There’s a lot to stress about during this pandemic. With businesses struggling to stay afloat, widespread unemployment, and controversy over how and when the country reopens, it’s no wonder that many people are turning to creative pursuits like music and writing.
There are several compelling reasons why it’s a perfect time to write your first book:
- You may have more free time than ever before. Your writing time is one thing the virus can’t cancel.
- Focusing your mind on a creative project may help relieve stress. You’ll have less time to watch the news and panic
- A daily writing goal will allow you to feel productive. If the virus has left you with less structure in your everyday life, fill the void with writing.
- Writing a novel gives you something to look forward to in the short and long term. You can look forward to developing your story and bringing your characters to life and then introducing your novel to the world.
- You can check an item off your bucket list. That’s powerful, considering many of the items on that list may feel impossible right now.
The pandemic has forced change on everyone. The upside is that change always brings new opportunities. You have the choice to focus your mind on everything you’ve lost and the forced adjustments to your lifestyle, or you can see this pandemic as a powerful force thrusting you into a more fulfilling life.
If becoming a published author has always been a dream, perhaps now is the time to write your first book. It could improve your mental health now while possibly contributing to your financial health in the future.
8 Tips for Pandemic Writing Success
- Publication always starts with writing. Until you have a solid first draft of a novel that you feel has merit, you don’t have a product. Focus on honing your writing craft.
- Forget the outdated notion that it will take years to write your first book. Most novels are now written in a year or less. Many prolific self-published authors release at least one new book per month. The more time you spend plotting and building characters upfront, the more likely you are to produce a first draft without plot holes, inconsistencies, and other major problems. The more time you dedicate to writing each day, the faster you will get through the first draft.
- Set a deadline to hold yourself accountable. Come up with a good estimate for the length of your novel and set a date for self-publication or submission to an agent or publishing house. You can then determine how many words you need to write daily to make that deadline happen.
- Consider announcing your project to others. Some people find it motivating to announce their upcoming novel on social media or to close friends and family members. That may deliver the push you need to keep writing even on the hard days – and those hard days are coming. It also builds excitement with potential readers, possibly leading to fast sales once you release your novel.
- Take the time to explore category options on Amazon. Even if you don’t want to publish your first book right away, understanding the variety of fiction categories available today will help you determine where your novel fits in the current marketplace. Some categories and subcategories are more competitive than others.
- Don’t limit yourself to pandemic-focused themes. You can count on a flood of self-published novels centered on the chaos of this virus in the months and years to come. However, that doesn’t mean every novel needs to take this experience into account. Perhaps the best strategy is to give your readers an escape from this reality.
- Don’t get so caught up with grammar and formatting that you lose the magic of the creative process. Your characters and the story they have to tell is what matters in the beginning.
- Look forward to hating the novel you’re creating. That may sound depressing, but it’s a natural part of the creative process. Many authors hit a point where they question everything from their plotline to their characters and even their own writing abilities. Push through those doubts. First drafts aren’t meant for perfection. Get the words on the page.
If you know that now is the time to write your first book but feel overwhelmed thinking about the technical details of publishing and marketing a novel, eBooks2go is here to help. We bring a team of talented professionals to the table. You just bring a great story that readers can’t resist.