How I Ditched My Day Job And Got Off My Butt To Write A Novel

I always wanted to write a novel. I’ve been telling people that I’m going to write a novel since high school, and it’s finally happening! The only problem is, that I don’t know how to write a novel.

There are so many things that need to be done for this project to complete successfully. It can be overwhelming at times, but with the right tools and mindset, it will be worth it!

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Takeaways
Embracing the passion for writing can lead to a transformative journey.
Taking the leap from a day job to a writing career requires determination and planning.
Overcoming self-doubt is essential when pursuing a creative path.
Building a support network within the writing community can provide guidance and motivation.
Balancing financial stability and creative pursuits is a challenge that can be managed with strategic planning.
Learning from personal experiences and the journey of others can offer valuable insights for aspiring writers.
Setting clear goals and gradually increasing writing commitments can lead to a successful transition.
Gaining inspiration from successful writers’ stories can fuel your own writing aspirations.
Facing challenges with resilience and adaptability is key to thriving in the writing industry.
Passion, determination, and a willingness to learn are vital ingredients for a fulfilling writing journey.

I Have No Idea What I’m Doing

I know, what an original opener. But it’s true. For example, in the time that it took me to write this section of my book (about six days), I learned a lot about writing and psychology, and therapy.

Things that are not my strong suit at all! Some of those things were cool and made me think differently than I did before; others were not so cool or interesting. But either way: it was great because every new thing is another chance to learn something new!

Building a strong foundation for your writing journey is crucial. If you’re an aspiring writer looking for guidance, our article on Top 10 Tips for the Aspiring Novel Writer offers valuable insights to help you navigate the path to becoming a successful novelist.

Define Your Goals

Here’s how to get started:

Define your goals and set a deadline. If you’re not sure what your goal should be, it’s time to figure it out. Start by asking yourself “What do I want from this?” or “What do I need to achieve?”

Then, write down two or three things that will help you get there in the next six months (or even a year).

Finally, break these goals into smaller sub-goals and define when they’ll be completed. Once everything is written down, look at the big picture again and ask yourself if any pieces are missing if so, add those in too!

Set a budget for yourself (a dollar amount per day). This can go towards anything ranging from food expenses while writing at home; to coffee shop charges if working outside of the home;

Or travel costs if going somewhere else for inspiration is necessary for one reason or another (i.e., renting an Airbnb vs living with family for free). Whatever amount makes sense for YOU!

Make A Plan

Before you start your novel, make a plan.

Create a calendar or planner to keep track of what needs to be done. Each day, week, and month should have its section, with room for notes as well as tasks that will take place during each period (e.g., “Day 9: Write 1,000 words”).

You can also create separate sections for each year this way it’ll be easy to see which years you’ve already written in detail!

Make sure you have space not only for writing but also for marketing and planning things like events where people might want copies of your book.

If there are gaps between months where nothing is happening then consider using them as times when you’ll do research or other non-writing tasks related to finishing up the novel (more on this later).

Writing is a journey that requires constant inspiration. Discover strategies to keep your creative fire burning in our post about How to Stay Inspired as a Writer, where you’ll find practical techniques to overcome creative blocks and stay motivated.

Make Every Day Count

Once you’ve decided to write your novel, it’s time to start putting your plan into action. Here are some tips for making every day count:

Get up early: You won’t have any problems getting inspired when you’re fresh and ready for anything. Getting started early in the morning will help you build momentum, which is crucial if you want to finish writing your novel or any other project by a certain date.

Make time for your passion: Make sure that there’s room for your passion in your schedule so that it doesn’t turn into an afterthought or a distraction from what’s important like paying bills on time!

Set a schedule: Set aside specific times during the week (or even days) when all of your attention can go towards working on whatever project suits their needs best at this point in their lives (remembering not only their own creative needs but also those of others who might be involved).

Block Out The Voices

You’re going to hear a lot of voices telling you not to do this. Don’t worry about them. When you write, the only voice that matters is your own.

Many people say that it takes about a year for an author to create a novel from start to finish, but I disagree.

It took me years I had been writing since I was a kid and working on my first novel for over five years before it was ready for editing (and another six months after editing started).

The important thing here is that you block out the noise and focus on what’s most important: your story.

Don’t get distracted by other people’s opinions or their accomplishments; don’t worry about what other people think or say; don’t compare yourself with others and don’t try so hard to impress anyone else with how much work you’ve done (or haven’t done).

You’re doing this because it’s YOUR dream project and if there are no expectations or deadlines attached, then why not take as much time as needed?

In today’s digital age, technology plays a crucial role in the writing process. Explore our detailed guide on The 11 Most Important Software Tools I Use to Write My Novels to learn about the software that can streamline your writing and boost your productivity.

Be Good To Yourself. You Are Worthy

You deserve your own time, your happiness, and your success. And you deserve the health and love that comes with them as well.

You deserve to live a life where you can do what makes you happy without worrying about whether or not someone else is going to judge it or shame you for it later on down the line (especially if they don’t get their way).

If we take any one of these things away from this article your time, your happiness, your success then we’re doing ourselves a disservice by not acting upon them immediately because all four components work together in order for us as human beings to thrive in our daily lives;

But once any one of those components is meddled with negatively then everything else suffers as well: Our health declines because we’ve got nothing left emotionally; our relationships suffer because we’re too tired from working two jobs just.

So we can afford food; our minds become foggy due to exhaustion from lack of sleep caused by working multiple jobs which leaves us unable to focus long enough even though there may be opportunities out there waiting patiently if only they knew how hard this was going on behind closed doors….

Be Disciplined

There is no magic formula, but there are some things that will help you be more productive.

Set a schedule and stick to it. It’s not easy at first, but after a while, your body will get used to the routine and you won’t have as much trouble waking up early or staying up late when necessary.

Don’t get sidetracked by social media, Netflix, or other distractions: You should be focusing on writing every day, even if it’s just for an hour each day or less.

Make this part of your daily routine so it becomes second nature and doesn’t interfere with the rest of your life or make it harder for you to focus

Crafting a masterpiece takes careful planning and execution. If you’re aspiring to create the next great American novel, our step-by-step advice in Step-by-Step Advice for Writing the Next Great American Novel will guide you through the essential stages of your novel-writing journey.

It’s All About Habits

Before you get started, ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Do you want to write a novel? Write a blog post? Write a short story?

Creating habits is key to accomplishing anything worthwhile and I’ve found that having the right kind of routine helps me stay motivated. If this sounds like something that would be helpful for you, here are some things I’ve learned about creating good writing habits:

Habits are powerful things–if they feel right, they can lead us through life on auto-pilot while still allowing us to have a fulfilling experience (or an exciting adventure).

But if they don’t feel right then they’ll hold us back from achieving our goals because we’re not enjoying ourselves enough along the way–we’re constantly fighting against our bad habits instead of embracing the good ones.

So how do we go about making sure we stick with our new habit loop long enough for it turns into second nature?

Write With Passion Style And Heart

Write with passion and style and heart. Write for yourself and the reader, but write with purpose. If you want to be a novelist, then keep that in mind when you sit down to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Write with heart and style. When you get caught up in the day-to-day grind of life, it can be easy to lose sight of your greater purpose and that’s not just as an author or artist; it’s as a human being who has dreams and goals beyond what we’re doing right now.

So don’t forget: writing is supposed to be fun! And if it’s not fun anymore, take some time off until you regain your momentum again because if this isn’t something that brings joy into your life every day, then maybe it isn’t worth doing after all…

Don’t Overdo It When You Don’t Have To

The worst thing you can do when you have a lot of work to do is overdo it. When I was getting my graduate degree, there were times when I would be up late studying, and then come in for an early class the next morning.

That’s silly. The most productive thing I could have done at that point was sleep and rest my brain so that I could be more alert during class and absorb more information.

It’s also important not to push yourself too hard when you are feeling good and think that everything is going well. When things are going well, just keep doing what you’re doing;

Don’t try to get more out of yourself than is reasonable or sustainable. If something isn’t working, don’t try harder try something else!

And finally, if things aren’t going well at all and your brain feels like mush after eight hours of staring at spreadsheets (or whatever), take a break! Do some exercises right now instead of waiting until tomorrow the sooner those endorphins kick in, the better off we’ll all be!

The journey of writing a novel comes with its share of surprises and challenges. Save yourself from potential pitfalls by exploring the 12 valuable insights shared in 12 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Writing My Novel, helping you navigate the novel-writing process with greater confidence.

Try New Things If One Thing Isn’t Working

The second thing I learned is to try something different if one thing isn’t working.

There was a time when I was working on my novel and everything just felt wrong. The characters weren’t working, they weren’t talking like they should, their motivations were confusing me and it seemed like everything in the world stopped making sense.

It was a dark time but instead of quitting or getting discouraged, I decided to take a break from it all and go back to writing short stories which always came easier for me than longer pieces of fiction.

The break helped me come back with fresher eyes and see what needed changed so that when I returned to my novel it would work better than before, but more importantly, it gave me enough confidence that even though.

Whatever I had been doing wasn’t working at the moment something would come along eventually that would make things clearer for me again

Conclusion

It’s not easy to go from being a person who works at home, doing their own thing, to someone who has to be organized, disciplined and productive.

That’s why it took me so long to do this. And I still don’t feel like I’m there yet I still struggle with procrastination and distractions, just like everyone else.

But by taking these steps (and sticking with them), you can get closer than ever before to becoming the person you want to be: an author who makes time for writing every day without sacrificing anything else in your life.

FAQs

How can I transition from a day job to full-time writing?

Transitioning from a day job to full-time writing requires careful planning, financial stability, and a clear strategy. Consider building a solid portfolio, saving money, and gradually increasing your writing commitments to make a successful switch.

What steps should I take before quitting my job to pursue writing?

Before quitting your job, assess your financial situation, create a detailed business plan, establish a strong online presence, and build a network within the writing community to ensure a smoother transition into full-time writing.

How can I overcome the fear of leaving a stable job to become a writer?

Overcoming the fear of leaving a stable job involves acknowledging your passion for writing, setting realistic goals, and seeking support from mentors and fellow writers. Remember that calculated risks can lead to fulfilling outcomes.

How can quotes from successful writers inspire my writing journey?

Quotes from successful writers, like Roald Dahl, can offer valuable insights, motivation, and perspective for aspiring authors. Embrace their wisdom to navigate challenges and find inspiration along your writing journey.

What are some common challenges writers face when pursuing a full-time writing career?

Common challenges include financial instability, self-doubt, inconsistent income, and the need to manage your own schedule. Preparing for these challenges and having a strong support system can help you overcome them effectively.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.