Whenever I talk about my book, everyone's first question is, What is it about? Their second question is often, How did you do it? Usually, I laugh and say it was hard. It was, but as I started to write my second book, I realized that I had learned a few things along the way that made the task a little less daunting.
Set a daily goal. Most writers measure the length of a book in words instead of pages. Start by having an idea of how long you want your novel to be. Then divide that by the amount of time you want to complete it in. For example, if you want to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, you would need to write 1667 words a day. Keep in mind this is a GOAL. Some days you will not complete your goal, other days you will exceed it, but every day you are writing is a success.
Don't get bogged down in the details. Nothing will derail a writing session faster than research. It never falls, I will be on fire, words pouring out of me, and then I will say to myself, wait, how fast do pontoon boats go anyway? And suddenly I find myself down a Google rabbit hole. The worst part? Once I have the information, I will either a. not use it, or b. write exactly three words on the subject. If you know you are going to be writing a scene that will require a lot of research, try to get it done before you start writing. Also, you do not need to know the exact color of someone's eyes for your first draft. That is a problem for the second draft. Remember, the goal is to get the story on paper, not to write a flawless first draft.
Join a writer's group, or get a writing buddy. For me, talking about writing, even when it is not my own, is a sure-fire way to get me fired up for a writing session. In the age of the internet, all it takes is a quick search to find one that meets in your area or one that meets online. This is a great place to talk through those sticky places where your words just aren't seeming to flow, get or share ideas with others, and get feedback on whatever you are currently working on. When I was writing The Lesser Remain, I emailed chapters to my friend as I wrote them. Just knowing he was waiting for the next installment kept me going.
Take a break, but give it a deadline. There will come a time when the daily grind of writing will get to you. Taking a break during these times is important, but it is important not to make the break your habit. When I am actively working on a draft, I try not to go more than 6 days without writing. This is because I once saw an episode of Oprah where she said it takes 7 days to make or break a habit. I have no idea if this is true, but it's worked for me so far. You can set your deadline for however many days or weeks you like.
Read books. Seriously. Reading a good book will remind you how badly you want to write your own. To double the effectiveness, you could even read a book about writing. My favorite is Stephen King's On Writing.
Writing a book is hard, but it is not the insurmountable goal some people think it is. If you are struggling to stay motivated, try implementing one or more of these tips and let me know if they work for you. If you have other tips you want to share, leave them in the comments!
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