I’m Deanne. I’m a writer and I’m not normal.

This is not a confession: it’s a boast. I suspect you’re not normal either. Congratulations.

I wouldn’t mind guessing that you haven’t finished any of the stories you started. One didn’t work so you quit and started another. I’m not attacking you. You are not the problem. The problem is the ‘normal’ way of doing things.

The normal way people become writers of fiction has to change. It starts with excitement and eagerness but all too often descends into disappointment, confusion and a feeling of failure. How far through this writing process have you got? And how many times have you cycled through the same stage over and over?

The normal way to write a novel

The normal way to get a novel out into the world is to write it on your own, send it to an editor who rips it to bits and tells you to rewrite massive chunks of it so that it works, then you rewrite it. Again, on your own. 

Then you get feedback again. And change more parts of your story. On your own.

Then you do a copy edit and keep changing words and phrasing one way then back to the original. Then you get told you’re telling too much and you need to show more. So you change it. And someone else says the new version is too flowery and you need to show less. 

And then… you decide you can’t bear to read the story you were once so in love with even – one – more – time.

Maybe this works for some people. Good for them. Personally, I want to still like my manuscript by the time it’s ready for publishing. I want to enjoy the writing process. There will be sticky patches, sure, but I want to enjoy writing fiction, not do it as if I’m punishing myself for some terrible crime.

I suspect you want the same. Certainly that’s what I’ve found to be true of all my clients.

How to break free from the habits that hold you back as a writer

Self sabotage.

It’s the worst enemy of any creative person, especially a fiction writer. You have a deadline, a project, a goal, but you can’t bring yourself to work on it. You find excuses, distractions, alternatives. You spend hours thinking about how to write it, but not actually writing it. In your head, the task is bigger and scarier than it really is. You delay it until the last minute, and then you rush it and do a poor job. Feeling guilty and frustrated, you scold yourself… ‘Why do I always do this to myself?’ When really, it only takes a little effort and discipline to complete it. And then you can enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done!

Procrastination and imposter syndrome

Procrastination and imposter syndrome are common challenges – or enemies – that many of us face, no matter what we are trying to achieve. They make us doubt our abilities, delay our actions, and lose our motivation. For writers, these issues can be especially harmful, as they prevent us from expressing our creativity, developing our skills, and completing our stories. We can’t have that now, can we?

Being a writer, or aspiring to be one, can make you worry about many things. Like the awful possibility of creating a bad story. I can relate to that feeling. Sometimes I look at my past work, from different stages of my journey, and I cringe at how bad some of it is. But that’s not the end of the world. Those stories are steps – they show that I did something towards my dream, no matter how I feel about the outcome later.

Have faith in your writing

This leads me to talking about perfectionism – waiting until you think you can produce the perfect piece of writing before you sit down and actually write the piece. This is another form of self sabotage. Perfectionism is a powerful enemy for a writer – it makes you think you have to write something flawless before you even start. That’s not helpful at all. Just write what comes to your mind and don’t worry too much about the quality. Be in the moment – you can always improve it later. And even if you think your writing is bad, there must be some parts that you like or that are good. You don’t have to discard the whole thing just because of some errors or weak spots. Have faith.

A bad week of writing…

I wasn’t having a productive week of writing. But yesterday I sat down and just wrote without really knowing what I was going to write. I not only smashed my word count target, I got another plot twist out of it that I didn’t know was going to happen.

Hooray for me! 🙂

The magic of writing without a plan

So, you might be asking – how does a breakthrough happen in the story you’re writing? How can you get that lightbulb excitement of realisation… ‘That’s what she’s going to say/do/have happen to her!’ 

A certain amount of planning, certainly. It has to come out of your head, after all. But it’s not about cudgelling your brains until you force it out of the logical bits of the grey matter. A great deal of the work is done using the bits of your brain that handle subconscious thought. In other words, relax a bit.

The most important (and the most successful) thing you can do to write a story or a novel is to write. Put yourself into the situation where your brain is able to give you the ideas. That means relaxing and just writing.

How do writers know what to write about? Where do they get their ideas?

Not by some winged inspiration fairy whispering in their ears, that’s for sure. Wish it was. In my head she looks a bit like me… only her pixie-cut hair ALWAYS behaves itself and she’s got a perfect cheeky grin.

Writers know what to write about by writing it. There’s often a bit of daydreaming, sure – the three-day Take Five Writing Anti-Challenge that’s available with my writing partner-in-crime is where you can give that a go. But the real story? The details? The order of things and the why and the how? That comes about by starting to write. It grows as you write it. Then you get other ideas – they multiply like alien spawn. (Unpleasant simile, maybe… but you get my point.)

I am doing that myself. I’ve been sitting on the ideas for my second novel for a while. (First one an historical thriller set in the Tudor era called The Heretic’s Servant… go look it up!) Now I’ve properly got going with it, writing a bit every day, and taking that action is making the story come to life. Before, I was trying to get my little inspiration fairy to tell me what the story was going to be like and making a promise that when I knew what was supposed to happen, I’d write it down.

Big mistake. And I knew it was wrong. But I was letting my fear of writing the ‘wrong’ thing stop me from writing at all. No more.

Fear of writing? No more!

I’ve got my motivation, my simple rules (write 200 words a day, five days a week), my tools (Free progress tracker from Book Forge, my plan and reminders of what works for me) and my support network. If you don’t know what to write about, do one simple thing… write. Even if it’s about what happened when you went to the supermarket. It doesn’t matter. Just. Write. You can absolutely do this on your own – writing is one of the lowest cost activities there is. And if you want support, motivation, encouragement, community, it is here, waiting for you.

And that deadline creeps ever closer, like an assassin in the night. You feel anxious. Your writing speed is too slow. You worry your writing won’t be good enough, and you spend time fretting about that instead of making progress by getting words on the page. You doubt you can complete your project on time despite your best efforts. Your word count grows in tiny, infinitesimal notches, and your daily writing target swells beyond your capacity. 

You may have been there before. You want to avoid getting there again. But what do you do about it?

• Break down the task into smaller steps. One of the reasons a deadline can be overwhelming is because it makes us think of the task as a whole, as if we have to complete it in one big chunk. This can lead to procrastination, anxiety, and lack of motivation. If something seems like an impossible mountain, maybe we can’t climb it and shouldn’t even try. To avoid this, I like to break down the task into smaller steps that are more manageable and achievable. For example, to write a blog post on a topic, I divide it into steps such as: research the topic, outline the main points, write the introduction, write the body paragraphs, write the conclusion, edit and proofread. Then, I would assign a mini-deadline for each step and focus on one at a time. For a novel, come up with some key scenes that have to be there and write those. They don’t have to be perfect. They are bound to change in the edit. That’s fine. It’s progress not perfection.

• Use tools and resources. I overcome deadline challenges by using tools and resources that can save me time and improve the quality of my writing. I use online and offline resources such as blogs, podcasts, books, and courses to learn new skills and get inspiration for my writing. It’s not cheating to get help.

• Create visual cues as reminders of goals and achievements. I use post-it notes, wall planners and calendars to display my deadlines, milestones and tasks. These help me to keep track of my progress and plan ahead. I like to log how many words I’ve written of my novel so that I can look back and see how far I’ve come, not just how much further I’ve got to go. When the mountain starts looking neverending, look backwards. You’ve come a long way. I also celebrate small steps of success, such as revising a scene I knew wasn’t working or getting feedback that tells me what’s good and suggests exciting improvements. Writing about these moments in a journal can help, so that you can look back later to motivate yourself, boost your confidence and encourage yourself to keep writing. 

Teaching writers to write fiction

Did I ever tell you that I’m not only a writer, but I’m also a teacher? That’s important. I help you from all directions. Let me explain.

No doubt you’ll be seeing adverts for various experts offering help for writers. When you’re using social media, does the algorithm show you tons of stuff about writing? You’ll see loads of courses that teach you how to finish writing your novel. Or mounds of masterminds about the craft of storytelling. Scores of memberships and Facebook groups that promise to help you along the way.

You’ll read about Killing your Darlings or Showing not Telling – and are probably sick of seeing the same thing again and again. Here’s the thing. They might have great content. They might be friendly groups. They might offer accountability. I can do ALL those things. But I can also do more.

Learn to write fiction

That’s how I help you from all directions. That’s why my teaching experience is so important. Don’t think you just need to see what your favourite writer did and copy that. It might not work for you.

Discover what works for you. Get in touch today to find out more about how I can teach you to become a better writer.

Helping writers to write

Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers tells us what makes someone an expert at what they do. It’s the ten thousand hours rule. Practice makes someone brilliant at something… ten thousand hours of practice. I’ve been thinking lately about what makes me the person who’s best placed to help writers. I mean… why me? I read Outliers a few years ago and it should have dawned on me before now.

I asked myself, what exactly do I do? I help people to write the best book they can. I teach people to write novels that other people will want to read. I mentor those people to become more confident in their writing.

A teacher for writers

I was a teacher for fifteen years. Do I have ten thousand hours of practice at that? Hell, yes.

I have written for years. Do I have ten thousand hours of practice at writing? Totally.

And what is a teacher other than a kind of mentor? Not only a mentor of students but of other, newer teachers… I mentored student teachers for years.

Writing fiction with confidence

I love to help people grow in confidence, to express the stories they have within them, and to help them see that they already have the potential and power to become the writer they want to be. I help budding authors write their first book, and emerging authors prepare their manuscripts for publishing.

So if you’re dreaming of becoming a published author, then I can help. I can help you gain the clarity you crave regarding what you want to achieve with your writing. My coaching helps you see how you can get there, and to help you experience those ‘light bulb’ moments regarding your writing style and structure. My membership community for writers –  Storytellers Elite – gives you direct, regular access to me plus other benefits. Even my book helps people learn to tell stories!

And that book by Gladwell… you should definitely read that.

Here’s the thing – All writers do. Caring about what others think isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but worrying about it is.

Throughout our lives, we have created a picture of who we are through the eyes of others. We have learned ways to earn others’ approval and have built connections with other humans. When we’ve made a mistake, offended someone or embarrassed ourselves, it’s our peers that help us realise how to do better next time. And we offer the same in return, a cycle that permeates our connections with others. All of our relationships are formed through common ground and shared understandings. Without this connection, our world would be a lonely, cold place to live in.

This need for approval from our peers comes with a downside. It forms a link to our self esteem too. When we don’t get the thumbs-up from our loved ones, it affects our self-worth. Writers are aware of this pressure, yet we have a duty to share our stories with others. It’s the final resting place for our creation. What use is it to create something new and never share it with another human being? And yet the need for approval often leads new writers to shield their work from critical eyes. This is especially crushing to a new writer who has dreams that aren’t understood or supported by their loved ones.

With any creative pursuit, our passion leaves a very personal stamp on what we make. It’s a huge step to share our work with another. We fear a lukewarm response to our writing, or worse still… ridicule. Anxieties brew over our lack of writing ability. Our dream of being a writer feels under threat.

All writers experience this fear. Even published authors feel anxious about sharing their work. But they have learned to counter it by spending time practising how to tell their story. Each draft they completed, read back and re-wrote, edged them towards the finish line. It took effort to release a novel that they hope will be eagerly read by rabid readers, and the most satisfying results always come from hard graft. Although a novel is the product of its creator, it often was the result of a wider influence; a team of experts, a community of peers, and lots of feedback which shaped their creation.

Connect with other Writers

When you’re new to writing, it’s common to feel that you’re not ready to share your stories with others, for all of the reasons above. So, it’s logical to assume every writer at the same stage as you will also be frozen with similar fears. Know that you are not alone. By joining peer communities, you will discover that the troubles you’re experiencing aren’t unique to you, but common to the craft of writing. You have a shared understanding of what it is to write, to create. New relationships are formed which help you shape a newer view of yourself – one as a developing writer.

Writing is often seen as a solitary activity. It really is, when it comes to putting words together on a page. But being a writer needn’t be. There is much to gain by making connections with other writers – they can offer guidance or even solutions to problems you’re facing with your writing. Sharing your works with other writers can help you develop your skills – they understand your quest, share the same goals. Opportunities to source peer (and private!) feedback is one benefit of my own community for writers. It makes that first step of sharing your own work less daunting.

Caring about what others think isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but worrying about it is. Your duty as a writer is to share your ideas with others. Finding success as a writer isn’t achieved by only one person’s quest, but by positive influences and an upward journey of improvement. 

For the support and encouragement you need to dust off those hidden works, join Storytellers Elite. Why not join in our next online group session, where you can take part in discussions about writing and see if we’re the right fit for your writing goals?

Every month, I hold an online workshop to discuss an element of writing – we welcome guests to join in and find out how Storytellers can offer them support, motivation and accountability. Join in at our next event!

How Do I Find an Original Story Idea?

It’s common for writers or aspiring writers to think they need to find a completely original idea for their novel. I talk to a lot of people who tell me they feel disappointed because they had a great idea for a novel they wanted to write, but then they discovered the book had already ‘been done’.

They might have shared their idea with a friend who told them, “That sounds like this book I read called XYZ,” or, “You mean like that film with so-and-so in it?” Perhaps they started planning out the scenes or were halfway through writing the manuscript when they got the bad news.

If this is you, I have good news for you. This news means that you should dig those notes and half-written novel out of the drawer.

Original Stories Aren’t About Original Ideas

There’s a common misconception among newer writers that they have to write about an idea that has never been written about before.

Completely new ideas are few and far between. That’s the first fact you have to accept. It doesn’t mean you’ll never have one of these rare ideas. Perhaps you’ll strike this story gold. But you mustn’t sit around, not writing, waiting for one of them to fall into your path. There are infinite stories worth telling that aren’t based on a thunderbolt of a new premise or concept.

This leads on to a second fact.

Originality in a story comes most often from the way in which it is told, not from the concept or kind of plot. The Harry Potter series is not the first set of novels set in a school of magic. Jurassic Park was not the first story to explore what happens when humans meet dinosaurs.

You can write about a child with magical powers. You can write about monsters threatening the survival of your heroes. You can write about a mysterious organisation keeping an important secret. You can write about the wives of Henry VIII and their dangerous husband. 

Ideas are important, of course. But much more important is the way you present your story.