5 Things Authors Wish They Knew Before Writing a Book

How's the journey to publishing going? Surely, there are exuberating moments that fill you with optimism. And likewise, there may be some moments that leave you feeling deflated. A key element of accomplishing any large project is learning from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. As you continue your literary journey, here are a few things to learn from other writers and apply to better your writing. 

I Wish I Knew to Start With Characters Before the Plot. 

Typically, we begin stories by brainstorming our big idea. You definitely need an intriguing plot if you want your story to sell and for readers to keep reading. However, you should note that characters are what drive the plot. It is only interesting to read how a story unfolds when you care about the characters going through them.

Hank Green said, “I couldn’t really get deep into [my] book until I cared about the characters deeply. This gave me the motivation to finish telling their story. My tip to you is to fall in love with your characters.”

I love what he says here. One way to combat laziness or procrastination in writing is loving your characters. Love them so much that you want to finish for them, that you want their story to be told.

Fall in love with your characters so much that you want to finish telling their story. Click to tweet.

I Wish I Knew to Develop My Unique Voice

You ever read a book and just fallen in love with the writing style? Or the voice behind the words? In my opinion, this is what helps me to embrace a book. Developing your own style takes time. For a while, you may mimic the style of authors and books you admire. Soon, you’ll find yourself combining your favorite writing styles and throwing in your creativity to build a unique voice. 

Feedback is great, and you should get as much of it as you can. But don’t embrace so much feedback that you change what is unique about the way you write.

A quote from Authors Publish Blog reads, “Feedback from other writers in regard to voice will cause you to lose your own unique style or voice.”

Adjust your work so it reads well. Apply good feedback that helps polish your words. However, don’t change what makes you unique.

I Wish I Knew to Avoid the Urge to Edit As I Write

There is a constant temptation in new writers to edit as they go. I’ve been victim to this for years as a new writer. It would take me hours just to get through a few pages because of constant editing and rereading and revising. What helped me was remembering that nobody else was going to see my draft but me. Nobody is going to critique it or judge it or buy it based on that first paragraph. 

Not only does this approach consume most of your time spent actually writing, but it also slows down the creative process. If you stop so much, you’ll lose momentum and never get into a literary flow, which is where the magic happens. Get the story down on paper and trust your re-editing skills.

Vivien Reis said, “Why spend 5 days perfecting a chapter only to find out later you don’t need it?”

I Wish I Knew That Self-Publishing Is a Viable Way to Start a Writing Career. 

“I knew it was an alternative, but I thought it was some hall of shame thing” – Day Leito

There is no shame in self-publishing, especially as a new author. This may be a great way for you to get your project out there to start promoting. Remember that it is always an option—and usually the quickest to get your foot in the door. You can always go through traditional publishing down the line. Traditional publishing will be even easier if you show that you’ve had a previous book done well. Many great authors have used the self-publishing route that took them to fame and fortune.

Day Leito said, “I knew it was an alternative, but I thought it was some hall of shame thing.”

I Wish I Knew to Build An Audience Before I Published My Book

Many authors have confessed to the stress caused by the unawareness of the pivotal role marketing plays in selling a book. Prepare to spend a decent amount of time and money marketing. Some authors have even said this part took more time and effort than writing the actual book. But don’t let that scare you. If you’re prepared, you’ll be in a position to handle it and succeed.

You can start now to build a following. Look for writers in a situation similar to you, writers who will reciprocate your support of them. Look for established authors and others who want you to succeed.

Michael Timmins said, “Interact with groups that focus on your genre. That way, when you are finally ready to publish, your audience is waiting.

As I have said before, writing a book 'aint easy. There are a few more steps to take than you may have thought. But the key is to be prepared. Continue to learn from your mistakes, and do research to learn from the experiences of others. Then take what you've learned, get out your laptop or blank paper sheet, and keep writing.