There's an age-old adage that you are never too young to be a writer. However, it is completely normal to feel like you don't know enough about the craft or your story to begin writing to publish. Though you may feel that way, I am here to assure you that the adage is fairly true. As someone who was once in your shoes, I'm here to tell you how I felt more comfortable with my own writing.
1. The More You Write, the More You Learn
Though it seems like a confusing concept, the more that you write, the more you learn about your writing abilities. If you—like me—started writing when you were young, you also have the opportunity to learn grammar skills alongside your writing skills. The more you learn about your specific writing style, the more you can develop a voice and learn where you need to improve. For example, I am always trying to better my spelling skills as that is one area of my writing that constantly needs to be improved.
You can also learn more about writing by writing. How is that possible? Have you ever been writing and Googled a question you had about your writing? The more you write, the more questions will come up. The more you look for answers to those questions, the more you learn about the writing craft. While writing, I will ask all kinds of questions related to the story or about some specific grammar rule I can't quite remember. Sometimes I utilize Google to answer the simplest spelling question I have. Remember that there are no dumb questions, and the more you ask the better you become.
2. Reading Makes You a Better Writer
What better way to learn the mechanics of writing than by reading things that are already published? By reading books, you can start to learn grammar rules by exposing yourself to things that have been written and edited by professionals. You may see things you've never seen before but think are cool and want to use them in your story. Books may also expose you to something that you weren't sure how to do in your novel.
My biggest tip for you is to read more than what you normally read. By exposing yourself to different styles and different genres of writing, you can learn any number of new skills and techniques. It's always good to push your writing boundaries when you are first starting out. You should know what you can and can't write and what skills you have before you enter the world of writing for publication.
3. Take Classes if You Feel the Need
Many of my writer friends and I met in college where we studied professional writing together. I knew from a young age that writing is what I wanted to do for a living and to do so, I knew I would need to get a degree in writing. When I stepped into the program, I felt like I was a fraud. I was surrounded by all these amazing when I had only had English teachers to give me feedback on my writing in school.
However, I stuck with it and continued to learn new things. As I worked toward my degree, I joined writing groups and watched my writing change and grow into what it is today. Obviously, since I am sharing that writing with you today, I have also lost the imposter syndrome. No writer is perfect. There is a reason that editors exist and aren't in any shortage of work (I know, I have friends who are editors). If you think that you want to hone your skills and feel confident in your writing skills, there is no reason you can't go and study writing.
4. Have Writing Communities Review Your Writing
If you have a group of friends who are also interested in writing, have them take a look at your writing. Having a fresh pair of eyes look over your writing can help you discover flaws and places where you still need to work. At the same time, having people get excited about your writing and reaffirm your confidence in your writing is such a comforting feeling. My experience with the writing community has only been positive, so I encourage you to start following them on socials (if you haven't already) to learn tips and tricks to evolve your writing skills.
5. Start Where You Are & Have Fun
The biggest thing you can do to gain confidence in your writing is to simply put pen on paper. I "completed" my first novel when I was around fourteen years old. Not knowing what to do with it, I filed it away in a cabinet and didn't find it again until I graduated from college. It was terrible, but I decided to hold on to it because of the way I felt when I finally finished it. I was so proud of myself for seeing my story through from beginning to end. No matter what your skills are, the only way to get better is to put pen to paper and see where you are. And have fun doing it. Writing should be a fun endeavor, so don't push yourself to be perfect if you aren't enjoying it.
Now you know that the most important thing about writing is to just start and have fun with it no matter what age you are—in fact, the youngest person to publish a book was five-year-old Bella J. Dark. Let's look at how much you need to know about your story before you begin writing.
1. The Plot
This will likely vary based on which kind of writer you are (not sure? check here). If you are a pantser, you may know almost nothing about your story before you begin writing. However, if you are a plotter, you probably know the entire plot before you pick up a pencil. I usually have the beginning of my story and the end of it in mind before I start writing. It may be helpful to sit on your story for a few days and see if any other major plot points come to mind before you start writing, especially if you aren't sure what the big issue is in the story.
2. Your Characters
You should know your main character and any of the characters that will play a major role in your main character's story. This doesn't mean that you have to know all the fine details of your characters' lives, but you do need to know how they will change or remain the same throughout the story. You also need to know what motivates your main character and who the big bad is, if they are a human. Essentially, make your cast of characters and be able to explain how each of them affects the plot.
3. The World
You need to know how the world your characters are in functions. If it is the real world, this part will be relatively easy. You'll just have to define it down the politics of wherever the story is set (e.g. school, workplace, household, etc.). However, if this is an alternate version of the real world or a world of your own creation, there will be a lot more work for you in this area. What are the rules of the society? Who is the leader or government? How do people get around? What kind of technology do they have?
If you know the bear bones of all those categories, you are ready to continue with your story. Sometimes it may be hard to force yourself to think about it, but prepping in the beginning is going to save you in the rewriting process. There is a lower chance of plot holes and conflicting plot points if you know more of your story.
All and all, you can kind of determine when you are ready to hire an editor or an agent to start preparing your novel for the publishing process. If you think that your writing is at the highest place possible and you are extremely proud of what you have created, you should move to the next stage of the writing process.
Hopefully, the above tips help you feel more confident and comfortable in your writing. Once you reach that point, you can move on to editing or publishing!
Until Next Time,
Ally Mac
Comments