Novels don't write themselves

But they don't have to fight you, either

Hey, Runners!

So, you’ve got this idea for a novel. Maybe it’s been rattling around in your head for months, or even years. You know the characters, the setting, the big plot twist—but every time you sit down to write, you end up staring at a blank screen. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

You want to write, you need to write, but somehow, the words just won’t come.

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We run from Sept 9—June 13! Subscribe today to be one of the runners and get your novel, or other long-form fiction project, written this year!

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Newsflash: Writing is hard

People who aren’t writers look at us and think, Nice work if you can get it.

And, I’ll be honest… it is nice work if you can get it.

But it’s not just nice work. It’s hard work. It’s a joy and a grind. It’s exhilarating and frustrating. It’s exhausting, but to anyone outside of your perspective, you’re just sitting around typing all day.

Or worse… sitting around staring out windows.

It’s hard enough to start a novel without people knowing you’re writing a novel. It feels oddly shameful sometimes, like you’re just making up grand excuses to be lazy.

You’re not.

You’re creating a universe, and that’s the kind of thing a lot of people may not be able to understand.

In addition to all that, there’s a lot at stake—the fear of failure, the pressure to be perfect, the overwhelming scope of the project. All of these things can paralyze you before you even sit down for your first day of drafting.

But here’s the truth: your novel isn’t going to start itself. Waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect burst of inspiration is a trap. What you need isn’t more time, more ideas, or more planning.

What you need is to understand your process, build a community, and follow a guide who’s been there before.

Today’s Comments Assignment:

Can you envision yourself a year from now, when your novel is written? What does that feel like?

Process-First

Process-first writing is about taking the pressure off perfection and focusing on the steps that will get you from idea to first draft using a process that is custom-built to suit you. Forget how anybody else writes a novel; you need to write the way you write, and the first step is building a process that works with you, not against you.

Communitycore

One of the biggest game-changers for me has been writing in community, but I only did it during Nanowrimo each year, and if I had a schedule or a deadline that didn’t line up with the Nanowrimo schedule, or I just needed more than 30 days to get a draft done, I was out of luck.

Guided writing challenge

I believe that every person who takes inspiration and creates a thing from it makes the world a better place. Whether it’s a farmhouse dinner, a knitted cap, or a novel; creativity is a miracle every time.

This is why I built the Year of Writing Magically, where I walk writers through their novels as I write mine alongside, and this is why I built the Running of the WIPs, where I break down everything I learned in the Year of Writing Magically and make it accessible to everyone, while providing the necessary community to help you get your novel written with minimal scarring.

Hell. You might even have fun.

‘Magine that.