I was so stuck.
I wanted to write my first novel, but I didn't know where to begin or how to get moving.
So I looked around for support and found just what I needed: a group of writers who could help me be accountable and get writing done.
It did, though it wasn't easy at first. It was hard to get words on the page. Were they the right words? Was the story any good? How did I start a scene, end a scene? What exactly was a scene?
I stayed the course because it was time to finish what I started. (I hadn't ever finished a story before.)
I discovered many things by showing up to the page, by turning in pages for edits, and by listening to other writers' critiques of my work and each other's work.
What I learned I applied. Eventually I finished that first novel and went on to write more. I'm now editing my 16th novel, have published 8 novels, and am more committed than ever to getting my stories out into the world.
But it all started with that first step of getting the support I needed.
What kind of support do you need to write your novel?
The writers I work with often long for a sense of community while they learn the skills of being a novelist.
Though we write alone, we don't have to be alone to learn, grow, expand, or just be witnessed as we navigate the creative river of novel writing.
Another kind of support I've reintegrated into my life is a form of prayer or meditation, a remembering that I am child of the Mystery. I don't have a name for it. I know some people use God or the Divine. That works. But the name doesn't matter. The relationship does.
When I remember that I am a child of the stars and of the earth, I rest into that bounty and trust the flow. And the answers of what to do next show up.
What kind of support you need to write your novel? Hit reply and let me know.
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