The Best and Worst Thing You Can Do While Writing a Novel

I bet you stumbled your way here thinking you'll find a snazzy list of things you should and shouldn't do while writing your novel. Funny enough, in my experience I have found that the best AND worst thing you can do is in fact the same thing...

...telling people about it. More specifically, family.

At the beginning of my writing adventure it was just a hobby. It was something I did on my free time, mostly writing about characters that were not mine (fanfiction). I didn't write everyday but it was something that I enjoyed doing. There was no need to tell anyone unless they asked if I had any hobbies. Now that I am getting more and more serious about writing, the excitement has led me to burst off at the mouth to anyone who will listen that I am aspiring published author currently writing my first work.

This always goes over the same way you think it's going to, depending on who you're telling. Some people are happy for you and wish you the best of luck and move on, some people think you are aiming too high and move on, and some people just don't care all together...but then there are the people who actually do care, for either sinister or sincerer reasoning. Whether they want you fail or succeed, they are the people that make this a great and not-so-great choice.

Telling people that you are writing a book is the best because it gives you motivation to write and talking to people about your writing gives you motivation to write too. Especially if you know the person secretly wants you to fail, then updating your word count on Facebook or Twitter is like a more mature satisfying rub in the face, tongue sticking out, na-na-na-na-bo-bo I'm doing it!, Winning!

It's also the worst because now you have someone to hold you accountable, which makes writers block and the ever present self-doubt that much worse. No matter how many words a day you are able to write, there always that voice that says you're not good enough. When those words start to flow less frequently the self-doubt sets in greater intensity and on top of that you have people asking how it is going and the people who doubted you are secretly laughing in there menacing ways. Writers block is hard enough without the idea of letting the people you told (that actually care) down.

Not only that, but most people who don't know about writing or publishing thinks it takes a New York minute to write and publish a book. So you have to constantly answer the dwelling questions of: Is it done yet? When can I read it?

You'll have the occasional person who understands that it is no easy feat to write a book, but the majority will expect you to have a written and polished manuscript in there hands a mere week after telling them of your dream. Oh how I wish it was that easy.

So my advice is don't go telling people about your writting endeavours lightly. It is by far the best and worst thing I have done.