How To Write A Book Part 3: Don’t Give Up

Writing a book is hard. This is especially true for first-time writers. You may feel that it’s impossible to get the story down on paper, or you may think that your writing isn’t good enough for publication. The truth is that no one writes their first book perfectly. 

We all have to go through the rigors of learning how to write a book and actually finish one! There are no shortcuts here: only hard work and perseverance will guarantee success as a writer. 

But let me be clear while writing isn’t easy, it’s also not impossible! With these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way towards successful completion of your manuscript and publication of a bestseller

Takeaways
Writing a book is a challenging journey.
Challenges in writing are common, but perseverance is key.
Embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth.
Find support from writing communities or groups.
Remember the importance of your message and keep pushing forward.

Don’t Write On A Full Stomach

But do not write on a full stomach. If you’re writing for more than a few hours, your body will need some fuel. It’s okay to indulge in something early on, but if you eat too much, or if the snack is too heavy (like pizza), it will keep you from being able to concentrate.

It might seem like the most obvious thing in the world you should be able to write whenever and wherever but don’t forget that food and writing are two different activities for our bodies and minds.

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Write When Your Brain Is Active

We’ve talked about the importance of writing when your brain is active. When your brain is active, it’s easier to remember what you write. But what does that mean exactly? It means that if you are tired or sleepy, it’s not a good time to write because your brain isn’t as active. If you’re awake and alert, then that’s the perfect time for writing!

If all this sounds like common sense (and it should), why don’t more people do it? 

There are many different ways of staying awake: coffee and energy drinks can help but they can also make you jittery and anxious; exercise helps with staying awake but sometimes not enough on its own.

Music can be helpful (some say Mozart improves focus) but often we feel too tired at night to listen closely enough; some people will get up early to have a productive morning before going to work if only everyone could do this!

Don’t Allow Yourself The Luxury Of Setting Down The Pen

The first thing to remember is that you don’t get to stop writing until you’re satisfied with the piece. You can’t give up on your story just because it’s not turning out as well as you’d hoped, or because things are getting slow and boring. If anything, this is when you need to be even more determined!

Second, don’t stop writing until you’ve reached your word count goal. If having an exact number in mind helps motivate and inspire you, then set a goal for how many words per day or week you would like to write.

Third (and fourth), don’t stop writing until complete stories have been written from beginning to end. This will help keep everything organized so that all of the pieces come together smoothly later on when editing happens…which brings us right into our next point!

Ever wondered how you could drastically cut down the time spent on book writing? Discover the techniques shared in the post titled How I Knocked Down Book Writing from 48 Hours to 3 and learn how efficient strategies can turn the writing process into a more manageable endeavor.

There Are Times When You Should Simply Stop Writing

When you are tired, distracted, or frustrated, it is easier to give up on your book than it is to keep going.

If you have been working for a few hours straight and haven’t made any progress with your book, then take a break and come back later once you’ve had some rest.

Your brain needs time away from the information it has been absorbing to process everything and make sense of it all.

It’s also common for writers to feel like their creativity has dried up completely at certain points during their writing process. 

This can happen after working on a project for several weeks or months without seeing any improvement because they’re too close to what they’re trying to accomplish in their mind’s eye; this creates frustration which leads them toward giving up before finishing the project at its current stage of development (or even starting).

Ask Someone To Proofread Your Work, Then Listen To What They Say

Now that you’ve written your book, it’s important to have someone else proofread it. You may be tempted to skip this step since your eyes will be so familiar with what you’ve written that they’ll just skim over it as they read. 

But if you’re going to publish your book or send copies out into the world (as we hope you will), then having someone else look at it and give feedback is crucial.

You can ask a friend who knows how to write well for their help with this task; sometimes friends are more willing than strangers because they know the pressure of writing well isn’t just on them! 

Or perhaps there’s an online community where people trade writing tips like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or Reddit’s /r/writing subreddit that would be willing to help out in exchange for getting published on their website or blog? 

Whichever way works best for you, make sure that once someone has agreed to read your book before publication and tell you what needs work and trust them!

Here are some things that might happen when sharing your work with others:

Book writing isn’t always a smooth journey; there are hidden aspects that can make all the difference. In the article 14 Things No One Tells You About Book Writing, you’ll uncover insightful truths that can provide you with the edge you need to stay committed and persistent.

Avoid Using Adverbs

If you’re writing a book, there are many reasons to avoid using adverbs. For one thing, adverbs are usually unnecessary. Instead of saying “he ran quickly,” you could write “he sprinted.”

This is especially true when it comes to adding information or emphasis—if the verb already indicates what the action was doing (e.g., running), then an adverb is unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs.

However, sometimes an adverb is appropriate if it adds detail or emotion that can’t be conveyed by other means (e.g., “She smiled happily”). If this sounds like your situation, take care not to overdo it: too many adverbs will make your writing sound awkward and unnatural

Don’t Show Off Your Vocabulary

One thing I’ve noticed is that many writers try to impress their readers by using big words. They do this so that the reader feels as though they are reading something worth their time, but it’s not necessary. You want to use simple words and sentences to get your point across in a way that people can understand easily.

If you’re writing about computers or technology, then you don’t need to use big words like “computational”, “algorithm”, or “terminal”. 

Those are much more complicated than what you should be writing about! Instead, use simple terms like “computer” and “terminal”. And if at all possible don’t make up new words because they sound cool they might even make your book seem unprofessional (and nobody wants that!).

Do Not Use Cliches Or Generalities, Drop-In Specific Information Where Possible

Here’s an example of a general statement: “The book is about learning how to write.”

Here’s an example of a specific statement: “The book will provide a step-by-step guide for first-time writers, allowing them to finish the first draft within two months.”

Generalities are vague and don’t give much information about your subject. For example, if you’re writing a book on manners, you wouldn’t want to say something like this: “Manners are important.” Instead, try something like this: “Manners help us form relationships with other people.”

Learning from others’ experiences can be a great motivator during your book writing adventure. Dive into the post titled What I Learned from Writing a Book to gain valuable insights from those who’ve been through the journey, helping you navigate your path with newfound wisdom.

Make Sure The Point Of View Remains Consistent Throughout The Story

One of the most important things to remember when you’re writing a book is to keep your point of view consistent. Point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is told, and it comes in three main forms: first person (I), second person (you), and third person (he/she).

From the first-person point of view, it’s clear that the narrator is speaking directly about himself or herself. 

The narrator will address him or herself as ‘I’ throughout their speech and descriptions. This kind of narration works well if you want your reader to identify with or feel close to your character(s). 

If this sounds familiar, it may be because many famous novels use this style including John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, and Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird.

As mentioned above, second-person narration puts you right into the shoes of your main character(s). It addresses both them directly (“you”) as well as other characters within the story (“your”). 

This can make for an interesting perspective on events but usually only works if there are enough supporting characters so that each one still feels like they have agency within those events; otherwise, they risk becoming generic stand-ins for readers themselves rather than unique individuals with their own stories worth telling

Always Unplug When Writing

To be the best writer you can be, it’s important to unplug everything. This means turning off your phone, TV, computer, and anything else that will distract you.

Turn off all lights except for one lamp or candle if you’re writing at night time. If you’re writing during the day, turn off all lamps and lights in your home so that no one comes into contact with them and accidentally breaks them or turns them on by mistake later on in their day.

Turn down the music in your house if it is playing loudly enough for anyone else living in your house to hear it over what they are doing (i.e., watching TV). 

Turn off any fans or air conditioning units because these things make noise too and sometimes this noise can distract from writing because it becomes annoying after a while! 

You want only peace when sitting down each day at around 10 am-11 am for about two hours straight so that nothing interrupts this sacred time spent creating something beautiful out of nothing but words.”

Answer Reader’s Questions Before They Arise

In this section, we’ll talk about the importance of answering questions your readers will have about your book.

When you’re writing the book, it’s important to think about what questions will arise in your reader’s minds as they go through each part of the book. For example: if you’re writing a cookbook, what questions might people have? “How do I make ?” or “What should I serve with/on/alongside/etc this dish?”. 

You can answer these questions in advance by explaining how to do it (in case someone has never made that dish before) and listing some good accompaniments for it (if there are any). It’s also possible that you might want to provide an index at the end of the book so people can find specific recipes more easily.

The journey of writing a book is filled with lessons, and one of the most important ones is about not giving up. If you’re feeling challenged, remember that even the most successful authors have faced obstacles. Check out How to Write a Book Part 3: Don’t Give Up to discover ways to maintain your determination and achieve your literary goals.

Write every day And Don’t Give Up

The third and final point is a tall order: write every day and don’t give up.

Writing every day is important for several reasons. Firstly, it helps to keep you accountable because if you’re not writing, then how will anyone know that you are working on your book? Secondly, if you have committed to writing every day then it’s easier for other people (like me) to check in on how far along the project has gotten. 

If I ask about a piece of writing and am told that “it’s coming along,” I’ll want an update on when exactly “coming along” will be over with so we can all move on to another topic of conversation!

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: don’t give up! This is perhaps one of the hardest pieces of advice in this series because once you’ve been out there trying hard at something for enough time whether or not it was going well the temptation is strong to take shortcuts. 

Abandon ship entirely just so someone else doesn’t have their feelings hurt by having invested time into something they thought was going well which turned out not to be true at all due largely due  to someone else not having enough patience or motivation (or both)

Conclusion

If you follow these tips, you will be on your way to writing a great novel. Our team at The Writing Partnership wants to wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to help!

Further Reading

How to Write a Book: A Comprehensive Guide Short Description: Dive into a comprehensive guide that covers the entire process of writing a book, from brainstorming ideas to the final draft.

Learn How to Write a Book with Self-Publishing School Short Description: Join a self-publishing school that offers valuable insights and practical advice on writing a book, guiding you through the journey step by step.

Don’t Give Up on Writing That Novel Short Description: Find inspiration and encouragement to keep going with your novel writing endeavors, even when faced with challenges.

FAQs

How do I start the process of writing a book?

Starting the process of writing a book involves several key steps. Begin by brainstorming ideas, outlining your plot or structure, and setting aside dedicated time for writing sessions.

What are some effective techniques to overcome writer’s block?

Writer’s block is common but conquerable. You can try changing your writing environment, practicing freewriting, taking short breaks, or revisiting your outline to find your momentum again.

How can I stay motivated during the long writing journey?

Staying motivated requires setting realistic goals, celebrating small achievements, seeking support from writing groups, and reminding yourself of your passion for your story’s message.

What are some tips for maintaining a consistent writing routine?

Consistency is key in book writing. Create a writing schedule that aligns with your productivity peaks, eliminate distractions, and consider using techniques like the Pomodoro technique to enhance focus.

How do I handle self-doubt and the fear of not being good enough?

Self-doubt is natural, but remember that many successful authors faced it too. Surround yourself with positivity, seek feedback from trusted sources, and recognize that writing is a journey of improvement.