Writing
a book is hard. If you’ve written a book before, you know this. If you’re
dreaming to write a book, you have a mountain to climb and you should
understand that before you begin. But that doesn’t mean you can’t write your
first novel! Or your second novel! Or third! If your book is good, it should be
hard to write. That’s not something from which shy away. Most things in life
that are worth doing are hard.
I’ve
found with anything in life that’s difficult, the best way to approach it is to
break it into pieces. Figure out how to write your book in steps. You can’t
tackle everything at once, so break it up into actionable pieces that you can
accomplish. Soon, as you complete one step after another, you will be holding
your own book in your hands.
If
you’ve read my first book, Pieces Like
Pottery, you’ll recall one of the lead characters found a list of
forty life tips from his former high school teacher, Mr. Smith. I’ve received a
lot of positive feedback from readers on these forty life tips. They seem to
resonate deeply with people. In my blog (Nothinganygood.com)
and in my new
book on writing—an inspirational guide for indie authors on their
writing journey—I’ve applied each of the forty life tips to writing and how
they can help you write, market, and sell your book.
Here
is a sneak peek into a few truncated versions of those tips from 40 Tips on
Creative Writing:
1) Life’s too short to not seize the opportunities with which we are
presented. Always take the chance to
do what you love when it comes along. Write that book! Start now! Do you have
thirty minutes today? Sit down and start writing.
2) Be quick to show compassion and empathy. When you find yourself
suffering from the clichéd writer’s block, take this advice to heart. Put
yourself into your character’s shoes. Show compassion and empathy. What is your
lead character feeling? Get yourself into the state mind of your character. As
much as you can, put yourself in a place where you can understand and feel
everything that your character is going through. It’s the skill of the great
writer.
3) Don’t dress like a bum all day long. Some people do perfectly
well rolling out of bed and doing great things in their underwear all day. I’m
not one of those people. If I want to be productive, I prepare for it.
Production doesn’t just magically happen. There has to be a plan. Wake up early.
Shower. Wear respectable clothes. Eat breakfast. Get your mind right for writing.
Then, when you’re good and ready, sit down and write.
4) Don’t be afraid to see dinosaurs even when everyone else around you
doesn’t.
Anyone who has ever tried to write anything of worth, and for that matter any
creative type who has ever tried to make something out of nothing, knows how
exciting and scary that can be at the same time. Take that excitement and fear
and use it. Don’t worry about how others say you’re supposed to write. Write
the way that you want to write. Sure, soak in all the advice and feedback from
writing experts and amateurs alike. Take it all to heart. Let it wash over you.
Then filter it through that beautiful brain of yours and write the way you feel
called to write.
5) Have a routine, but avoid being routine. Having
a routine is good. We just finished agreeing not to dress like a bum all day
long. This is part of planning to be productive. Having a routine and a
schedule can ensure that you are actually writing and not just dreaming about
it. But don’t let that routine control you. Follow it as far as it will lead on
the road of utility, but the moment you hit a dead end and it’s no longer
useful, break away from it. Avoid being routine.
I
know writing a book (or another book) can be difficult, but there is a huge
author community out there ready to support you. Let me help you get your book
finished and increase your sales. This is just a small taste of the valuable
tips and inspiration that has helped other writers meet their goals and follow
their dreams. Let 40 Tips on Creative Writing be your inspirational guide to a
successful book!
40 Tips on Creative Writing
is currently available in ebook and print. Dan Buri (@DanBuri777 on Twitter) is a trusted
resource for writers to gain insight into the difficult world of indie
publishing. His first collection of short fiction — Pieces Like Pottery — which has been
recognized on multiple Best Seller Lists, is an exploration of heartbreak and
redemption. His nonfiction works have been distributed online and in print, in
publications including Pundit Press, Tree, Summit Avenue Review, American
Discovery, and TC Huddle. Dan is a founding member of the Independent Writers Guild, a
worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to
promoting the interest of indie writers by encouraging public interest in, and
fostering an appreciation of, quality indie literature. He is an active attorney
in the Pacific Northwest, and lives in Oregon with his wife and two young
children.
Seize the day you have in front of you. You are strong.
You are kind. You are wonderful. Don’t forget it.
― Dan Buri
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