Recently, I've had a number of people say to me that they "wouldn't even know where to start" when it comes to writing a book. I think a lot of people could say that for any number of things that they would like to do, but just don't feel qualified to pursue. There's a quote from Thomas Edison that reminds us that when it comes to our goals we have to be willing to face failure.
We have to remember that every acquired skill was once something we couldn't do or do well. With the Winter Olympics taking place right now, we've had a lot of time to watch some really spectacular ice skaters . . . and some really spectacular falls. The athletes we've been watching are experts at what they do. They have spent years and countless hours learning, growing, and perfecting their abilities. And they still fall! When they were just tiny little kids learning to skate, they fell. And they fell. And they fell. What makes these athletes great is not that they don't fall, but that they get back up again-repeatedly!
So for anyone wanting to pursue a new goal, my first bit of advice is to know that you won't be perfect straight out of the gate. You're going to fall. There's going to be a learning curve. Embrace it!
Next, research it! Don't let the I-don't-know-where-to-start stop you. Do some research. Go online. Go to the library. Connect with people who can help you. As my mom always said, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask. If you don't ask, you don't learn."
Plan and make time! Sketch out how you want to approach it, either in your head or on paper, and make it happen. I like to take my schedule and carve out chunks of time to dedicate solely to writing. For me, that has to be a good, solid 2-4 hour chunk at the minimum and preferably when the hubs isn't home. I also keep a notebook as to where I want to start the next time I began. Example, yesterday I wrote out the first two chapters of a story. So my notes remind me that I need to edit those chapters before moving on to chapter three (for the sake of cleaning them up and because they felt skinny).
Be dedicated. You're book won't get written if you don't sit down and start writing. You won't gain muscle mass if you make a goal of working out "x" amount of times a week but blow off the gym. You won't have garden fresh tomatoes if you fail to water them after they're planted. No one can accomplish your goal for you. It won't spontaneously generate out of thin air. Yes, pray about it! Absolutely! But get to work too!!
James 2:18
"But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." (NIV)
Be inspired!! Feed that part of you that is reaching for your goal. Absorb all the information about the subject you can. Learn from those who have went before you and glean what you can from their story. Guaranteed, most of them were at least a little lost in the beginning too. They had to find their feet and so do you. So be encouraged. You're in good company.
Finally, remember that you are learning. You're going to fall. Just get back up and try again. Remember when you learned to ride your bike? Same thing. You're going to need those training wheels for a while. Then one day, they're going to have to come off. You'll probably fall. You might skin your knee. But if you really want what you're reaching for you'll get back on that bike. And guess what? When you take off you're going to soar!
And for any aspiring authors out there, I start at the beginning. Since I am trying to break into historical fiction, I research what I don't know first. I come up with a direction in my head and then start writing chapter one. I have a general idea in my mind of where the story will go. I have certain things I know that I want . . . the beginning, the ending, the climax. But honestly, a lot in the middle is foggy to me. The best way I've found is to just write! If I don't like it, I can rewrite it. If I'm not sure it's historically correct, I go do more research-and rewrite it if necessary. You don't have to have all the answers up front. So my advice to aspiring authors is, it's a creative process. So be creative. Just start. Just write. You can always rewrite it later.
Love, J 💙
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