Do You Want To Write A Book?

It got me thinking. Why is it that so many people who, like me, want to write a book, don’t take the first step of opening a laptop and diving in headfirst? What’s stopping them? Could it be that the challenge, when examined in the cold light of day, is just too monumental to be considered as a serious option?

Admittedly, a great deal of work goes into simply writing any kind of book, and on top of that you have the editing, the proofing, the cleaning up, the formatting… I could go on, but I don’t want to scare you off, so I’ll stop there! Do you want to self-publish, which comes with a whole truck load of new skills to learn, or would you rather run the gauntlet of sending out query letters to bag yourself an agent who will hopefully, but not definitely, snare you a traditional publisher? My goodness, there’s so much to consider!

Putting pen to paper – write that book!

I’ll be honest with you. When I started to write seriously, with the firm intention of completing an entire novel, I had no idea of the amount of hard graft that would be involved in making that dream come true. I was armed only with a story in my head, and Google Docs on my laptop. It was a Sunday afternoon in late autumn, and the house was peaceful, so I took the plunge and began typing. I got that story down, and it only took two months – you can read a bit more of that tale in a previous post here – and I tell you, when the whole thing comes together, and you get to type the words ‘The End’, the feeling of accomplishment is second to none!

Then, of course, the hard work began. Endless rounds of editing and cleaning up my mistakes until I had a workable manuscript. I made the choice to self-publish, and that was a very steep learning curve indeed. From beginning to end, the amount I had to learn and do was enormous.

But guess what?

Success! I did it. I’m an author. Check out my author page on Amazon here: http://amazon.com/author/louisaclare Then, I did it again, three more times, and I’m currently working hard on my fifth novel. Why?

Because it’s worth it. And I’ll let you in on a very important little secret: it’s enjoyable. I love the process so much that it doesn’t even feel like work.

So do you want to write a book?

If the answer to that question is yes, then do it! Get that story down, bring those characters to life, put your unique thoughts and viewpoints on paper. Immortalise them. They are worth it! Don’t stress about the amount of work involved, because nobody is rushing you. Take your time if you want, or book yourself a country retreat for a couple of weeks and blast the whole thing out, because honestly? To hold that precious book in your hands and know that you did that? It’s so worth it. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey with all its twists and turns, and actively embrace the challenges that meet you along the way. You’re going to learn so much!

So what are you waiting for? It’s time you wrote that book, and do you know what? I’m really looking forward to reading it!