We all need motivation and encouragement to write sometimes. Especially when it feels like we’re spinning our wheels and not getting anywhere. Are you worried about taking too long? I’ve been at this for seven years. I feel like a pro but I still don’t have a published novel to show for it. I recently ran across an article that made me feel a little better about my situation. Thought it might offer some encouragement to my readers as well. It listed best selling Authors who took more than five years to publish their work.
- Margaret Mitchell took 10 years to write Gone With the Wind.
- Maya Angelou took 15 years to write the final volume of her autobiography.
- J.K. Rawling took 5 years to just plan the story of Harry Potter-her extensive notes included biographies of each character and plot diagrams.
- J R R Tolkien took 7 years to release the Hobbit and another 16 to release the sequel.
For those of you who may be a little shocked at these numbers, the average amount of time it takes to get a novel written and published is 7 years. Don’t beat yourself up for slow progress. Just keep typing one word after another and you will get there. And for those of you that get your book finished and published in less than 7 years, I say good for you!
Suggestions that may help keep you motivated.
- Create a writing schedule that really works for you. If there’s a time you’re naturally more creative, like when you first get up or when everyone has gone to bed, then that’s when you should be writing.
- Remove all distractions. Switch off your electronic devices. Remember you are writing not socializing on facebook or twitter. All it takes is one good distraction to make you lose your train of thought and that great idea you had a few minutes ago.
- You need an accountability partner. It could be your spouse or friend. Share your writing dreams with them. A real friend will support you in your venture. We all need a cheerleader or two to keep us motivated and writing. Mine is my husband. Every day he asks me how my writing is going. That’s all I need to keep me moving forward.
- Write! Write! Write! even if you don’t feel like it.
- Remember the first draft is the first draft. Give yourself permission to err. Don’t bog yourself down with editing. Get it down then get it good. Just make sure it’s great before you submit it.
I hope this post was helpful.
-Jan R.
I remember my middle sister as a child. She was the kid who sat in the corner with her nose in a book, didn’t play well with others, well to be honest, didn’t want to play at all. Her friends were imaginary. I always thought that she was a little strange, and she probably was, but she is also one of the most talented writers I know.
I’ve been in a crazy busy season over the past year. I’ve allowed distractions to get in the way of my blogging and writing. I know we all have times in our lives when we have pulled away from the things we want to do to put out fires and handle a crisis, but I let mine get out of hand and it really impacted my writing time as well as my relationships with fellow bloggers.
I opened up my novel in Word and began yet another revision at the start of the year. I tell myself this is it, and I certainly hope so, however, I have made some pretty significant changes. So I may have to go back and look at it one or two more times, to make sure I followed all of the rules 🙂
She confirmed what was missing, and why I was having a hard time connecting with a novel that I once loved. Instead of cleaning up the first few chapters by making them more clear and concise, instead of adding a minor conflict or looking at a way to make those chapters more interesting, I totally wiped them out, leaving the novel lacking.
Writing your first novel-Things you should know 