How to write your novel

As a professional author, I am constantly told by people they wish they could write a book.
'But you can,' I remind them. They don't need my permission but I feel like I owe it to them to encourage them to write.
They shake their head.
'I wouldn't have the patience,' they reply. 'I start something but then don't finish it because it's probably crap.'

Shutting out that voice is the hardest thing about writing a book. The voice in your head that tells you that everything you are writing is crap. That another author has written it better. That no one wants to read your story. That nobody likes you... That damn voice won't shut up!

But that voice is yours. It is your subconscious holding you back because it is uncomfortable with your potential. The ego likes to maintain the status quo because then it doesn't have to do any self-improvement. The crap we have told ourselves since we were kids, or perhaps we were told as children, is toxic and it stops us from continuing to try to be better or to improve our lives and reach our potential.

I have written 12 novels in 9 years. It is now my day job. I never saw writing as a romantic career, I saw it as a way to write down the vivid life that lived in my head, and to make money from my daydreams. Does it get easier? No. I believe it gets harder.

It gets harder because you know more and you want this book to be better than your last.
It gets harder because you understand the fickle nature of publishing and you worry it will be a stinker.
It gets harder because you have more writing and PR commitments that require your attention.
It gets harder because you worry you won't be able to be original, or smart, or interesting.

So what do you do?
You sit the hell down and write. You put notes up on your wall to remind you to ignore the shitty voice in your head. You set a word count goal. 200 words, 500, 1000. The choice is yours.

And that's just it. Writing is a choice. Sitting down and writing the words in the order you wish to place them. Finding new words that mean what you wanted to say but make your work streamlined and elegant.

Ignore the voice that demeans your attempts, and instead, listen to the story and sit your bum down on the chair, and write.

Write today or regret it tomorrow.