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Three Things I Learned from Writing My Sophomore Novel

January 22, 2016

1. It doesn’t get any easier.

There a ton of people who have always wanted to write a book, but never do, there are probably even more people who want to be writers, but write their first book and then stop. The second book is even harder to birth than the first. You don’t have any more time than you did before, you likely have less because you are still marketing your first book and handling all of your other life tasks. Now, more than before you have to recommit yourself to the goal and to the process. You have to want it more. It seems like it’s all of the same work, but only half of the excitement. Your relationship with your writing is like a marriage, it’s not always fun or exciting, but you do it because of the love and the commitment.

2. Go completely digital.

My process used to include me typing my book, using my computer, but I would then print out my manuscript and edit manually. There was just something about feeling the paper in my hands and writing with my little red pen. After I completed my edits, I would then go into my digital manuscript with my physical copy, page by page and make all of the edits, updates and corrections. If you are doing this, stop! Now, I do everything digitally, I type my manuscript up on my computer and I use my computer to read my manuscript, making my edits, updates and corrections in real time. Go digital and stay digital during the entire process. Your time is valuable, use it wisely.

3. Edit, edit and edit again.

This is a golden rule that does not change no matter how many books you write. There is nothing worse than picking up a book and finding that something is spelled incorrectly on the very first page. Edit until your eyes are burning and your fingers are bleeding.

Writing is one thing, we love writing, that is why we do it, but writing a novel is another and the process can get mechanical and can quickly become more of a chore than a joy unless you learn ways to keep the process fresh and free-flowing.

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