I've Learned All the Things, So Why Can't I Write a Book?
A few weeks ago, I asked my newsletter community if they had any questions for me. Here’s a question I received from a writer we’ll call Avery. I hear this a lot, so I think you may relate:
“What do you do when you've spent four years taking tons of online writing classes and conferences and workshops, reading craft books, listening to podcasts, reading blogs, watching YouTube vids, buying plotting software, and trying everything to figure out what your actual process is for plotting a novel--without much luck?
I have so many good ideas for stories, but get stuck in plotting much past Act 1, and get so worried that I'll never be able to figure it out and plot a whole novel.”
There are three things I want to say to Avery and you, reader.
You’re Not Alone
Writing a book is HARD, even if you’ve learned all the things.
There’s a lot of excitement when you start a new project. Excitement is high and it feels like this is The One, the book you’ll finally finish.
But after a few chapters, things just…fizzle out. You don’t know where the story is going. Writing feels like slogging through quickset concrete. And who were you kidding thinking you had what it takes to write a damn novel?
Let me assure you, it’s not you. You are capable and your story isn’t shit. It’s just that writing is a complicated, long, often lonely affair.
The fact that you’ve done so much learning and keep trying means you’re doing something right. Your effort shows how much you care and how capable you are of actually doing the thing and finishing a book.
Find the Heart of Your Novel
A common reason that books don’t get finished is because the writer doesn’t know what they’re about. An exciting idea or character is enough to get you started, but it’s not enough to lead you through the barren middle to a satisfying ending.
You need to know the emotional core of your novel: the point.
A point is a single sentence that sums up the worldview or message you want to convey to your reader.
It’s the X on the treasure map, the lighthouse in a storm, the finish line of an ultra marathon.
The point reminds you where the book is heading. It gives you something to shape your novel around. A way to gauge what belongs and what doesn’t.
To learn how to find your point, check out this blog post.
Get Support
Look, writing a book is hard as hell, especially when you write alone.
Knowledge alone isn’t enough. Theory is often overwhelming and difficult to apply.
It’s WAY too easy to get lost in the thousands of words and millions of details. The voice of doubt smothers the dream of being an author, the excitement for your story. Then, it’s just you and a slew of words that smell like crap and lead to nowhere.
This is why every writer deserves a community. When you get the support, feedback, and accountability you need, you will finish your novel.
I’m going to toot my own horn here, but if you identify with Avery (or are Avery), please check out the Rooted Writers Mentorship.
What you’ve been lacking, the Mentorship provides:
Feedback on your book.
I help every Rooted Writer problem solve, fine tune, and finish their damn book. This means I’ll help you figure out what happens beyond Act 1. I’ll remind you how fucking awesome you are when the doubt is screaming at you. And I’m sure as hell going to be there if things fall apart.
Community.
Every single writer reaches a point where they think they should give up on their book. Truly, it happens every time.
But when you’re surrounded by other writers going through the same shit, that moment of despair doesn’t feel quite so scary. Once you’ve seen other writers survive their book’s Dark Night of the Soul, you start to believe you might too.
Personalized Training.
Reading theory in a book isn’t the same as having someone explain the concept and demonstrate how it applies to you. In the Mentorship, when you learn a concept, I help you know how to apply it to your book.
Don’t understand how to craft a character arc? No problem, let’s do it together.
Have no idea which plot structure to choose or even what a plot structure is? Got it, can I help you figure it out?
Feel totally overwhelmed by the sea of writing advice you’re drowning in? Here’s a life vest. Let’s decide what your single next step is.
I’ve seen it time and time again, the difference that having support makes in your writing life. It can be the difference between becoming the author you’ve always wanted to be and giving up on your dream altogether.
So, don’t give up. If you, like Avery, worry you’ll never be able to finish your novel, consider this my personal invitation to check out the Rooted Writers Mentorship.
It’s the best way I could envision to help writers achieve their dreams.
