1. Your first draft is always trash.
No, really. Even the best writers out there? Their first drafts look like a raccoon knocked over a dictionary. The key is to keep writing anyway.
2. Never look back, never edit (until you finish).
If you start editing in the middle of your draft, congrats! You will never finish. That’s how people get stuck rewriting the same first chapter 72 times. Write the whole thing first. Then fix it.
3. Writing is HARD. You are not bad at it, it’s just hard.
If writing were easy, everyone would do it. You’re struggling? Good. That means you’re actually doing something.
4. You do not need a 20-page outline.
Some people plan every single detail before they start writing. Cool. Some people have zero clue what happens next example me: I just outline the plot in points and then start writing. It helps my imagination flow and gives my character life but choose whichever method is okay for you. The best plan is whatever gets you to THE END.
5. Adjectives are fun, but calm down.
If your sentence looks like:
"The enormous, sparkling, beautifully golden sunset kissed the rippling, glistening, sapphire-like waves of the deep, endless ocean with a tender, honey-dipped touch."
…you need an intervention.
6. Procrastination is inevitable.
You will spend hours thinking about your story instead of writing it. You will convince yourself that organizing your bookshelf is more important than finishing that scene. Just know when to snap out of it.
7. Writing is rewriting.
The first draft is just you telling yourself the story. The second (or third…or eighth) is when it actually starts looking good.
8. You will cringe at your own work.
You’ll reread something you wrote and want to yeet your entire notebook into the sun. That’s normal. That means you’re improving.
9. Some days, words won’t come. That’s okay.
On those days, go for a walk, read, listen to music, eat some chocolate. Your brain is still working on your story, even if you’re not typing.
10. FINISH THE DANG THING.
The biggest difference between “aspiring writers” and actual writers? Writers finish their stories. Even if it’s bad. Even if you hate it. Get to the last page.
And then?
Do it all over again. 😉
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