“Wow! You are writing a book? That is such a fun job. It is almost like no work”
This is one of the most common things that your non-writer friends say to you. Isn’t it?
And admit it…when you worked your corporate life you thought so too, right?
If you are a business leader and are toying with the idea of writing your own book I have one advice for you: don’t start your writing dream with this idea. You will be in for a rude awakening.
I can definitely give some credits to the movies and the way it portrays the profession of writing!
Remember those movies where the protagonist sits in front of the typewriter in the beginning of the movie and movie ends with a stack of typed pages. These easily written sheets turn him into a famous author signing more publishing contracts with a perfect wife smiling beside him.
It’s a well-crafted fairy tale.
And here’s the unvarnished truth.
Writing is a slog. It can be boring at times, repetitive and even demoralizing and then you get one flight of excitement. That one flight will power you for a day or maybe a week and then you are on your own again.
Writing requires dedication, perseverance, hard work and a big pot of glue to keep you stuck to your chair as you write… because believe me there will be days when you will want to run away from that blank page.
But why is it so hard?
It is not like we as writers are doing some manual labour. After all, all we need to do is sit in front of the laptop/ typewriter and type. The words will flow and all will be good with the world.
I wish it was so easy!
However, the struggle starts when you actually sit to write. It is only 20% of the time when we feel excited while we write.
Why?
Because we can exactly put down our thoughts in exact words and emotions only 20% of the times we write. And that’s a good score.
The remaining 80% of the time that isn’t the case. It’s a write, cut and rewrite process.
My Not So Fun Tips On Writing:
- Follow a routine. I have a consistent routine of regular hours that consists of from 11 am to 7 pm.
- Maintain a planner and plan your day out well in advance. I thought I was a creative person and hence did not need a planner. The years I spent with that idea🤦♀️ Now I know that planning my content and my day ahead helps me to write better. It allows me to provide consistent quality work without anticipating the same. Consistent quality writing comes with a price of hard-work, routine, patience, and perseverance.
- Even if you start small with blog posts or articles- don’t write and edit on the same day. They might look small but you need a day in between
- Read. I cannot sleep without reading. I read fiction, non-fiction, philosophy and fantasy. I don’t buy the argument that you should only read the genre you write- inspiration comes from various places. Reading is my way of making my ear hear and appreciate the rhythm of the words.
PRO TIP: find a good system to save the different versions of your file. That’s important because you never know how many versions you create and you will sometimes realise in version 11 that there was a point in version 5 you really liked. My favourite way to save the documents is-
name of doc. V1(version number). Year month date
The Reward of Good Writing
What is the reward for good writing? The reward for good writing is…..wait for this one….
More writing!
Yes! Did you expect otherwise?
Once you experience the joy of writing…
Once you are done with the publishing and marketing
and maybe you’ve sworn off writing for your remaining years.
I guarantee that you will not stop dreaming of it!
The absolute rush you get when someone says – This book is extremely relatable!
You will want to experience it again.
So go ahead and dream of writing your book…
But walk into that dream with a true idea of what writing truly is.
It can be the most fulfilling journey in your life if you take those blinkers off and get into the writer’s seat with the idea of the true responsibility it entails.
