When You Can't Write, Write Anyway

I received the following email from Raul, a writer, who graciously gave me permission to share our communication:

Raul: ". . . I've been working on a novel, but I need help in developing it. Can you please give me tips? I'm working on a novel and have no prior experience, and I have this story already written in my mind. How can I get it on paper? Can you help me develop my story?"

My answer to Raul: Wow, I can so identify with your dilemma. I went through this recently. I always thought I'd be a prize-winning author if I could just get people to read my thoughts. Alas, those thoughts must make it to paper in a clear, concise, and vivid way in order to become a novel/book.

You don't need prior experience to write a novel. All authors started out like you, with no previous experience. In fact, inexperience is a prerequisite.

Raul, sit down and write. Even if your writing feels awkward and has no rhythm. Write. Stop thinking about your story and start writing it down. My recent experience in starting out on my book leads me to tell you that for the most part, every writer writes for him/herself. We writers tend to be very self involved, but for a very good reason. The voices within us must come out. My writing flows more easily when I forget that I am writing for others. Write for yourself.

Tell yourself your story. More importantly, be disciplined. Dedicate a portion of your day to writing. Even if it's just to writing BADLY. You must write. Set a time, buy yourself an egg timer, and use that designated time to write, whether it be bad writing or prolific prose. Write until the egg timer goes off. Then do it again the following day. Because you are starting out, it's important that you write daily without fail. Even if you have a busy day and can give only 15 minutes. It is important that you get those creative juices flowing by regularly scheduled writing time.

And Raul, that writing doesn't have to be just work on your novel. Use that time to write ANYTHING. Blog. Journal. Write a letter to your high school sweetheart (mail it or not). Write a letter to the writer you plan to become. This last exercise is the most jarring of all. Picture Raul 10 years from now with a few successful novels under his belt. Write future Raul a letter and remind him what it's like to be a beginning novelist struggling to get his first novel down on paper. Remind future Raul not to take his success for granted.

The point is to write. The novel will come. And something funny might happen. The novel you have in your head may not even be the first thing you write. That novel may take a while, even years, because when you start the writing task, there may be something else buried beneath the surface that is just fighting to make itself heard. This buried topic may take precedence over the novel you are planning to write.

I say this also from experience. I conceived my first novel in the mid 1990's, and I wrote a synopsis that was accepted for publication. After that, the words would not come. I beat myself up over it. I punished myself severely because I could not get that novel to come to life. And that punishment caused me to have a writer's block that lasted years. Finally now, I have a book that I am currently working on and this work is proving to be quite fruitful. No more writer's block. This current book is not that first novel born in my head in the mid 1990's. It is an entirely different book, a work of nonfiction about a very personal spiritual journey. That first novel is probably still hiding in the deep crevices of my brain, but this other book is the creation that was clamoring to make itself known. I didn't even know this book existed 10 years ago. The only way I was able to discover it was to begin the discipline of regular writing. When I did this, I was surprised at what came out.

You should consider the writing process as a spiritual and emotional archeological dig. You start digging with a specific treasure in mind, but in the meantime, you unearth other things that are equally important, and sometimes are even more important.

So Raul, just write and write and write and write. Write bad pieces, write boring pieces, write exciting pieces, write mediocre pieces. Get into the habit of writing daily.

Once you have a first draft completed, find a handful of people whom you trust and ask them to give you constructive criticism. It helps to have another person's perspective. In writing my current book, I have about 7 people that I send drafts to regularly, and they give me excellent feedback with regard to clarity and readbility. Some of the feedback I take immediately to heart and I revise my draft accordingly. Other feedback I file away for future reference. I got this tip from Stephen King's book, "On Writing." This book was a Christmas present from my sister, and I am eternally grateful to her for bringing this book into my life.

Mr. King's book gave me the inspiration and the "animo" to take my writing seriously at a time when I was ready to give up any idea of ever becoming a writer. I appreciate Mr. King's description of the work ethic that is necessary to become a successful writer.

Raul, I hope my words help you. I am excited to see your work come to fruition. Let me know how it goes.

Rose Contreras,
Owner/Executive Editor
Rose Contreras Communications
http://www.rosecontreras.com/