📝 Tough Love Writing Advice: 10 Harsh Truths Every New Writer Needs to Hear
Are you a new writer, thinking of writing a book or wanting to write a book? Well, Auntie Alexa is here to give you some tough love writing advice that you might not necessarily want to hear, but you need to hear. In this article, we'll cover 10 harsh truths every new writer needs to hear, from embracing the fact that your first book is probably going to suck to understanding that no one cares as much about your magnum opus as you do. So, let's dive in and get real about what it takes to be a writer.
📌 Table of Contents
- **1. Your First Book is Probably Going to Suck**
- **2. Nothing is Original**
- **3. No One Cares**
- **4. No One Cares About Your Memoir**
- **5. All of Your Excuses Are Complete**
- **6. Writer's Block is an Illusion**
- **7. Traditional Publishing Isn't Evil**
- **8. Rejection is a Normal Part of the Process**
- **9. Brainstorming Endlessly Isn't Writing**
- **10. Writing is Largely Solitary**
1. Your First Book is Probably Going to Suck
Let's face it, your first book is probably not going to be very good. But that's okay! You have to write it anyway. Fear of failure is not a good excuse. Embrace the fact that it's going to suck and write the damn book. By writing books, you're going to teach yourself how to write books, how to take tropes and twist them, and make them interesting and original. It's a process, so don't worry too much about whether or not you're original because I promise you, you're not.
2. Nothing is Original
Stop twisting yourself into pretzels over your idea being perfect or original or winning. Worrying that another author already did this is pointless. Deep breath, let it go, and just write. What brings an original spark to a novel is how you write it. And if you don't get it in your first go, that's fine. Keep writing, keep improving, and eventually, you'll find your voice.
3. No One Cares
As harsh as it may sound, no one cares as much about your magnum opus as you do. It's going to be hard for you to get people to drum up any enthusiasm, so when you're wasting your time on Reddit being like, "What do you think of this?" No one cares. Your family and friends definitely don't care. Just kind of embrace that it means more to you than it's going to mean to anyone else, especially that first book, which probably sucks. Eventually, you can get people to care about your book as much as you do, if not more, but it takes time, and it's definitely not going to happen right away. So just kind of let go of that desperate need for validation and attention and just write your book.
4. No One Cares About Your Memoir
On the topic of memoirs and non-fiction, no one cares about your life. Seriously, no one. Your fascinating life story is not that interesting, at least not to strangers who don't know you. And the reality of publishing specifically is that unless you're famous or have had something incredibly dramatic and fame-making happen to you, they really don't care. They're not going to publish your memoir. Write it anyway because all writing is practice, but you're probably not going to get it published.
5. All of Your Excuses Are Complete
All of your excuses, including some of the ones I've already mentioned, for not starting, not writing, not pushing through, and not finishing your book are complete. You're wasting time, making excuses, and not getting any closer to your goal. So throw away all the fear and the excuses and write. You can't be a writer unless you write, and you can't get better unless you write.
6. Writer's Block is an Illusion
Writer's block doesn't exist. It's an excuse for not writing. I know what you're saying, but Alexa, sometimes I hit a block with writing, it's hard. Yes, because writing is hard. Writing is freaking hard. Writing a book is very, very hard. It's supposed to be hard, and the thing is, you can't always write when you're inspired. Inspiration is for people who don't finish books. You have to form a writing habit and just force yourself to write, even when you don't feel like it. Not feeling like it is this imaginary writer's block, and professionals can teach themselves how to push through this. So writer's block isn't real. Just get on with it.
7. Traditional Publishing Isn't Evil
Traditional publishing isn't evil. They're not out to get you. There aren't gatekeepers because it's like an evil capitalist system that wants to crush your dreams. Sometimes you're just not good enough, but that doesn't mean you're not going to be good enough forever. Remember how I said that first book is probably going to suck? Sometimes your second or your third book will also suck, and so on, or just be wrong for the market, wrong for the moment. Keep writing, keep improving. Traditional publishing isn't evil. Self-publishing is sometimes the best solution for you, but self-publishing shouldn't be your automatic go-to because you think there are a bunch of fat cats in New York smoking cigars, burning money, and books and dreams and writer's souls, and laughing for funsies. Traditional publishing, the industry, loves books. Trust me, guys, they're not making as much money as you think they are. Books are a labor of love. They're just looking for good books that they think people will want to buy. So don't play the victim and think of traditional publishing as the fat cat evil dude. Just work on your writing, try again, turn that frustration inward, and look at yourself. Maybe you just need to practice more or write another book or try a different idea.
8. Rejection is a Normal Part of the Process
Rejection is a normal part of the process, and you should actually welcome rejection because you're never going to get better unless you experience rejection. You experience rejection, you feel your feelings, you look inward instead of blaming others, and you go, "Oh, that isn't working. Let me revise this or write another book. Let me try again." This is how you grow as a writer. Writers who are so afraid of rejection that they won't even put themselves out there, they'll default to self-publishing instead of even trying traditional publishing or just never share their work with anyone. It's a cowardly response to a very human and natural fear because it's really scary putting yourself out there. But my harsh advice to you is if you aren't willing to put yourself out there, experience rejection, and grow, you will be stagnant. That first book that sucks because it's probably going to suck, your subsequent books will also probably suck because you've learned nothing. So put yourself out there and face rejection. Embrace it, learn, and grow.
9. Brainstorming Endlessly Isn't Writing
Brainstorming endlessly about your book isn't writing. Asking questions on Reddit about your writing isn't writing. Watching this video (hi, thank you for watching) also isn't writing. You can spin your wheels for weeks, months, years preparing to write, talking about writing, none of it is writing. The thing is, so many of us prefer having written to actually writing, but you have to actually write to have written. So stop procrastinating, wait for the video to finish, and then go write. Seriously, the harshest advice I can give you is you have to write.
10. Writing is Largely Solitary
Writing is largely solitary. You do it by yourself. It's largely thankless because seriously, no one cares as much as you do 95% to 99% of the time. And it's full of rejection and disappointment because that's a natural part of the process. People won't want to read it as a beta reader, agents will reject it, publishers will reject it, you get a book deal, and then reviewers don't like it. It's just a constant cycle, and it never goes away. So you have to be in writing for the right reasons, and those right reasons are not money or external validation from other people. You have to like writing, love writing, even when you hate it. And whether that's just this desire to do storytelling and so you deal with all the writing part of it, or you invent games to make writing the fun that you want to have because ultimately, writing should be fun. It should be pleasurable, even when it's torture, and it is often torture because it is solitary, you're doing it by yourself, and it's so thankless most of the time and disappointing and full of rejection. So you have to stomach all of that stuff but still come back to it over and over and over again because you love it. Otherwise, you're just someone who's sitting out there who likes the idea of being a writer more than being a writer. So go do the thing.
🌟 Highlights
- Embrace the fact that your first book is probably going to suck.
- Stop twisting yourself into pretzels over your idea being perfect or original or winning.
- No one cares as much about your magnum opus as you do.
- Traditional publishing isn't evil.
- Rejection is a normal part of the process.
- Brainstorming endlessly about your book isn't writing.
- Writing is largely solitary.
- You have to like writing, love writing, even when you hate it.
- Writing should be fun.
- You can't be a writer unless you write.
❓ FAQ
Q: Is it true that your first book is probably going to suck?
A: Yes, it's true. But that's okay! Embrace the fact that it's going to suck and write the damn book.
Q: Should I worry about my idea being original?
A: No, you shouldn't worry about your idea being original. What brings an original spark to a novel is how you write it.
Q: Is writer's block real?
A: No, writer's block isn't real. It's an excuse for not writing.
Q: Is traditional publishing evil?
A: No, traditional publishing isn't evil. They're not out to get you. They're just looking for good books that they think people will want to buy.
Q: Should I be afraid of rejection?
A: No, you shouldn't be afraid of rejection. Rejection is a normal part of the process, and you should actually welcome rejection because you're never going to get better unless you experience rejection.
