How to Write a Novel or Memoir
If you’re like most people, you probably think you can write a novel and become a famous novelist alone. And you probably think that because you think that's what all great writers do.
But the reality is if you’re trying to do this on your own because you believe that’s what great writers do, I want to tell you that that is a myth that’s holding you back.
The great writers throughout history have all had teams, mentors and coaches and editors, not to mention other writers who knew how hard writing a book can be and could support them through the process.
And if you want to write a book and become a great writer you need one too. That's what this lesson is about: finding your team.
But even if you do have a team, you might still fail to write and publish your novel or memoir if you don’t have a plan. In the next lesson, that’s what we’re going to talk about. See you soon!
In the last lesson, I told you I struggled for seven years before I finished my first book.
Here’s what changed: I got a team.
Now, if you’re like most people, you probably think you can write a novel and become a famous novelist alone, that you can do it without support or encouragement or accountability from other people.
And you probably think that because you think, Isn’t that what all great writers do?
Because the stereotype of the writer is this silent, brooding genius who keeps to themselves, who rarely goes outside, who rarely talks to other people and certainly doesn’t need or want help with their writing.
And for me, this was the model I was striving toward. I tried to do it all myself. And I failed again and again and again.
It only changed when I got help from a team. Here’s what happened: I got a mentor (another author who could inspire me and help me get unstuck), my mentor introduced me to a coach (who turned out to be a New York Times Bestselling author who showed me the full process of writing a book from start to finish), and I also got an editor (who turned out to be my good friend, bestselling author Jeff Goins).
And it worked. In just 3 1/2 months I was able to do what I had always dreamed about doing but had never managed on my own. I wrote a book.
And afterward, as I studied the lives of other great authors, I realized that almost all of them had a team too.
Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Shelley. They all had mentors and coaches and editors, not to mention other writers who knew how hard writing a book can be and could support them through the process.
So if you’re trying to do this on your own because you believe that’s what great writers do, I want to tell you that that is a myth that’s holding you back.
But even if you do have a team, you might still fail to write and publish your novel or memoir if you don’t have a plan.
So in the next lesson, that’s what we’re going to talk about, because having a plan for your novel or memoir is about much more than a synopsis or an outline. Be looking out for the next lesson soon!