Just Write: My Mantra as I Finish the First Draft of My First Book
As I close in on 80,000 words and the completion of the initial draft of my first novel, I realize how much work there is to do.
There are plot holes to fill. Loose ends to tie up. Writing to refine. Characters to further develop. The list goes on.
But the beautiful thing is that I will have a first draft to work with rather than just an idea bouncing around in my head.
For as long as I can remember – even during stretches when I forgot – I’d imagined writing a book. I’ve had ideas come and go, but rarely did I start. One theme I see among writers in similar situations (I guess I’m not the only one!) is simple: just start. Just write. Keep going.
It seems like such a scary concept at first. I have an idea, I sketch out an outline, I refine it further, all mostly just to procrastinate the actual writing. But when I do start writing, where does the story go? What if it’s boring? Takes a wrong turn? Doesn’t end up anywhere? Or I get stuck?
These self-defeating questions aren’t just a byproduct of writing, or really any other creative work, but rather a byproduct of life itself. Self-doubt. Imposter syndrome. Worrying about what others think. Distractions. The list goes on.
There’s no such thing as the perfect time. But if there were, now would be as close as I’d get. If I wasn’t going to do it now, when was I going to do it? I was doing freelance work and in between full-time gigs (I’ll be starting a new one this week as a marketing writer). I’d have time to dive in and explore. Just see where the writing takes me. And it turns out it took me much further than I could have imagined in just under two months.
I’ve found that process of just seeing where the writing takes me to be the most fun part. Often, I’m surprised where the words end up going. The voice inside my head will spark new ideas. Some will be exciting, and others will need to be revised later. The key is to keep writing. New ideas and fresh thoughts rarely emerge when I’m just thinking about the book. My mind clings to the few ideas it has, and if they’re not written down, it won’t make room for new ones to sprout.
I somewhat dread the rewriting and revising process because there are a lot of moving parts to the book – and a lot of work that still needs to be done.
Then again, I once dreaded starting to write the book in the first place. So, this is just the next chapter in the process, and one that will move me even closer to accomplishing my goal of writing a book.
It ultimately just comes down to sitting down and writing each and every day.
The same applies to just about anything in life – reading, meditating, exercising, studying, working. Fully committing to the process. Showing up. Not just going through the motions. Even if the magic doesn’t happen every time – because it won’t.
You’ll never know when it will happen if you don’t show up every day. Then one day, weeks or months later, you’ll look up and be surprised at how far you’ve come.
All you have to do is just write.