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Some authors listen to music; others, like me, need total and complete silence.
Channing Smith
Some are staunch proponents of outlining every chapter; others like to just sit down and let it flow.
Why not make 2024 the year you just go for it?
After all, the world always needs more books.
can do it too.
I write best on deadline.
I like to sit at a desk, but don’t need to.
I like natural light, but have written thousands of words on planes and trains.
I aim for 1,000 words a day.
This year I bought my first ergonomic office chair and it has changed my life.
I still mostly write pre-8:00 a.m., but now I do it sitting up at a desk.
I learned to write from anywhere on any machine.
I wish I could say I have a ritual, but my ritual is really getting my words in.
Otherwise, a comfy chair and a blanket was all I needed.
I do one of four things.
I get up and have a dance party for five minutes.
Under no circumstances do I screw around online or on the socials.J.P.
Put the draft aside.
Go for a walk.
Pick up a book you love and reread it.
You need space from the draft to figure out why it isnt working.
Sometimes it doesnt, and thats how you know to put it away a little while longer.
Then go back and write.
Or skip ahead to a different chapter, or another task involving the book.J.R.
I love an outline because I find outlining so much lower-stakes than writing.
To me, heaven.M.K.
For nonfiction I have no choice but to plan and outline and report.
For fiction I don’t do any outlining.
I let my first draft be the outline.
Here’s the thing that’s important to note, though: I have three learning disabilities.
I have always been extremely organized and driven and detailed, but my process is often different from others.
And that’s the thing about writing, no one way is right.
You have to go about it in a way that comes natural for you.
No one else does.J.R.
Im envious of writers who can outline their books meticulously.
My mind just doesnt work that way.
Even when I give a shot to outline, my drafts end up deviating from what Ive written originally.
For me, not necessarily knowing whats coming next makes fiction writing fun.T.O.
Then more writing, much of which departed chaotically from the outline.
Unfortunately this continues to be my process.K.W.
Judy Blume inspired me to be an author.
I devoured her books as a kid (and as a grown-up).
I cant pinpoint one book.
This is generally why I attempt to avoid reading bad books.T.O.
You just have to accept that book publishing moves slower and learn to thrive within that.V.H.
Get your ass in the chair.
You won’t know if you have a book in you until you start to write it.
You have to sit down and start writing and do it every damn day.
Don’t go back and reread or edit until you’re at least 20,000 words in.
Just keep going and keep moving the story for you.
It sounds terrifying, but it has worked for me for 12 books.J.P.
Timing is everything, and be passionate about what you’re writing.
Don’t write a book because people have said you should, or if you’re lukewarm about it.
But also, trust yourself.
And that’s what I did.J.R.
The only way to become an author is to actually write the book you have in your head.
You dont need anyones permission to do it.
You dont need a fancy degree.
This should go without saying.
One inspires the other.T.O.
If you write one sentence every day, eventually you’ll have a book.
If you write no sentences every day, you’ll never have a book.M.K.
