Take the plunge and do not stop writing
You have decided to give the writing journey a shot. Great decision. Apart from worrying about perfection before you start — please do not do that — you need to work on any way possible to maintain the momentum of your writing once you begin. Especially in the early stages. Keeping focused can use a lot of mental energy, meaning there is little left to take long sojourns from the primary focus, writing, to interrogate multiple documents about what determines good writing. At this early stage you must write, write, write. Perfection comes later, so no need to worry about it just now.
After taking the plunge, write until you have about one twentieth of your proposed word count on the page. So, if your target is 60 000 words, take off a zero to get 6000, then divide by two to get a 3000-word goal. A rough count only but try to write with an intensity that draws you along until you reach this mark. It will give you enough bulk to get a sense of the plot, some of the characters and changes of scene. It will show you can write a lot of words based around your thoughts. A great place to start and a solid foundation.
Of course, you are going to reach a point where you run out of steam. You have poured all that has been bottled up for ages onto the pages of your new work. Awesome. Your mind will now be rid of that thought-clogging mess and give it the freedom to plan what comes next. The volume may seem small and unimpressive, nothing like the 60 000-word masterpiece, replete with intrigue to charm a captivated audience, you have in mind. That does not mean you should feel disappointed or worried that you will never be a writer, nor should you become too critical of what you have not yet accomplished. Be pleased with such a fine effort. Every great writer must start with a bunch of ideas and a single word to place on the first page. So must you.
Every tiny element is eventually important. Every word will add to the quality of the tale. Every time you reflect on your writing, your work will become stronger and that is what makes proficient writing, great. At this stage, try to keep adding key thoughts to the pages. Not ones added for bulk — readers will not appreciate that.
Once you begin on your writing journey, don’t stop. If you are distracted from your writing, it must be for a real purpose. Even then, find ways of inserting short bursts of time where you focus fully on the development of even a single scene or character or spine-tingling shock, sub-plot, car, animal. Research geography, climate, population, history of the region your characters roam. Just enough to give you clues about your next chapters. Keep up the fun. Let your mind have something to work on, sleep on, dream on. You are writing to change your status to author. Almost everyone is a writer at some point. Few are authors — people whose writing has been published.
What threads will your story contain?
Most writers write as a hobby or relaxing pastime. Some will want to develop to the point where they work more consistently, eventually even replacing their current income with equal, or better, from their written pieces. All doable. But think of most careers and you will find a certain degree of apprenticeship, study and a struggle to rise through the ranks over many years. If you want to sell your work, be willing to sacrifice to rise through from newbie to recognition by the masses.
Enjoy the feeling of completing any significant part. It may be merely finding a phrase that precisely conveys the meaning you have spent some time agonizing over.
If you need some exercises that will help you feel more confident about working intensely in short timeframes, visit the Author Gym (https://www.damonyerg.com/author-gym) where you will find activities to push the speed, flexibility and quality of your production.
Keep following these posts to see how to deal with this bulk of work you have.
Hope you are feeling enthusiastic and determined to make the transition from writer to author.
Take care in these unusual times.
Damon
