After giving two tips on how to get started, here is a look at how to run the race to completion.
Just Go With It
A huge problem that every ambitious, new writer experiences is the expectation that their initial prose will be Dumas from the get go. Writing takes practice so unless the novelist already has a few novels under their belt, brilliance is out of reach in a first draft. The rough draft is called “rough” for a reason. Revision is where the brilliance is applied. It was with the fine brush that Da Vinci showed that he was Da Vinci, not the 1-inch flat brush.
Forgive the bluntness, but a writer's first draft will suck; and that is okay. It is expected. The way to break through that barrier, however, is to not stop writing. Spending several minutes agonizing over the perfect word is a complete waste of time when one could be pushing the story through. The right word will come in revision. If all of a sudden the plot takes an unexpected twist that seemingly makes no sense, the novice should simply go with it and keep writing. As they delve further into the book, the mind's subconscious will connect most of the dots and most writer's will be amazed how cohesive the originally scattered plot and sub-plots become.
Believe in Yourself
The final obstacle for every struggling writer is an inevitable loss of faith. At some point in the writing process, someone just starting out will look at the hours upon hours they have spent, or have yet to spend, and realize they do not have a dime to show for it. While friends have been enjoying going out in the evening or picking up overtime at work, the writer has been sitting alone in the corner of the coffeeshop four nights a week. Finally, the voice of doubt will creep in and say, "There are Stephen Kings in this world and then there is you. Being a published novelist is for some people, but unfortunately you are not one of them."
When this happens, it would be wise for a writer to plan a trip to the local bookstore and ditch those thoughts on the side of the road on the way there. Somewhere in every store, there is a new arrivals or new authors shelf. Once in that section it is recommended that doubting novelists read the first-time authors’ biographies in the opening flaps of their books. These published writers have backgrounds no different from the novice's. As the writer reads, they should try to remember that they have the same opportunities the published authors had. In America, anyone can accomplish just about anything with enough effort and passion plus a little bit of talent. There is a publishing contract waiting in the future, an aspiring author need just to press on until they get there.
Source: No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
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