The Breakdown: How to execute a perfect story as a newbie author.

You can't. Whether you're a new author or a veteran, writing craft is a learning curve. Here are some curated tools + advice to help you get closer, though!

If you’d like to submit a question for the monthly Q&A Breakdown, leave a comment below!

Question: “I think one of the hardest things about being a new writer is to know the ‘how to’. How to learn to describe your characters, landscape, features, experience, etc. without seeming repetitive but also maybe having a limited vocabulary. What would be good learning tools or exercises for navigating the small nuance things and details an inexperienced writer may not know?”

I remember the fear of not writing well, and the overwhelming pressure to do an epic job at it, especially on my first book.

But really, I think there are two questions in this one – one question about writing a book as a new author, who needs to know how to “do it all.” And a second question about the nitty-gritty details of building a story.

First…

SELF-DOUBT.

When I wrote After The Ending (a co-authored project in The Ending Series), I didn’t want to let myself down, or my writing partner, or my family. Mostly, I didn’t want to fail (this is a crap word I no longer believe in, but that’s another story). I still feel anxious during every book release, because the pressure is real.

I always say it, and it’s true - writing is vulnerable. But the more you expose yourself and put yourself out there, the thicker your skin will become and the easier it will be to press publish.

What if readers hate it?

What if it’s my worst book?

What if my gut steered me in the wrong direction?

Maybe I shouldn’t have written a character outside my comfort zone.

Maybe I should postpone the release.

Maybe I should have taken one more pass over it before calling it done.

The mind-chatter and self-doubt can be endless. This is normal, of course, but it’s also much more stressful for a new writer.

The good news is, it will quiet down the more books you write, practicing your craft.

The crappy news is, while there are tools to help you, most of your writing skill is developed over time – after doing it over and over and over again. There is no study session or quick fix to learn the nuances of writing, finding your style, or your voice. The more you write, the more you realize which phrases you overuse or which articles you lean too heavily on. Up until this year, I was using “that” way too often. After ten years, I’m STILL learning.

All of this is to say that you can’t possibly know it all to begin with, but there are ways to put yourself ahead of the curve right out of the gate.