even small changes can make a big difference!
