How to Get Best-selling Ideas and Finish Your Dang Novel

Writing a novel can be a challenging endeavor, but it doesn't always have to be. Throughout my journey of writing ten novels in the past five years, I've discovered three consistent factors that have helped me not only write but also complete my projects.

Let's begin with the first crucial element:

Ideas

As authors, we are often asked where our ideas come from, a question that elicits mixed feelings. Ideas, much like thoughts, emerge from various sources – the universe, life experiences, and everything in between. Neil Gaiman aptly responded to this question, acknowledging the complexity of inspiration. He emphasized that ideas stem from confluence, daydreaming, and the training of a writer's mind to recognize and harness them.

To embark on a novel-writing journey, it is essential to have a strong, captivating idea that resonates with you. Does it ignite a fire in your heart? Is it something you are eager to share with others? Ensuring the strength of your idea is paramount. While self-doubt may surface, it's crucial to recognize the value of your ideas and believe in their potential. Building a reservoir of ideas will serve you well, as it allows you to have a range of options at your fingertips.

Inspiration

Discovering what inspires you is key to sustaining your creative flow. It could be reading voraciously, immersing yourself in nature, watching films, engaging in meaningful conversations, or even playing video games. Whatever fills your soul with inspiration, make it a part of your writing routine. Embrace the joy that comes with these moments, for they infuse energy into your writing process.

If you fear that seeking inspiration may divert your focus, set a timer dedicated to this purpose, ensuring you honor the time you allocate. These inspired moments often bring out the best in our writing, and depriving ourselves of that joy would be counterproductive. Remember, every emotion, positive or negative, can inspire your characters and narratives.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism plagues many artists, and writers are no exception. The incessant need to revise and perfect every sentence can hinder progress. Instead, I implore you to let go of perfectionism.

How can you achieve this? Set specific writing intervals using a timer, make a personal commitment to refrain from revising for a certain period, or include a pre-writing ritual to focus your mind and cultivate self-compassion. Ultimately, the key is to write. Embrace the concept of flow, starting with stream-of-consciousness writing if necessary, until your creativity takes over and ideas pour onto the page.

You may be surprised by how much you can accomplish when you simply allow yourself to write freely, without judgment. Even if your initial writing session feels forced, you will likely find that much of what you produce is aligned with your true creative voice.

Remember these wise words: "Sometimes, when I lack motivation, I write anyway. Lowering the volume of my inner critic, I let my thoughts flow onto the page. By the end, I discover that much of what I wrote was what I intended all along, whether it took thirty minutes or two agonizing hours."

Fuel your creative fire with ideas, draw inspiration from your surroundings, and release the grip of perfectionism.

In other words, start writing, persist in your efforts, and see your novel through to completion.

The journey begins with a single word – let it unfold into a masterpiece.