There’s this fear among new writers that they just aren’t good enough to write the books they have ideas for.
Some want to start with short stories to ease into writing. And if that helps you, go for it. But short stories are a different skill set altogether.
But for most, it isn’t that short stories are the best introduction to writing. It’s just fear.
And I get it.
Writing a book is a daunting task.
But here’s why you should just write the book already.
You have to start somewhere.
If you never start, you’ll never finish. That book will not write itself, believe it or not.
And all the intricate subplots and character arcs that make the book “too complex for a new writer” might fade from memory before you ever actually sit down to write.
And let’s face it, you won’t get better if you don’t practice.
That story idea might be the least complicated story you ever come up with, and it may be the perfect way to practice for the more complex ones that come later.
Some writers say that you don’t get good until about… ten books in.
Because you haven’t practiced enough yet.
That doesn’t mean the first book will be hopeless.
Editing and rewriting are major parts of writing a book. Everyone’s first draft sucks, and the part that comes after writing the rough draft actually takes far longer.
But that’s the part that helps you learn.
Critique partners, alpha readers, and beta readers can help point out your strengths and weaknesses, that way you know what you actually need to work on.
Then, you do more editing.
And more.
And more.
Then, you enlist a professional editor, and they show you what you’ve missed.
So, your current skill level is not the skill level you’ll finish your book at. You’ll grow and get better, and by the time your book is done (not just written, but done), it’ll be what you want it to be, regardless of your current skills.
But you have to start writing.
Because that’s how you’ll improve and more importantly, how you’ll find your voice, the thing that keeps people coming back to your books again and again.
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