It’s easy to get focused on “What didn’t work?” You can get discouraged.
How many of you tried Nanowrimo? did you succeed in writing your book?
What got in the way?
How are we going to eliminate that this year?
Was it lack of planning? That’s the most common cause of failure to write a book. Writer’s Block is really just that you don’t know what to write. If you’ve pre-planned effectively, you won’t get writer’s block. Seriously! I have MANY blog articles on planning! Start reading them, because I’ve written several times how to write a novel, step by step!
Was it doubt? Doubt that you can? Listen, pre-planning is your lifeline! If you can preplan your book and get it written, then stop doubting! Once you do 50 or 60 story sparks, I guarantee you have it in you to finish that book! Doubt no more!
Was it Fear it’s not going to be good? Your first novel or screenplay is NEVER good! you are never good at anything. Name a professional writer, and I’ll guarantee the first thing they wrote was terrible. Name an athlete, and I’ guarantee the first time they tried skiing or whatever it was they were horrible at it.
You get better. Every time you write, you will get better.
I guarantee you have more than one book idea. Here’s what you’re going to do in 2018 – you’re going to make several books in Scrivener or in WriteWay, and you’re going to write in one or another of them every day. Get the “Don’t Break the Chain” calendar from the Writer’s Digest shop. It’s a free download. you just print it out, hang it in your writers space. Make an X over every day you write. The first day you miss, you break the chain.
We’re going to aim for 365 days of writing this year, one day at a time. If you can write 1600 words a day, I guarantee you’ll finish not one but SIX novels this year, with time for revision and re-edit!
That’s something I’m sure that will get the attention of a writing agent or publisher – you’ve got six novels in the can. It tells them you can meet deadlines, don’t need your hand held, and have enough written that if everything sells even a medium amount, you’re making up for it in sheer volume!
Was 2017 a good year? If so, 2018 is going to be better. Was 2017 a terrible year for you? Then 2018 is a new beginning.
Ready? here we go…
