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.

Writing only one piece of fiction keeps you from growing.

And while you’re not growing, there are people who are publishing books that are worse than yours. They’re writing blogs online. Sharing their flawed stories. Making money. They’re getting famous. More importantly, they are improving their writing skills.

You don’t need to polish one story endlessly. You don’t need to spend years on one novel. You don’t need to hide your writing from the world. You don’t need to stay in one place. You can cheat on your writing project – it won’t be offended.

The best way to write a novel

Working on the same novel for years, struggling to find the right words, is not the best way to write a great novel. The best way to write great work is to write frequently and to write different stories and scenes. Cheat on your novel.

Develop a writing habit. When you do this and also learn the craft of writing fiction, you will improve your storytelling, your structure and your style. That way, you’ll get the success you want.

Stuck in the middle of your story?

You’ve nailed the first act of your novel and you have a clear vision of how it will end, but the middle part is giving you trouble? Maybe your outline for the middle is vague and just says something like, “Things happen.”

You try to write the first part of the middle, hoping to get through it. But after a few scenes or chapters, you feel like you have nothing more to say. You throw in some random events that you think are thrilling or risky to fill up some space before you can get to the climax. You introduce a new character to spice things up. Does that sound familiar?

Then one of these things happens. You either finish it or you don’t.

You finish your draft and send it to your beta readers, hoping for some praise and encouragement. But instead, you get back comments that make you want to cry. They lost interest halfway through. They didn’t understand why you included that beach scene. They felt like you repeated yourself with that hospital scene. You end up with a weak middle that lacks substance, character growth and tension. 

You give up on your draft and start a new one. You get hooked by a new idea, a new character and begin writing with enthusiasm. And you end up in the same situation.

Scene Objectives

The big picture of your story depends on your characters’ objectives for the entire plot. To make every scene work, you have to think about scene objectives. A scene objective is what a character hopes to accomplish in that particular scene. Be clear about what they desire. Ensure that it connects to their character objective – it’s one move in the choreography. Then they either succeed or fail at that scene objective.

By dividing the middle of your novel into individual scenes, and seeing them as milestones leading to the final confrontation rather than ‘stuff’ that occurs to fill up space, you can maintain your enthusiasm and direction.

Break free from the pattern of unfinished drafts. Concentrate on objectives.

With the new year fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about new writing goals for 2025. But before we do that, let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come.

I’ve been reflecting on the many exciting projects I’ve been working on, including making significant progress on my second novel. What have you been chipping away at, and what are you most proud of? Let’s learn from our hurdles, and celebrate our successes. 

But first, I have some presents to finish wrapping and sneak under the tree. And that red wine won’t drink itself. So until then, I wish you Seasons Greetings however (and if) you celebrate. See you in 2025!

You can’t just abandon your idea, can you?

Do you find yourself wishing that you’d started writing a different story when you’re too invested in the first idea to quit?

You know how it goes. You have this brilliant idea for a story that you’re super excited about. You start writing it with enthusiasm and passion, thinking it’s going to be the best thing ever. You outline the plot, develop the characters, create the world, and everything seems to be going smoothly.

But then, something happens. You lose interest in the story or you realise that the idea is not as original or compelling as you thought. Or you discover a new idea that sounds way more fun and exciting than the one you’re working on. Whatever the reason, you suddenly find yourself wishing you’d started writing a different story instead.

But you can’t just abandon the first idea, can you? You’ve written thousands of words, maybe even tens of thousands. You’ve told your friends and family about it, maybe even your readers if you have a platform. You’ve made a commitment to finish it, to yourself and to others. You can’t just give up on it now. Or can you? 

Well, maybe you can, or should. Maybe it’s better to follow your heart and write what you really want to write, rather than force yourself to write something that doesn’t inspire you anymore. Maybe it’s okay to let go of the first idea and start fresh with the second one. Perhaps it’s not too late to change your mind.

On the other hand, maybe you shouldn’t. Is it better to stick with the first idea and see it through to the end, rather than jump from one idea to another without ever finishing anything? Maybe it’s okay to keep working on something that doesn’t excite you anymore, because you know it has potential and value. You ponder if it’s not too late to rediscover your love for the first idea and make it work.

So how do you decide? I have some thoughts and tips that might help you if you’re in this situation:

I know it’s not easy, but I believe you can overcome it and write the story that you truly want to write. And I’m here to support you and cheer you on, as always. 

It happens to many of us. But having a group with the same goals can make it less lonely.

That’s why I started my membership group – Storytellers Elite – as a place for writers to connect. It combines three key elements to support your progress with your writing projects and your development as a writer – Accountability, Development and Motivation. We support each other, and share both the good and tough times.

A virtual community for Writers

This group is for writers who know the basics like showing and telling, plot, and character development, but want to improve further. It’s for those with some writing experience who are considering writing as a career. We meet online to help each other through tough spots in our stories, find what’s missing, and get inspired. Our writing sprint sessions help you set aside regular time to write, so your word count grows naturally. Paired together, it helps you get back on track.

Storytellers Elite is for people with some writing experience who are considering writing as a career

When you have some ideas for writing, but you’re not familiar with the fancy words that writers use. 

Have you ever felt intimidated when you hear writers talk about their craft? I know I have. When I was hosting a live event recently, I realised that I was using some jargon that might not be clear to everyone. Maybe I was confusing them, or worse, making them feel like they don’t belong! Sometimes writers use words that you don’t know, and you start to doubt yourself. That’s not a good feeling!

Learning how to write… as you write!

Sometimes you might feel unsure about your writing skills. Maybe you don’t know when to use an apostrophe, or what some words mean, or how to spell and punctuate correctly. But that’s OK. You don’t have to be perfect to write well. Or maybe you don’t know the technical word for something in writing, simply because you’ve not encountered it before – that’s fine. Even I have to check things sometimes when I forget or get confused. And then there are those days when you have a great idea in your head, but you can’t find the right words to express it. That happens to everyone. Don’t let that stop you from writing, or make you feel bad about yourself. No one is judging you.

Practice makes perfect!

Think of it like this: you get a Marvel comic book as a gift. You don’t have to know everything about the characters before you open it. You just dive into the story and have fun with it. Maybe you’ll get curious and want to learn more about them later. That’s how writing works too. You don’t need to study it first, you just have a go at doing it. You learn as you go along. Don’t they say, every day is a school day?!

There are some things you should learn all about before you start doing them. There are certain jobs or tasks where you will of course need some background knowledge, qualifications – situations where someone might get hurt, or your actions affect others. But writing isn’t like learning to drive, at least not in that way. You’re not going to do any harm by having a go at writing. Maybe you will do it badly to start with, but you can always get better with practice. You can improve the ways you did it the first time around, but by playing about with ideas and making a start, you have already given yourself a great start.

Write what you want to write

So, just ‘doing the thing’ – in this case, writing fiction. If you want to, you can try to do everything by yourself – just start writing and learn as you go, improve your skills, solve problems along the way. Or you might want to join others who are also writing and get their feedback and help – my Book Forge community is a good option, which is all about sitting in the chair, spending time writing, and achieving your writing goals. It’s nice to have people who share your dreams and can give you advice and support. 

Whilst it can be helpful to learn some of the common terms, especially if you want to communicate with other writers, editors, or readers – it’s not a requirement. The important thing is that you are actually doing it. Don’t worry too much about writing jargon. It can be useful, but it’s not a must-have. Write what you want to write, how you want to write it. That’s what matters most.

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.