Advice For Beginning Authors - Part 1

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The desire to write is a force to be reckoned with. You can't create it and if you have it, you can't get rid of it. But turning your vivid thoughts and imagination into solid form can be both challenging and inspiring. Often as writers, we learn a great deal about ourselves through the works we create. The bottom line is that if you do not have the all-consuming passion to write or the desire to know yourself, don't waste your time. The saying that you must "do what you love and love what you do" has paramount importance when it comes to writing because it can at times, be a most frustrating endeavor. If you do have that passion, then start at the beginning by facing a few realities about the writing world in general. Don't set out believing that you will produce the most successful bestseller of all time. You have after all, chosen a particular format, style and subject to write about. It is not the history of everything or the biggest breakthrough since sliced bread. This is not said to belittle anthing you write; rather it is to be realistic. You will have a specific, targeted audience depending upon the genre of your book and you need to decide what it is from the start. Are you writing fiction or non-fiction? Is it a comedy, drama, sci-fi, mystery, romance, self-help, historical or children's book? Once you determine your audience, you must write for it with all of the creative force you can muster. However, before you begin it is important to establish an action plan. Write down your goals, bearing in mind what you can realistically accomplish. If you are not realistic about this, you will never accomplish your ultimate goal. This will include such things as how much you hope to write each week, hours needed for research on your chosen topic, preparing query letters, finding a suitable agent and/or publisher, chosing a date for completion of your manuscript and so on. Secondly, prepare a schedule so you can more easily see what you want to accomplish and practice good time management. This will include all of the items above and more. If you have an annual calendar, jot in which items you intend to do and when. This process is more important than it may at first seem. First of all, writing to a deadline is motivating for most people. Also, once you tell family and friends that your book should be completed say, by September you will want to ensure that it is. On that note, be wary of who you tell about your plans. You might not get the reaction or support you were hoping for and that can be discouraging. However, if you are determined, work past the naysayers and prove them wrong. Having a schedule helps you make the best use of your time. Remember to leave some contingency time to deal with unexpected events that could get in the way of your writing. Don't over-commit yourself. Also, ensure that your goal of writing a book does not conflict with other goals you already have, such as spending more time with family, putting in more hours at work and/or tending to health issues. When establishing your goals, you also need to consider "stress management." Writing requires a certain degree of privacy and a quiet atmosphere. How will you accomplish this? You might need to call upon your problem solving skills as well, to ensure that your space is conducive to productive writing. It might help to keep a "stress diary." By writing down all those short-term stresses you experience during the day, you will begin to get a bigger picture of what is causing it, which is the first step to finding a solution. By considering all the things I've just mentioned, you should be able to follow your action plan and monitor your progress as you go along. Writing and publishing any book can be a frustrating process at times. It is vital that you maintain a positive attitude. On a final note, each morning when you get up and every night before you retire, review your goals. Doing so will help reinforce them in your subconscious.