When you have a lot of vague ideas in your mind for stories and other writing projects, it is exciting to see the finally start to develop into something cohesive. Suddenly, you have a book on your hands. Perhaps it is the first in a series of crime thriller novels, or an autobiographical account of your childhood. Maybe it's a books of poetry. Whatever the nature of your project, you will need some guidelines for staying on track and maintaining your motivation.
1. Discover your own writing process. Some people write best first thing in the morning, while others do their best work before going to bed. Some people need to outline the entire plot of a novel before starting to write, while other start with one scene or a couple of characters and just let it unfold. Figure out the techniques that help you thrive.
2. Seek out a mentor. Find someone who is willing to guide you through your project, preferably a person who is a published author him or herself. It is even better if the person has published something in the genre in which you are working. You can share your drafts with this person and gain wisdom from his or her experience and expertise.
3. Save all of the work you do. You may find that as you write, you start to hate certain parts of what you've written. You may remove them from the next draft, and be tempted to delete them so that they vanish forever. It is better, however, to save them somewhere. You never know whether you might be able to use them in a different context, or if you might change your mind.
4. Step away and take a break when you need to. Sometimes you need a few days of working on something else, or a break from writing altogether. The break may even last for a couple of weeks or more. This is alright, as it can allow you to see your work with new eyes when you return.
5. Have several friends and colleagues read your drafts. Look for a wide range of perspectives, including that of your mentor and lots of other people. The more input you can get while you are writing, the better chance you have of creating something that will speak to a diverse audience.
6. Choose your publishing method and develop a marketing strategy. While some authors still go the traditional route of submitting samples and query letters to publishing companies, more and more people are taking advantage of self-publishing tools. These are available for both print and electronic formats. When you self-publish, you have to handle your own marketing and your own costs, but you also get to keep all of the profits.
Try to build on and draw from the momentum you establish at the beginning of your writing project. You may not maintain the same energy level throughout the whole thing, but you can use these strategies, such as talking with others or stepping away for a few days, to get your energy back. Keep at it until you have reached your goal of finishing.
1. Discover your own writing process. Some people write best first thing in the morning, while others do their best work before going to bed. Some people need to outline the entire plot of a novel before starting to write, while other start with one scene or a couple of characters and just let it unfold. Figure out the techniques that help you thrive.
2. Seek out a mentor. Find someone who is willing to guide you through your project, preferably a person who is a published author him or herself. It is even better if the person has published something in the genre in which you are working. You can share your drafts with this person and gain wisdom from his or her experience and expertise.
3. Save all of the work you do. You may find that as you write, you start to hate certain parts of what you've written. You may remove them from the next draft, and be tempted to delete them so that they vanish forever. It is better, however, to save them somewhere. You never know whether you might be able to use them in a different context, or if you might change your mind.
4. Step away and take a break when you need to. Sometimes you need a few days of working on something else, or a break from writing altogether. The break may even last for a couple of weeks or more. This is alright, as it can allow you to see your work with new eyes when you return.
5. Have several friends and colleagues read your drafts. Look for a wide range of perspectives, including that of your mentor and lots of other people. The more input you can get while you are writing, the better chance you have of creating something that will speak to a diverse audience.
6. Choose your publishing method and develop a marketing strategy. While some authors still go the traditional route of submitting samples and query letters to publishing companies, more and more people are taking advantage of self-publishing tools. These are available for both print and electronic formats. When you self-publish, you have to handle your own marketing and your own costs, but you also get to keep all of the profits.
Try to build on and draw from the momentum you establish at the beginning of your writing project. You may not maintain the same energy level throughout the whole thing, but you can use these strategies, such as talking with others or stepping away for a few days, to get your energy back. Keep at it until you have reached your goal of finishing.
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