A while back, I wrote about why writing a novel is hard. I included the struggles I was having and what I thought was holding me back.
A few months have passed, and I’ve learned even more about the process and myself.
First, Brené Brown’s book Daring Greatly changed me at the core, helped me reframe how I view conflict, assess company culture, and be brave in sharing my creative struggles with others.
I also read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic. Even though I wasn’t a fan of the book, I did appreciate how, over and over, she urges her readers to start creating something, anything, even if it’s not perfect.
Recently, I’ve been listening to The Writer Files podcast on Rainmaker.FM. To be honest, I’ve been looking for this content for a long time—learning from successful writers on how they write and their processes. Each writer’s story is different but they all share a common thread: stop making excuses and start writing.
All of these pieces have begun to boil up inside me. I used to think I needed a better desk (that’s coming, an heirloom that my grandfather built) and more comfortable chair, the right light in my apartment, the perfect Spotify playlist, or the perfect ambiance in a coffee shop.
I’ve thrown out all false first steps, as Anthony Ongaro at Break the Twitch calls them, that have either held me back or made me think I needed to spend a lot of money to get started.
So I went back through all of my research and notes and reread everything. I then read what I’ve written so far and made a few tweaks. And then I started writing again.
Stephen King says he knows he has a good story on his hands when he can’t stop thinking about it.
That’s how I feel about this story. It captivates my mind and imagination and often visits me in my dreams. I know the characters inside and out. The fun part is fitting the pieces of the plot together. I still have no idea how the story ends but I’m excited to see where it goes.
If I could give one piece of advice to fellow writers, it’s what kept getting drilled into my mind over and over the past couple of months: just start writing. You don’t need to have the perfect setup to create the perfect story. You just need your imagination.
Write on, writers.
