Beginning a writing project is both exciting and scary. It is thrilling to see the ideas that have been floating around in your head begin to take shape. Whether you are a writer of poetry, crime thriller novels, young adult paranormal romances, or some other genre, you will relate to the feeling of seeing a project start to become what you envision for it. Here are a few tips for getting started and staying motivated throughout the course of writing.
1. Figure out your best process. Decide whether you write better at a particular time of day. Figure out if you work best by creating and following a plot outline, or whether you need to come up with characters first. Maybe you just want to start writing and see what comes out. When you figure out your most productive writing process, it will be easier to stay in your groove.
2. Seek out a mentor. Find someone who is willing to guide you through your project, preferably a person who is a published author him or herself. It is even better if the person has published something in the genre in which you are working. You can share your drafts with this person and gain wisdom from his or her experience and expertise.
3. Save all of the work you do. You may find that as you write, you start to hate certain parts of what you've written. You may remove them from the next draft, and be tempted to delete them so that they vanish forever. It is better, however, to save them somewhere. You never know whether you might be able to use them in a different context, or if you might change your mind.
4. Step away and take a break when you need to. Sometimes you need a few days of working on something else, or a break from writing altogether. The break may even last for a couple of weeks or more. This is alright, as it can allow you to see your work with new eyes when you return.
5. Have more than one person read your drafts. While you should certainly show them to your mentor, you will want to consult other people as well. It is a good idea to get as many different opinions as possible, and to ask lots of people for their suggestions. This may help you to reach and speak to a larger audience of readers.
6. Decide how you want to publish and market your book. These days, there are many options for getting your book into the public eye. You can go the traditional route, by shopping it around to various publishers. You can also self-publish your book in print. Another increasingly popular option is self-publishing e-books, which can be sold online electronically. In a few cases, authors have made millions doing this.
Take the excitement you feel at the beginning of your project, and use it to motivate you throughout the course of getting it finished. There may be moments when you no longer feel as thrilled about it as you once did. In those times, look back over this list. Speak to your mentor, or take some time away, but make sure you come back to the project eventually!
1. Figure out your best process. Decide whether you write better at a particular time of day. Figure out if you work best by creating and following a plot outline, or whether you need to come up with characters first. Maybe you just want to start writing and see what comes out. When you figure out your most productive writing process, it will be easier to stay in your groove.
2. Seek out a mentor. Find someone who is willing to guide you through your project, preferably a person who is a published author him or herself. It is even better if the person has published something in the genre in which you are working. You can share your drafts with this person and gain wisdom from his or her experience and expertise.
3. Save all of the work you do. You may find that as you write, you start to hate certain parts of what you've written. You may remove them from the next draft, and be tempted to delete them so that they vanish forever. It is better, however, to save them somewhere. You never know whether you might be able to use them in a different context, or if you might change your mind.
4. Step away and take a break when you need to. Sometimes you need a few days of working on something else, or a break from writing altogether. The break may even last for a couple of weeks or more. This is alright, as it can allow you to see your work with new eyes when you return.
5. Have more than one person read your drafts. While you should certainly show them to your mentor, you will want to consult other people as well. It is a good idea to get as many different opinions as possible, and to ask lots of people for their suggestions. This may help you to reach and speak to a larger audience of readers.
6. Decide how you want to publish and market your book. These days, there are many options for getting your book into the public eye. You can go the traditional route, by shopping it around to various publishers. You can also self-publish your book in print. Another increasingly popular option is self-publishing e-books, which can be sold online electronically. In a few cases, authors have made millions doing this.
Take the excitement you feel at the beginning of your project, and use it to motivate you throughout the course of getting it finished. There may be moments when you no longer feel as thrilled about it as you once did. In those times, look back over this list. Speak to your mentor, or take some time away, but make sure you come back to the project eventually!
About the Author:
You can visit jfrankjamesbooks.com for more helpful information about Writing Crime Thriller Novels And More.
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