Category Archives: writing

I have an announcement to make. I have written a book!

By September 1^st, on my book’s official release date, I will be a published author. You know what that means? It means I am an expert on all things written and published. (Cue the laughing track.)

That was a little dose of writing humor, but in all seriousness publishing a book has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. It has challenged me to be a better writer, and it has matured me (emotionally and spiritually) in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

During the process of writing my book, I read blogs, articles, and books about the book writing process. I wanted to learn from the experts on what made their writing successful. I searched for quotes about writing that might encourage me along the way. This quote (below) by Donald Miller helped me through the particularly stressful times when I felt that writing my book would lead to a mental breakdown.

There was always a common theme among the blogs I read or the advice I gleaned from other writers. Writing is all about confidence. And every writer—even the best-selling authors—face moments of fear and doubt about their books.

But I did notice one thing among a few writers.  Some authors are not willing to be transparent about the writing process. A few can be a bit judgmental and quick to criticize. My biggest pet peeve is when well-known authors point out grammar mistakes from other less experienced writers. Think this doesn’t happen? Spend time on Twitter, and you’ll be amazed.

My background is teaching. Teachers are by nature collaborators. We share ideas, curriculum, and we’re flattered when other teachers want to “steal” our plans for their classrooms. Imitation is indeed the highest form of flattery.

Now imitation in writing is, of course, plagiarism. But collaborating by sharing your particular writer experiences—the process of writing— is so invaluable to other writers. And it strengthens the writing community.

To be transparent, I want to share a few writing points that I hope will encourage and strengthen other writers. I am still a writer/author in progress. I am learning and growing stronger in my skills each day. But as a writer, I want first to be a collaborator and encourage others to pursue that desire to write, to gain that confidence, and write that book!

10 Writing Tips From a New Author

1.  Where do I begin?

I think this is the biggest question for anyone wanting to write a book. The whole process feels daunting. My advice is to start with a rough outline of your book but don’t commit yourself to the outline. Just write and see where your story takes you. You’ll be surprised at the natural path that comes from just beginning to write down your thoughts.

2.  Know Your Audience

When I started writing my book, I had two audiences I was writing to. I typed out in bold lettering the names of both groups of people, and I made a paper sign and placed it near my laptop. If my writing veered away from that audience, I tried to get back on track. My hope is my book will reach all types of people, but writing with a particular audience in mind organized my thoughts and gave my book the direction it needed.

3.  Less is More

I recently read a biography where I felt that I was learning about every single day of that person’s life. It was exhausting to read. Half-way through, I decided to skim the pages because I was a bit fatigued about this person’s life. The best biographies or testimonies share a slice of the person’s life. Give the reader a good taste but leave them wanting to know more about that person’s life or the whole pie (to keep the analogy going). Don’t think you have to include every bit of information on your subject. Leave leftovers for marketing the book or maybe for book number two.

4.  A Timeline is Everything

I wrote a book with a defined time frame. Now I jumped around a bit, but I tried to keep to an organized timeline. I hope it reads well and readers can follow along. Many writers tend to write their anecdotal stories without giving thought to the timeline. A personal story or a testimony is compelling when it builds upon itself. Liken it to a photo album and how photographs tell a natural story. Use the natural progression of time to enhance your story.

5.  To Christian Writers: Don’t Draw Denomination Lines

The title is self-explanatory. Unless you are writing a book specifically on church doctrine from your particular denomination, don’t exclude a whole Christian audience that could benefit from your story. Broaden your Christian audience and let the reader gain another Christian’s viewpoint that you probably might not sit next to on a Sunday morning.

6.  Be Your Own Editor

Edit your work, over and over again. Invest in a good writer’s manual and make it your writing bible. Forgot certain grammar rules? Look it up. The more you learn from your own mistakes, the stronger your writing will become. That doesn’t exclude using editors. Let me emphasize here: Every writer needs a good editor. But the only way to strengthen your writing skills is to learn from your mistakes.

7.  Know When and Where to Use Tone in a Story

I am a sarcastic person. I like to be humorous in my writing as well. (Note: my opening paragraph.) But it is essential to know when to use the right tone in your writing and where. I tend to use my comic and sarcastic tone only when I blog. A blog is less formal, and you can write more creatively through a blog post. Always lean toward a more formal tone in a book. You should express your heart and personality through your story but be careful about annihilating a whole audience of readers by a tone that doesn’t translate well on paper.

8.  No One is Perfect

I was reading a book by a well-known author the other day, and there was a big typo on one of the pages. I immediately made a fist pump in the air and said, “Yes! Even this writer makes mistakes.” I’ll admit, it felt good to know that even an author who has been writing for many years is not a perfect writer. Anne Lamott said, “Perfection is the voice of the oppressor.” If you want to be a writer, throw perfection out the window. It’s not possible, and it will hinder your confidence in writing.

9.  Grow Thick Writing Skin

Prepare yourself for criticism but don’t take it too personally. I write that as if I have all the confidence in the world when my writing is critiqued but I don’t. It always hurts, and it is emotionally difficult to grow tough writing skin. But again, if you want to grow as a writer, you need to learn to accept advice or criticism. Don’t ask for feedback about your writing unless you are willing to listen and accept it.

10.  How Do You Eat an Elephant?

I am a finisher. If I am given a task, I want to finish it and check it off my list quickly.  But writing a book takes time, and the process cannot be rushed. Writing my story took nearly two years. Many days I just had to encourage myself to keep going and find satisfaction in the small tasks that inched along toward the completion of the book. Remember writing—especially writing a book—is a huge task. My advice is to journal your progress or write simple notes on a calendar marking each small success. You will soon find that there is a light at the end of that long writing tunnel.

Keep writing! Keep growing! And congrats on that future book!