Seeking the opinions of published book authors

[TheSlipperyToad]

Hi there! I'm a casual writer by hobby and I'm toying with the idea of writing a book someday based on some loose plot lines I've developed over the past year. The skeleton of a "book one" taking place in a sufficiently built world already exists in my opinion, so I'm deciding to seriously sit myself down and have a frank discussion about how far I'm willing to take it.

As much as this idea makes me huff and puff - because I consider myself to be fiercely independent - I'd like to hear about the writing journeys of people who have successfully completed and published a book and who have some universally applicable advice to share with people in my position. I'm not looking for famous authors or anything here; just someone who has done the work.

I invite you to approach this however you like, but I want to hear a summary of the challenges you overcame during your journey to publish your first book, starting from the moment you decided to start writing your story. I thank you in advance for taking the time!

 

[pmmg]

My advice--Run! don't walk far away from the writing bug, unless you want to put in a lot of effort, and get very little reward. It is a labor of love, not one of riches, and its hard to maintain...

But then, if it is a labor of love, or a bug you have to get out...

A huge part of my journey can be found here:

PMMG'S Journey

You can also find the journeys of many others like, ThinkerX, and Skip.Knox in the same section.

A lot of my advice can also be found here:

Goldie's Words of Wisdom

And you can find some of what I consider good topics and posts here:

Goldie's a List of Cool Threads

And...Welcome to the Site. I hope you have a great journey.

 

[ThinkerX]

I have eleven self-published novels out in the world, twelve if you count the omnibus. (Six are part of a series.)

First, anymore, I do not start writing a story without solid notions for the beginning, middle, and end. I hit too many dead ends in the old days when I'd just take an idea and run with it. For longer works (over 20K or so), I use short outlines that mutate as the writing progresses.

Second, make writing a daily habit. Write on the WIP every day, even if you don't feel like it, even if you think it is horrible. I used to take an old cooking timer, set it for an hour, and do nothing but write until the bell rang, ignoring all issues of quality or grammar. I found that once started, the words will come.

Milestones along the way:

The first challenge is the first page. That white expanse is intimidating.

The second challenge is (starting) the second chapter. Many, many tales die after the first chapter is written.

The third challenge sets in around chapter four or 10K, give or take 1-2K. At this point, the characters and setting are established, but what lies ahead is the meat of the story. Many tales die here.

The fourth challenge is the 'Muddy Middle,' which hits in the 30-40K bracket. The fantastic setting, the brilliant plot, and the great characters all seem to turn to mud. Many novels sink into this mire, never to be seen again. This is where the habit of writing comes in. You get through it one word, one sentence at a time.


The fifth challenge is 'almost there.' The 'End' is almost in sight. Just a few more chapters. Just another 10K. Two weeks, tops. Three weeks and 15K later, the 'End' is *still* almost in sight. Just another 10K!...

And once you do reach 'The End?' The temptation is to begin the rewrite straightaway. Resist it. You are still way too close to the text. Set it aside for a few months and work on the next book. When you do get back to it, the tale will 'read fresh.' Both the good and the bad will stand out. (Much of what you thought was bad will seem pretty decent.)

Then comes the first of multiple rewrites. Likely, entire chapters will vanish, along with a character or three. You will have to add new scenes and get into character and plot details. Then, you set it aside again.

I'll pause here...

 

[Karlin]

I'm what they call a "pantser". I get an idea, and run with it, not knowing where it will go, or even who the characters are, beyond some basic idea. I've written several novels over the years. Once I start, I'm committed to finishing. I have one book published by a traditional publisher. It took a couple of years to write, a long editing process, probably close to a year to find a publisher, then an additional cycle of editing and changes.

It has led me to take myself more seriously as a writer. I've gotten a bit of attention in podcasts and the like, which is a good feeeling.

It has been a money-losing operation for me. I spent far more on my first rouind of editing than I have made from royalties (or expect to). So what am I doing? Editing the next one, and writing the one after that. I am retired now, and writing is part of who I am.