Overcoming Doubt For Writers

 

You Don't Have to Be Like The

 

   I had just finished working on my novel and decided to hop onto You Tube to relax for a bit. As I was scrolling through my home page I happened to notice an edit someone did on Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Even though I'm not a Hunger Games fan I know how popular the series is and found myself confronted by the strangest thought: My books will never be famous like the Hunger Games. This negative sensation I was feeling didn't make any sense, especially when lately I had been feeling pretty confident about the potential of my novel. But regardless of how strange the thought was, I hearkened to it and convinced myself that it was true - I would never be as well-known as Suzanne Collins.

    

     You see, I got caught up in the common trap of doubt that many writers - especially those who are just starting out - face. It's a slippery slope, and once you begin to slide, it's difficult to stop. First you might begin doubting your ability to be on the New York Times bestselling list, then you start to abandon your project and try writing other things, thinking the last one wasn't good enough, and then finally, you think that your writing in general is not worthy. Before you know, you've stopped doing the one thing you've been passionate about for so long. All because you compared yourself to another writer.

    That is why it is so important to be confident in the gift God has given you. It is so easy to get intimidated by the heroes of your genre, and struggling against doubt is going to be a constant battle for you as a writer, but don't let fear win. You are never going to know what you or your writing will become unless you push forward. 

    Let me tell you something and listen carefully. You aren't going to be the next C.S. Lewis, J. K. Rowling, or Stephan King. You are going to be the first    (your author name here)   . 

 

~Lydia R. Sherren

Quote for the Week

 

"When you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

                                                                           - Unknown

 

Writing Drafts: What To Expect

 

The First Two Stages

 

    I'll be perfectly honest. I have made numerous mistakes as a writer, and my first draft was one of them. Or rather, I should say my lack of a first draft. Hopefully, this post will prevent you from making the same mistakes I did as a young writer.

   Unfortunately, when you write a novel, you can't just type it out and then go over it once to check for spelling and grammatical errors.  In order to write a decent book, you need to write several drafts, or preliminary versions of your book before you can begin to consider sending it out to beta readers or to a publishing house. My mistake was that I wrote my first draft and called it quits. Only minor modifications.

    That was a mistake, because the first draft is just one of many, and it is never the actual book.

   While there are a number of drafts in the process of writing a novel, the first draft, I find, is the one that most writers seem to have trouble with. Especially if they are perfectionists like myself. You see, the first draft is never meant to be the real story. It's all your ideas, everything you have in your head, sloppily transcribed onto a Word or Google document. There are going to be plot holes, inconsistencies, missing characters, and so much more. Your first draft is the unformed lump of clay. All your ideas, good and bad, squashed together and making almost no sense.

    The second draft (the stage I am currently going through in the writing of my own novel) is where you take that lump of clay - sticking to the metaphor here - and begin to slowly shape it into something new. It's where you begin to work out all that mumbo-jumbo that you wrote in the first draft. Also, don't expect your second draft to be a slight revision of the first. A lump of clay is never the same after the potter begins to mold it. Same thing with your second draft. It will be completely different than the first. With me, only a few chapters stayed relatively the same and I ended having to redo my magic system, add a whole other world, and rewrite seventeen to twenty chapters.

    What does this mean? Well it means this: Expect your first draft to be a mess. When you are writing your first draft, don't try and get it "right" or fix something whenever your run across an inconstancy or plot hole. Just write. Write out every idea and everything on your mind. Once you've finished your first draft and move on to the second, just be prepared to do a lot of editing because that's the way it's meant to be.

    Remember: first draft is the lump of clay - all your unpolished ideas. The second, is when you start to mold that lump into something totally new and amazing.

~Lydia R. Sherren

 

Quote For the Week

 

"Success Is Not Final. Failure Is Not Fatal: It Is The Courage To Continue That Counts."

                                    - Winston Churchill 

 

Sources For Authors

 

Recommendations For Writers

 

YouTube Channels:

 

Bethany Atazadeh - Detailed and helpful videos about indie publishing from a thriving indie author. Atazadeh shares important information on marketing, publishing, book releasing, and so much more. 

 

Book Launchers - Short, helpful videos on various topics for aspiring indie authors

Krystalle Bianca - A helpful channel for getting an honest, inside-look into the life of a young writer and her process to publishing her first book. 

Heart Breathings - Great for writers who thrive in an organized environment. This is not a Christian resource, so there is the possibility of offensive language and/or questionable topics in the content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Rebel Christian - A refreshing channel just starting up that fantasy writers would find insightful. Thus far the channel has delved into areas like magic systems, world building, and redemption arcs.

Derek Murphy - Provides a wealth of information on all sorts of topics for authors. From cover design, to publishing he has you covered. This is not a Christian resource, so there is the possibility of offensive language and/or questionable topics content. View discretion is advised. 

Books:

A Novel Idea By Angela Hunt et al. - A marvelous compilation of writing advice from numerous best-selling authors. From writing characters, to plotting, to composing your first cover letter these talented writers give their sage advice. You'll also find encouraging faith tidbits and some comic relief that makes you want to sit down and pick up your pen. This book is a wealth of information and though it might be an investment, I assure you its the best one you'll probably ever make in your writing career.

Templates:

DIY Book Formats by Derek Murphy. - These templates have been such a blessing! Great for indie authors or those who are visual and work better writing their book in a traditional format. By going to: www.diybookformats.com you can download FREE book templates for Microsoft Word. That's right, no fee is required and you can write your your novel in the typical book format. All you have to do is fill in the template with your own words. Also, cover DIY book templates are available for free, and Derek Murphy has uploaded several tutorials on his YouTube channel (see above) for how to work on both templates. However, you must have at least a solid understanding of how to use Microsoft World before trying out these templates. I thought I knew Word pretty well, and I still had to learn a lot through trial-and-error. Nevertheless, these templates are well laid out and extremely helpful. 

 

Map Builders:

Inkarnate - A great site for making realistic fantasy maps that you can use for commercial purposes. However, the free version of Inkarnate has incredibly limited resources, so I advise paying for the pro version. Depending on how long you will need to work on your map, you could pay monthly or yearly, and the prices are quite reasonable. Try the free version out first to ensure that Inkarnate will work for you. There are multiple tutorials on YouTube and if you have any questions, there is support right at hand. Inkarnate also has a Discord server where you can talk with advisors and other creators to get ideas and further assistance. 

 

Hopefully some of these resources proved helpful, and happy writing.

 

-Lydia R. Sherren

 

 

Quote For The Week

 

 

"If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor."

 ~ Edgar Rice Burroughs