No matter what your preferred genre of writing, you can probably relate to the excited feeling you get when you start working on something new. Whether it is a collection of poetry, the latest in your series of crime thriller novels, or a science fiction book about an alien invasion, the thrill of starting something new is always wonderful. It takes motivation and dedication, however, to maintain that feeling. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track.
1. Determine your writing process. Figure out whether a particular time of day works best for you when it comes to writing. Decide whether you want to write an outline for the plot first, or work on character development, or simply start with a scene and write whatever comes naturally. Once you know the process that works best for you, your work will go more smoothly.
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 back and take a break from the project when you need to. Sometimes, it helps to not look at the project for a few days, sometimes even for a few weeks. When you do return to look at it again, you will have a fresh perspective.
5. Run your drafts past more than one person. You should definitely have your mentor look at your drafts, but you should have other people read them, too. It helps to get several different perspectives on the work, and to listen to the suggestions of various people. This will give you a better sense of how you can appeal to a wide audience.
6. Decide on a strategy for publishing and marketing. Traditionally, authors have submitted query letters and sample chapters to publishers in the hopes of having their books picked up. However, self publishing has become another viable option. There are services through which you can self-publish and print your own books, as well as electronic publishing, which allows you to self-publish e-books through sites like Amazon. This can sometimes be a lucrative venture.
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. Determine your writing process. Figure out whether a particular time of day works best for you when it comes to writing. Decide whether you want to write an outline for the plot first, or work on character development, or simply start with a scene and write whatever comes naturally. Once you know the process that works best for you, your work will go more smoothly.
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 back and take a break from the project when you need to. Sometimes, it helps to not look at the project for a few days, sometimes even for a few weeks. When you do return to look at it again, you will have a fresh perspective.
5. Run your drafts past more than one person. You should definitely have your mentor look at your drafts, but you should have other people read them, too. It helps to get several different perspectives on the work, and to listen to the suggestions of various people. This will give you a better sense of how you can appeal to a wide audience.
6. Decide on a strategy for publishing and marketing. Traditionally, authors have submitted query letters and sample chapters to publishers in the hopes of having their books picked up. However, self publishing has become another viable option. There are services through which you can self-publish and print your own books, as well as electronic publishing, which allows you to self-publish e-books through sites like Amazon. This can sometimes be a lucrative venture.
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:
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