by Jonathan Olivier
One day. One day I’ll be an author.
That’s what I told myself for years. As I started my career in journalism, I thought I was beginning the process of one day being an author, of some day writing that book.
Heck, I even had a few chapters written (very rough chapters), but those crude pages were shelved deep in the recesses of my computer. I didn’t have what it took, yet, I thought.
But as the years went on, as I wrote more feature stories and news articles for magazines and newspapers, my aspirations to one day write a book were increasingly on my mind. So I asked myself: When was one day? Why wait? What is holding me back, after all?
After giving it some thought, I knew becoming an author was whenever I wanted it to be. I was the only person standing in the way of writing a book. So, without any knowledge of the publishing industry, I sat down every chance I got for an entire summer and wrote, and then wrote some more. It was that easy.
Toward the end of finishing the first draft, I knew I had to start exploring how I’d actually get published. I started to read about self-publishing. After seeing the tremendous success so many indie authors have had, it showed me that it doesn’t matter who publishes your novel. If it’s a good story, if it looks professional, and if you have a good marketing plan, then you have a shot of selling some books. And from what I read, that sentiment is echoed by many, many indie authors.
With the wealth of information on indie publishing and the ease to do so, there is no better time to write your book. If you don’t have the resources to publish it, there’s always someone who can help you along in the process. So don’t worry about publishing yet. Just start writing. The only thing that makes an author an author is the fact that they write—a lot.
You won’t get anywhere by hoping that one day you’ll become an author. Make that one day today.
Here’s a few tips to start a writing routine to get the ball rolling.
- Once you have your story idea, write every day, no matter what. Set aside time to write every day, whether before work, after work, or on your lunch break. As long as your writing, you’re progressing.
- Set a goal for yourself. I like to set weekly goals. Start off slow, perhaps at 1,000 words a week.
- Don’t get caught in the weeds of revising right away. You can always revisit your story and tweak details later. Keep the story progressing while it’s fresh in your mind. (Of course, minor revisions are always a good idea. Just don’t spend days and days revising before your story is finished).
- Go with your gut. Don’t think about what someone will think if you write a certain detail. If you want to take the story in some direction, then take it that way.
About the Author:
Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.
