Ask the Author: Andrew Butterworth
Answered Questions (3)
Andrew Butterworth
All writer's hit writer's block to some degree or other. Here's what I learned through the process of writing my first book:
1. There are rhythms to writing. Sometimes the writing flows, other times it doesn't. Its important to accept this. But when it does flow go with it - write as much as you can. Other times I couldn't mentally face writing the next chapter so I would see what I could face doing. Sometimes I wouldn't be in a chapter-writing mood but I would be up for researching a later chapter so I went with that. I had to watch that I wasn't avoiding writing completely, but having a strict deadline from my publisher helped motivate me.
2. Structure, structure, structure. I experimented by 'winging' some chapters. I tried start writing the chapter to see what happened. The experiment failed and it took me a lot longer to write the chapters I did this experiment with than the ones that I had planned out in detail. Interesting I hit writer's block the least the more structure I was with planning my chapters.
3. Don't write until you feel good emotionally about your chapter (or book) plan. If something doesn't sit well with you work out what it is and then try and solve it before you start writing. This vastly reduces the risk of hitting writer's block.
All the best!
1. There are rhythms to writing. Sometimes the writing flows, other times it doesn't. Its important to accept this. But when it does flow go with it - write as much as you can. Other times I couldn't mentally face writing the next chapter so I would see what I could face doing. Sometimes I wouldn't be in a chapter-writing mood but I would be up for researching a later chapter so I went with that. I had to watch that I wasn't avoiding writing completely, but having a strict deadline from my publisher helped motivate me.
2. Structure, structure, structure. I experimented by 'winging' some chapters. I tried start writing the chapter to see what happened. The experiment failed and it took me a lot longer to write the chapters I did this experiment with than the ones that I had planned out in detail. Interesting I hit writer's block the least the more structure I was with planning my chapters.
3. Don't write until you feel good emotionally about your chapter (or book) plan. If something doesn't sit well with you work out what it is and then try and solve it before you start writing. This vastly reduces the risk of hitting writer's block.
All the best!
Andrew Butterworth
The way my publishing deadlines worked out meant that I had to write the final three quarters of the book in a short space of time. When I planned out my writing strategy I worked out I would need to write 800 words a day to reach the contracted number of words my publisher asked for. Some days I just ground out those 800 words other days the writing flowed and I would write 3000 words late into the night.
So the short answer is that you just start writing and on the occasions that inspiration hits you go with it. Writing is a creative process (even non-fiction writing) and you can't always tell when those creative juices will be in full flow - but when they are its important to embrace them.
If I felt inspired but I wasn't able to write in that particular moment I'd take as many notes as I could (often jotting them down on my smartphone) and then expend on them later. That seemed to work very well for me.
So the short answer is that you just start writing and on the occasions that inspiration hits you go with it. Writing is a creative process (even non-fiction writing) and you can't always tell when those creative juices will be in full flow - but when they are its important to embrace them.
If I felt inspired but I wasn't able to write in that particular moment I'd take as many notes as I could (often jotting them down on my smartphone) and then expend on them later. That seemed to work very well for me.
Andrew Butterworth
1. Make sure your book is unique and that there is genuinely a gap in the market for it. For instance, I wrote a non-fiction book from a Christian perspective on the topic of dealing with illness and seeking healing. While there were plenty of books on helping people process why bad things (such as sickness) happen and there were plenty of books teaching well people how to pray for those who were sick, there wasn't a book that I could find that guided an ill person in how to prayer for healing. And there certainly wasn't a book that balanced this against taking medicines and going to doctors.
2. If you are a first time author make sure you get an agent. Publishing houses very rarely engage with authors directly, and certainly not if you don't have a proven track record. A friend of mine advised me to get an agent and I wouldn't have got my first publishing contract without one.
3. Get honest feedback early on. My book is so much improved by all the input I have received from friends and family and people in my field, but in particular, before I even submitted the concept to an agent I got three friends to look through my sample chapters and they helped me see what worked with my writing approach and what didn't. There is no such thing as bad feedback because even if you completely disagree with the feedback you have received it is helpful to know that some people see it that way. Negative feedback broadens your perspective and makes you more aware how your writing can be interpreted by different groups of people and it makes you a better writer. It can be hard to take but it is always useful.
2. If you are a first time author make sure you get an agent. Publishing houses very rarely engage with authors directly, and certainly not if you don't have a proven track record. A friend of mine advised me to get an agent and I wouldn't have got my first publishing contract without one.
3. Get honest feedback early on. My book is so much improved by all the input I have received from friends and family and people in my field, but in particular, before I even submitted the concept to an agent I got three friends to look through my sample chapters and they helped me see what worked with my writing approach and what didn't. There is no such thing as bad feedback because even if you completely disagree with the feedback you have received it is helpful to know that some people see it that way. Negative feedback broadens your perspective and makes you more aware how your writing can be interpreted by different groups of people and it makes you a better writer. It can be hard to take but it is always useful.
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