I'm Writing A Book

I am writing a book. For real. An actual book! I have decided to embark on a journey that many have gone on before.

It’s a fictional book that I would like to be done by my 23rd birthday, which is six months away.

Recently, my dreams of being author feel more tangible than they have ever felt before. This is due to the fact that I’m writing more with purpose and more agency. I see the way my words affect others. This is something I’m good at, I should share it with the world.

I thought I would share some insight into what I’ve learned while writing this book. I currently have seventy pages of my book, and I’m nowhere near done.

1) The book changes course throughout the writing process. I started off writing a first person narrative with one protagonist. Now my book is separated into chapters with different narrators. My protagonist is still the focal character, but now her story has depth with other perspectives in the mix.

2) The start is exciting and thrilling but, there is an eventual lull. When I started writing in October, I was so excited and wrote about twenty pages in one day. But as months went by, I experienced a block in which my story was no longer exciting. I revisited it and with determination to finish this project, my story bloomed in front of my eyes.

3) My characters are people whose stories and opinions matter to me. One thing that shocked me was, I believed as the creator of these characters, they wouldn’t become real people to me. I’m their creator so I shouldn’t be shocked by their actions. But as I write, I feel this duty to respect the person they are and allow them to flourish. I’m shocked and pleased by the people my characters have become over the course of my seventy pages. I’m indebted to their growth.

4) Its hard. Its hard to write a book and keep it cohesive. I’m doing it.

5) My best results came after page fifty. It was something about writing fifty pages that made me go full speed ahead. My characters are real, they have problems and those need to be solved (or not!) In just a week I went from fifty to seventy pages, and more is coming. It feels real.

6) I have learned about my writing style. I can write anywhere at anytime and a few months ago that was not the case.

7) I rewrite and reread everyday like its my second job.

8) I’m telling people I’m writing a book to keep me accountable. Not to brag. Ask me about my progress, it pushes me to work harder.

9) I’m having fun writing and I can’t wait until everyone reads my work!

Thank you for reading this and wish me luck in my endeavor!