Don't Give Up!

Are you having trouble figuring out the plot for your story? The good thing about writing your own book is that you can always add or take out events as you write. If you are clueless as to what should happen, just start writing and go with it.

Writing a book is not easy, but don’t let that stop you! I didn’t let it stop me.

I started writing when I was twelve, after I found that rusty screw, but four years and three books later, I stopped writing completely. Did I lose my writing mojo?

Obviously not, but I did lose interest in writing that old series because I had started it as a child and I wanted the series to reflect my adult mind. Therefore, I started the long, grueling task of rewriting my entire series. Was I crazy? Possibly, but I was also determined.

It was a difficult project because I was not working on a new book with a new story line. I was reconstructing an old book and improving an old story line. For months, I got and rejected many ideas. I started several new beginnings only to toss them out. Finally, one fabulous day, an idea came to me that I loved. I wrote and wrote, but when I reached the middle of the book, I suddenly ran headlong into writer’s block.

Weeks went by and I struggled to write. Then a miracle happened. I stumbled upon a rock band, bought their CD, and listened to it repeatedly. Inspired, I finished my book in just two weeks. However, that was not the end of my struggle. Far from it.

After months passed, I suddenly wasn’t happy with my book anymore, so I read my manuscript and revised it. I repeated this process many times, even after I finished the second book, and while I was writing the third. I rewrote the entire beginning more times that I can remember because I kept wanting to make it better and better. In the end, I rewrote the first chapter, changing it so much that it became the prologue. Which is now different and Chapter One again.

Another issue I kept coming to was that I felt like everything happened too quickly in my book. Yes, I write suspenseful stories, but it bothered me. So, I paused working on my third book to revisit the first (yet again), and I revised it again for the umpteenth time, but more importantly, I wrote filling material to go in-between the action to make the story flow better and let readers catch their breath.     

So yes, writing a book can be difficult, but don’t panic! Even if you get stuck or can’t seem to create content that you find worthy enough for your precious story, keep working on it and you’ll end up with something you're happy with.

QUESTION: Who inspires you (not just in writing but in life too)?

The CD that I bought, which inspired me to complete the second half of my book in just two weeks was A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds To Mars.