James P. Sumner
Hi, thanks for your question.
From what experience I have, there are three tips I would give any aspiring author:
Research:
Especially if you're an independent author with little-to-no budget (like me). There are lots of books and blogs available online to help you write, format and market your books. Read them all and pick out the bits that make sense to you and your book.
Keep writing:
Write down everything, every idea, every sentence, every quote that comes into your head. Get your basic idea and let yourself run crazy with it and build on it from there. You'll find a style and a voice that's comfortable for you to work with.
Finally, be patient:
This is what I struggle with the most, as I just want to blurt my finished novel out onto the page, but take your time. Writing a book is a long process. First, get your bare-bones story out onto the page... then, re-read and add to it... then re-read and edit it, then re-read and format it, then re-read and make sure it makes sense... I must've read my first book cover-to-cover 15 times before I published it. It takes longer to edit the books than it does to write them, but patience pays off in the long run, I promise.
From what experience I have, there are three tips I would give any aspiring author:
Research:
Especially if you're an independent author with little-to-no budget (like me). There are lots of books and blogs available online to help you write, format and market your books. Read them all and pick out the bits that make sense to you and your book.
Keep writing:
Write down everything, every idea, every sentence, every quote that comes into your head. Get your basic idea and let yourself run crazy with it and build on it from there. You'll find a style and a voice that's comfortable for you to work with.
Finally, be patient:
This is what I struggle with the most, as I just want to blurt my finished novel out onto the page, but take your time. Writing a book is a long process. First, get your bare-bones story out onto the page... then, re-read and add to it... then re-read and edit it, then re-read and format it, then re-read and make sure it makes sense... I must've read my first book cover-to-cover 15 times before I published it. It takes longer to edit the books than it does to write them, but patience pays off in the long run, I promise.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more