Zibby Mag

By Eva Natiello

One of the great joys of speaking at a writer’s conference is meeting new authors. Many are just beginning their writing career, and they come seeking advice. Below are answers to some of the questions I get asked most often. Consider this my big-sister pep talk.

On Getting Started:

If you haven’t started writing your book yet, the best advice I have is to act before you think. Dive in, and don’t critique it until later—at least until you’ve written a decent chunk. “Thinking” has often been a lethal gas that has slowly killed many manuscripts. It’s easy to do too much planning, to get lost in the thinking and outlining and researching, or to be so worried about where to start the story that you never do. Consider outlining and researching for future books, but for this one, just start writing. Don’t be afraid to write crap. There will be plenty of opportunities to edit, but you can’t edit something you haven’t written.

On Seeking Feedback:

In the early stages of writing your first book, it might be a good idea to make it your secret project, at least for the time being. You don’t need to share it with anyone at the beginning. At this stage, you are writing for you, figuring things out. Feedback too soon can shake your confidence. Keep writing until something makes you smile (if you’re like me, this may take a while!). Hold onto this feeling and keep writing until your draft is finished. Premature editing on a first book can be another lethal gas. You don’t want to get so frustrated by reading “crappy” writing that you give up. Don’t forget, the more you write, the better you get! Keep going.

On the Highs and Lows of Productivity:

Writing a manuscript takes a long time. Your moods will be varied. At times the writing will be very hard; other times it will be less so. Write as much as you can during the “motivated and enthusiastic” stage. When you feel like you’re slipping out of this stage, and hitting a wall, read back the best thing you’ve written. It can be a chapter, a page, or a paragraph. Pick your favorite. Read it to yourself and sit in the glow of that wonderful writing. Remind yourself who wrote it. If you can write a great paragraph, then you can write a bunch more.

On the Most Important Goal:

Your most important goal is to finish the manuscript. No matter what. It will feel so damn good! No matter what condition it’s in, you will feel an unbelievable sense of accomplishment. With a first draft completed, you can then dig in and edit, for however long it takes until it shines. I think that the magic happens in revision. That’s when the real writing takes place for me. I always like to say, no one writes their final draft first.

On the Best Writer’s Process:

Many writers ask, “What’s your process? Do you write longhand or on a device? Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished? Do you write every day, in the morning, at night, on a full stomach, in pajamas, after coffee?” There’s only one foolproof process and that is the one that works for you. Try them all, and stick to the one that’s productive.

On Writing Community:

Once you’ve written a chunk of the book, join a writers group. It will keep you sane and plugged into other like-minded people. They will become a source of inspiration and support. Attend a writer’s conference or workshop—not the kind where you meet agents/editors and learn about the business (you can do that later), but instead, the kind where you write, learn, and share your work.

On Protecting the Writer’s Ego:

I suppose there are “ego risks” around every corner. We can’t and shouldn’t protect ourselves against them all, because if we don’t face the risks and share our stories, we rob ourselves of formative experiences. (I should print that out and hang it over my desk.) Be brave and be bold! (I’m gonna hang that one up, too.)

On Learning Craft:

Never stop learning to be a better writer. At every stage of your writing career, study craft, and read, read, read. All types of books. When I wrote my first book, I didn’t even know I was writing a book. I just had an idea that propelled me to my computer every waking moment until I was about six chapters in. Then I thought I should figure out what it was. I took a fiction writing class for a semester, and have never stopped learning since. The professor became a champion of my book, and the class gave me what I needed—both tangibly and emotionally—to see the project through.

You will experience this, too. People along the way will jump on your writing train and cheer you on. They’ll buoy you and your project and shape your journey. You’ll need these people—don’t ever turn them away.

Even if they won’t stop asking: “How’s the book coming along?”

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Eva Lesko Natiello is the New York Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers The Memory Box and Following You. She is also a publishing and book marketing consultant and speaker.