The 3 Most Important Lessons I Learned From Writing A Book
By: Kat Morris
Tags: Writing Tips, Writing, Books, Self, Writers On Writing

The 3 Most Important Lessons I Learned From Writing A Book

#2 Don’t be afraid to start again

Image Source: Pixabay

Writing a book I was happy with took me a long time. I am still unsure if I am happy with the book I’ve just finished. It always feels like there’s something else that needs changing, redoing, fine-tuning — but despite the laborious editing process, I feel so proud that I finally finished a book that I believe in and beta readers love.

Finishing a book is most definitely the hardest thing about writing a novel. There are so many obstacles during the process where it’s so easy to become perturbed and incredibly difficult to push through your fears, self-doubt and feeling overwhelmed by the scale of your project. Even though I am still fine-tuning my own book, I am elated that I finished something. I am currently seeking representation for this book and whatever happens, writing this book has definitely given me some incredibly valuable lessons that I will carry with me throughout my writing career.

Just keep going

In order to just keep going, you need to have fun. Editing is not fun — so do not do this until you have FINISHED the first draft. I cannot stress this enough. I would still be redoing my beginning if I kept on editing and editing instead of getting the story down on paper. The best way to finish the first draft and make it to the end of your story is to just write. Do not worry about editing, fine-tuning or about writing the best beginning of a book ever. All of this will come later. Now, at the beginning of the process, it is time to get to know your story, get to know your characters and make a connection with everything you have created so that it becomes almost impossible to pull away from the thing you love and leave it unfinished. That’s how you will finish a book. You just need to keep going.

Don’t be afraid to start again

If it’s no good, or you have heavy doubts, get rid of it. Start again.

Yes. You absolutely have to do this if you want to do more than finish a book. Starting again when needed is how you finish a good book.

If you keep a dull chapter or a plot hole simply because you cannot face all the work you’ll have to do to fix it, then your book will never be finished. You will get bored. You will become unmotivated. Say goodbye to your work in progress if you can’t be bothered to make the changes necessary to make your novel great.

Producing something great is absolutely worth all the effort it takes to get there. It’s overwhelming at first but once you take the plunge, it feels incredibly satisfying. Writing is a labour of love — working through the hardest parts where you want to give up is what helps you to fall in love even more with your book and your characters. So don’t be afraid to start again if something isn’t working — the only way you’ll get to the place you want to be is if you keep writing.

Once the first draft is done, you don’t have to settle. If writing a second draft means that most of the first draft is changed, then so be it. It’s what must be done if you want to finish writing a book you’re proud of.

Be honest

I wouldn’t have been able to build a connection with my characters, my story, and finish the project if I wasn’t honest and didn’t open my heart to the story. Putting a piece of yourself into the book and your heart and soul into finishing it is what will help you accomplish the ultimate goal of finishing a book you love, and one that readers love and can identify with.

At the beginning, the love and connection to a story comes from you. If you, the creator, cannot see the book’s potential, then no one else will. If you want to stand a chance of connecting with your readers, then your book needs to be authentic and capture something universal so that readers can make an attachment and feel something after reading your work, long after they’ve finished reading the last page. The only way to do this is to be honest. If you want readers to care, then you need to care too.