On December 21st, 2024, I woke with a sudden knowing and certainty that I was going to write a book. What makes this so surprising is that I’ve never really desired to write one. I’ve been an avid reader all my life (thank you, Sweet Valley High and The Babysitter’s Club, for instilling this early love), but the idea of writing a whole 300 page book myself seemed way too daunting and, dare I say, not so fun.
So, to wake up one morning not only with the plot idea but also the drive to actually write it was unexpected. During New Year’s Eve dinner with my family, I announced that in 2025 I would be writing a novel, and calling it an unexpected resolution is an understatement. But I’ve always been a just go for it, have no regrets kind of girl, so on January 6th, I dove in and started writing.
Do I know what I’m doing? No. Am I doing it anyway? Yes.
I’m currently focused on getting this first draft down. I’m nearly 40,000 words in, with a goal of 90,000. From what I understand, there will be many drafts and edits throughout this process, so right now, I just want to keep my momentum going. I’m not a perfectionist, which I think has really helped with this undertaking.
Have I found myself distracted along the way?
Yes I have, more specifically by getting ahead of myself. I’ve spent hours thinking about what the book cover might look like. Design, colors, font size… I’ve spent too much time brainstorming book launch event ideas. I’ve probably spent more time than necessary reading substacks by other authors and various people in the publishing business.
I plan to share a lot more about my writing process and thoughts here on Substack (you all know that I’m a natural sharer by nature). Does that sound interesting to you?
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