The most important thing your first novel can teach you…

… is how to write a novel.

When you sit down to write your first novel, it’s only natural for your attention to turn to all of the things that could happen after it’s done: publication, book tours, marketing, sales, the people you might meet, the new career you might have. And, in the middle of all this, it’s very easy for the most important aspect of your first novel to get lost.

Because really, the most important thing about your first novel is the fact that you are learning how to write a novel. All that other stuff is great, but it can be a distraction from the main point.

Don’t worry too much about anything when you’re writing your first book – if you’re going to make any major writing mistakes, now is the time to do it. It’s the time to learn about what works and what doesn’t, to find out where your strengths are and where you might need to put in more work. You learn about plotting and developing characters and how to tell a good story well.

Even if you’re not that thrilled with the book you end up with, you still will have learned plenty of valuable lessons. You’ll know more about what kind of writer you are and, when you come to write your second novel and your third, you’ll be able to put all of that into practice.

So for now, don’t worry about what comes after. Let yourself focus on the writing and concentrate on getting good at it. That way, what comes after is more likely to become a reality.

What else do you think writing your first novel can teach you?