Four simple things to do before you start writing a book
Writing a book is a pretty big undertaking, and as a project it brings up all sorts of worries, doubts and questions before we even type that first line. Do we have a good enough idea? How many words should we be aiming for? How do we know if we can finish a whole novel?
It's not hard to see how we might end up overcomplicating it for ourselves. What I've learned though, is that taking a few simple, practical steps can make all of those mindset wobbles and excuses a whole lot easier to overcome.
Because what we really need to do is start writing. If we can get to a place where we're showing up to the page most days, writing that first draft steadily and consistently, everything else falls into place. Through taking action we can get better at the writing itself; figure out how to solve those plot holes or write the tricky scene; and keep making progress whatever our mood or inspiration level.
Here's my simple checklist for getting the basics covered and making a start on your novel:
Make a plan/brief outline. Whatever your project or idea, giving yourself a clear route to follow as you write is always a good idea. Keep things super simple - start with one main character, give them something to want (a motivation) and something that's in their way (conflict). Bullet point scene ideas by thinking of where your character starts off in your story (physically and emotionally), where they are by the end of your story, and imagining what you need to show to describe that journey between those two points.
Make some kind of goal/deadline. First, set yourself a worcount goal for your first draft. Look up average wordcounts of books in your genre as a starting point (but remember that first drafts don't always match this average - my first drafts are always short, usually only around 50,000 words, whereas a full, finished manuscript for Young Adult fiction should be 75,000-85,000). Work backwards by figuring out how much time you can realistically and consistently commit to writing your book and estimate how long it will take you to reach that first draft wordcount - that's your deadline!
Find your accountability or motivation. Put some things in place to help you stay on track as you write - different people are motivated by different things, so choose something that works for you. You could try: tracking your wordcount/progress in your journal; giving yourself rewards when you reach different targets along the way; getting an accountability partner - pairing up with a writer friend or investing in a mentor.
Set a start date (and stick to it!). Make yourself a non-negotiable 'day one', clear your schedule, and make it your mission to get your first writing session ticked off and that blank page conquered.
And if you need a little more in-depth guidance and support to jump start your book-writing, Deep Roots has all the worksheets and advice you need to get you writing your book instead of dreaming about it.
