6 Tips For Writing Your First Book | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Education

6 Things that prevent you from writing your best-seller

Whether you've got a comic you've always wanted to draw or a novel you've always dreamt of penning, here are things that have undoubtedly held you back from your dream.

2758
6 Things that prevent you from writing your best-seller
https://unsplash.com/photos/s9CC2SKySJM

In This Article:

All of us who love to read or write have certain thoughts about penning our own stories, but of course, there are some things that cause us to hold ourselves back!

Your mind thinks faster than your hands can type!

Giphy

You might have a full cinematic of your story going on in your head, but your hands can only work so fast. You might find yourself get so caught up with the ending that you struggle to focus on the part you wanted to write now.

Has this been done before?

Giphy

With how long written history has been around, it's a bit crazy to imagine that a story we write will be 100% completely unheard of. You're worried that your overall theme or storyline may be too similar to someone else's. While it's always good to make sure your idea is fully your own, there's no shame in writing out your own version of something.

You're too scared to let other's read/edit it.

Giphy

Storytelling, in either art or written form, is a very intimate part of any writer. It's our hard work and imagination on display. No matter how weathered we may be to grammatical and literature critiques, there's still something scary about someone ripping apart a story we've put our hearts into.

You come up with new characters faster than the story allows.

Giphy

You try and create a colorful cast of characters full of archetypes, stereotypes, and your own unique characters. You get caught up in their backstories, attire, story arches, character building, relationship(s) with other characters! It's a spiral of beautiful madness.

You grow attached to your characters, old and new, and wish you could make them all the focal point. You might struggle to juggle the spotlight on each character, or your favor may change away from former main characters.

You get distracted by other stories forming in your head!

Giphy

If you're like me then you have a hard time finding a clean ending to your stories. You have so much creative potential that you don't want or don't know where to stop! Maybe you have three books written in your head, but only three sentences written down on paper. Maybe you find yourself trailing away from the original plot, or have an epiphany for an entirely new story!

You give up, thinking you'll never be an author anyways.

Giphy

All of this eventually grows into a malicious cycle of discouraging thoughts you figure that finishing a story, let alone ever publishing one, is a long shot, far out of your reach.

In a world full of books and stories, don't think that yours will be little more than just another book. Finish your story, no matter how long it takes. The best, most notorious stories that have ever graced our world took years of brainstorming, rewriting, and experienced radical changes. Don't be scared to share your work, don't give up because it may never be published. The only thing stopping you is you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
two women enjoying confetti

Summer: a time (usually) free from school work and a time to relax with your friends and family. Maybe you go on a vacation or maybe you work all summer, but the time off really does help. When you're in college you become super close with so many people it's hard to think that you won't see many of them for three months. But, then you get that text saying, "Hey, clear your schedule next weekend, I'm coming up" and you begin to flip out. Here are the emotions you go through as your best friend makes her trip to your house.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Syllabus Week As Told By Kourtney Kardashian

Feeling Lost During Syllabus Week? You're Not Alone!

478
Kourtney Kardashian

Winter break is over, we're all back at our respective colleges, and the first week of classes is underway. This is a little bit how that week tends to go.

The professor starts to go over something more than the syllabus

You get homework assigned on the first day of class

There are multiple group projects on the syllabus

You learn attendance is mandatory and will be taken every class

Professor starts chatting about their personal life and what inspired them to teach this class

Participation is mandatory and you have to play "icebreaker games"

Everybody is going out because its 'syllabus week' but you're laying in bed watching Grey's Anatomy

Looking outside anytime past 8 PM every night of this week

Nobody actually has any idea what's happening this entire week

Syllabus week is over and you realize you actually have to try now...or not

Now it's time to get back into the REAL swing of things. Second semester is really here and we all have to deal with it.

panera bread

Whether you specialized in ringing people up or preparing the food, if you worked at Panera Bread it holds a special place in your heart. Here are some signs that you worked at Panera in high school.

1. You own so many pairs of khaki pants you don’t even know what to do with them

Definitely the worst part about working at Panera was the uniform and having someone cute come in. Please don’t look at me in my hat.

Keep Reading...Show less
Drake
Hypetrak

1. Nails done hair done everything did / Oh you fancy huh

You're pretty much feeling yourself. New haircut, clothes, shoes, everything. New year, new you, right? You're ready for this semester to kick off.

Keep Reading...Show less
7 Ways to Make Your Language More Transgender and Nonbinary Inclusive

With more people becoming aware of transgender and non-binary people, there have been a lot of questions circulating online and elsewhere about how to be more inclusive. Language is very important in making a space safer for trans and non-binary individuals. With language, there is an established and built-in measure of whether a place could be safe or unsafe. If the wrong language is used, the place is unsafe and shows a lack of education on trans and non-binary issues. With the right language and education, there can be more safe spaces for trans and non-binary people to exist without feeling the need to hide their identities or feel threatened for merely existing.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments