#wtilthw

Writing a book is hard.

Like, really hard.

You've got these wonderful ideas in your head, and you don't know how to put them onto the page. Maybe you know how to do that, but you don't know how to edit. Or maybe you have no idea how to draw, market, or publish a book.

For me, it was definitely getting to the point of actually sticking with writing a book. The first draft is one of the hardest steps for me, because I know how to revise and edit decently well, I've been doing it for friends and classmates and siblings for all types of schoolwork (including fiction writing, a lot of my friends took the same fictional writing class). I know how to proofread, line edit, and some of developmental editing.

However, even though I love to draw, I know my skill level. I will not be able to draw my own cover.

The same is with marketing and social media presence. I know my skill level. I cannot do it on my own without hours of research, trial, and error.

This is why I have gotten help.

Two of my friends I haven recruited for help in my cover (and other) artwork and my social media presence. I could not have done either of those things without their help.

And I am very grateful for it.

Whether that help is hired, it is a friend offering to help, or it is research, help is crucial. It is support shown through acts of service, and it, indeed, does help bear the load of writing, editing, publishing, crafting, and marketing a book.

Go get some help. From beta reading and editing to cover art and marketing. If you feel as though you cannot do it alone, don't! Help is always out there.

Kira Kosarin (yes, the Thundermans girl) said it best. And, I think most people have heard the phrase, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." And I think that it is a lovely idea.

If something is worth doing, it is worth giving it your best.

This can apply to anything in life. But for writing, or anything in the creative arts, it is very true. If it is worth doing, I firmly believe that you should give it your best, no matter what.

HOWEVER...

... and that is a BIG however...

If something is worth doing well, it is worth doing poorly.

Don't read into what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that if you believe something is worth doing, you shouldn't just do it halfheartedly. Don't just scribble on a page and call it art without having clear meaning or intent behind it.

But if something is worth doing, do it even if you lack the skills to do it well.

This is how you build your skills and talents. You need to learn to be okay being bad for a while. The prodigies? The people who are good on the first try? They are exceptions.

Almost everyone is going to suck at something. I kinda suck at writing first drafts that are publish-ready, or even Beta-ready. But I believe it is worth it for me to write still, so I am going to write poorly, and make it better later. I cannot build my skills if I do not come back to my computer and write, even if I suck.

I cannot become a writer if I do not write.

And, though I do not like to get political, this is true with generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) as well. If GAI is writing your book for you, then you are not the writer. The writer (or writers) is wherever the GAI took its recycled ideas from without crediting. And you, my friend, are aiding in its thievery.

GAI cannot do things "poorly" by starting rough and then becoming better the same way humans can. Humans build skills and learn new things. GAI simply learns how to plagiarize better.

So, my fellow writers. Please. Keep showing up. Keep writing. Even if it sucks.

Okay, okay, I know this technically isn't about writing, but this is something that is related to writing. So, I'm going to count it.

I keep coming across the "99% of people who want to write a book never do" statistic on my socials. And it's been popping up a LOT lately. But then I came across one AMA from someone else to someone else here on Tumblr (I cannot find the accounts to save my life, I apologize). The AMA was about getting back into the habit of writing all over again after taking a long break from the creativity. And you know what the response was?

Spend time imagining your story. Think on the characters and the villains and the world. Think about the magic system and the themes and tropes, and how you can twist them into something new. Think about the plot holes or the lack of, and how you can build suspense or intrigue or shock.

Spend time not writing to get excited about the act of writing.

So maybe it's just an observation on my part, and it definitely is proven to work for this neurodivergent author, but I get excited if something is on my mind all the time. If I'm not excited, I get anxious about it. And if I'm anxious about my story, I know something is off, and it should be changed (unless the point is to make readers anxious).

Draw your characters. Build them in the sims. Read other books in your genre or about writing. Talk about your book out loud or even pretend to interview your characters. Act out scenes, facial expressions, body language.

That's right, no excuse. None. If you have the inkling to write a book, a short story, a script, a poem, ANYTHING; you have no excuse.

I have been writing for almost a decade now: mostly little original fics on Wattpad or Google Docs I had abandoned. But the thing is, I would rarely finish those stories. I had poured my heart and soul into those characters, those plotlines, those worlds, just to be met with a lack of effort at the computer screen.

I made up excuses. "I don't have the time," "I don't have the skill," "I don't have the money/resources," or my personal favorite, "I don't love this story anymore, so that means it isn't good enough."

But that's the thing. They were all excuses. Every single one of them. And now, as I begin to write the story of Thalia, a planned trilogy, I've come further than I ever have before; the most word count, the most external support from friends and family, the most world-building, plotting, etc. This story has gone from an idea of "I want powers to have a genetic cause" to "I will get this published one day, and no one but God can stop me."

So what changed? What brought me from beginning dozens of stories to eventually abandon them after plotting and getting 1,000 words in to now a little over 27k words into the first draft of book 1? What has brought me from, "I kinda hate this so it isn't good enough," to, "This story will be in my hands one day,"?

Learning that I had no excuse. I've pretty much always wanted to be an author. I've been writing with poor skills and minimal resources for nearly a decade now. I've got the external support from people I love.

So I had no computer? I had notebooks and pens. They were relatively cheap from walmart.

So I had no skill? That's what reading and editing are for. It just has to exist for now.

No ideas? Go to a random word generator. Go look up writing prompts.

No motivation? You're gonna lose motivation at some point. Push through. Read. Write. Get it out of your head. Listen to music. Don't procrastinate it.

So I have no idea how to navigate publishing? Research is a thing. It isn't always easy or fun, but it is helpful. And no computer? Just go to the library.

I have no idea how to market my own book? All press is good press. But no press? That's the bad press. Do something, ANYTHING to get the word out. Take to social media, start a blog (hello!), go to cons, get booths at festivals and fairs, hand out fliers on the street, ANYTHING.

It took me nine years to learn that I was without excuse. If I wanted this to happen, I had to make it happen. No one else could do it for me. The only thing that brought this to light was joining a community of indie authors online. Some I have conversations with, but most I just support through likes, views, shares, and kind comments.

If you have the inkling to write a story, make the story come to life.

If you want to skip to what I've learned about Dev Editing so far skip to the next bolded section

As someone who is very broke, I cannot afford to hire a developmental editor. I would LOVE to, don't get me wrong, and I feel as though my book would be better for it. However, this is one of those things that I simply cannot afford, and this is something that is a little out of my control.

Though if I sat back and wanted to save for it, I could. But that would take a very, very long time. I do not make that much money, and it would probably be a year or MORE before I could get that editor for the first book, let alone the rest of the series. And this book feels like it has to come out sooner rather than later.

I don't know why.

And maybe, looking back, there will be a WTILTHW post about how I should've hired a dev editor for this book series. But how can I know unless I try? I want to be able to do this one day. And, who knows? I might be able to do this for other authors on the side one day just because I chose to start with my book right now.

I won't know unless I try.

Anyway, without further ado, this is what I've learned so far about Developmental Editing

Developmental Editing (I'll call it Dev Editing for short) is very different than most type of editing. In other forms of editing, you are looking at the words in front of you; "Does this sentence make sense?" "Is my grammar correct?" "Is this paragraph too long, short, or confusing?" "Any spelling mistakes?"

However, with Dev editing, you are looking past the words, and at the Big Picture of the story. Are the characters consistent and believable? Do they change throughout the story or change the story itself? Is the world developed well, or is it just a space for the plot to exist in? Does the story keep a steady pace, or is it weird?

So, while other editors are looking at your words, the Dev is looking at your story. They are not concerned about the way things are spelled or how a sentence reads (though, as a common courtesy, you should at least hit "spellcheck" before sending it to an editor).

So, I've learned about the different aspects of a story, and broke it down into a few pieces.

Characters and Arcs

Plot, Plot Holes, and Subplots

Pacing and Tension

Themes and Tropes

World and History

Story

This way, I can go over each individual piece, one at a time, so I can focus entirely on each part to make it the best it can be.

Part of this, too, is asking the right questions. Don't be scared to admit your stuff needs work. It's part of making it better.

For example, the question "Does this align with Julie's belief that cats are better than dogs?" is a much better question than "Does this make sense?" One question is getting into the specifics about Julie's beliefs, allowing for story and character development with either the yes or the no. However, the second question isn't anywhere near as specific, allowing the answer to be anything. You could say yes, reason with it, and move on with your revisions without ever working with what truly needs to be worked on.

I am aware I am not a professional, and probably never will be (so any tips or tricks is greatly appreciated). But learning to do this is allowing me to expand my horizons and even allow my drafts to be better the first time around, and need less work later.

Everyone has hit a milestone at least once in their life. Be it school, writing, painting, acting, career, or even simply just reaching your next birthday. These are all milestones, and every single one of them should be celebrated.

That does not mean you stop.

I have just set myself a new record for writing. As of this morning, I hit 30k words in my WIP. I sit here, staring at my computer screen, looking at my document in amazement. Six words repeat over and over in my head.

I've never made it this far.

The feeling is incredible. It's moving. I'm proud of myself and encouraged by the dedication I've had for very little things in my life. It is a milestone with a documented piece of evidence that I have made it farther than most people statistically do.

But somehow, someway, it's also immobilizing.

For some reason, I stare at the computer screen, excited to get to my developmental edits. But when I think about finishing the draft, I get sad. I feel unmotivated. I feel as though I will give up. I want to stop and relish in this moment, but I know the second I do, I will not get back to work.

So, I celebrate here. I've texted my list of beta readers the milestone achievement, got a few "congrats," and I am telling all of you, whoever may stumble upon this post.

This is my celebration. This is my party. I will not sit and eat my cake until this book series is finished and in my hands.

I know myself.

Milestones should be celebrated. But they are not a reason to sit back.

Press pause. Celebrate. Press play.