So You Think You Can Write A Novel

So you think you can write a novel, huh?

You can.

It’s not going to be easy. But it’s possible.

You can do it. I believe in you. Do you believe in yourself?

When the going gets tough, don’t give up.

Remember it’s worth it. Finishing the first draft of a novel might be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do in your life.

If you take on the creative challenge, you’ll be tested every step of the way. Exciting, no?

When you want to quit, remember why you started. When you’re ready to give up, know that you’re closer to the end than you realize.

Sometimes you’ll think there’s so much work left to do, so many words you still have to write. Don’t forget to look back. See how far you’ve come. How proud you’ll be if you cross that finish line.

If I can, you most certainly can.
We’re at that point in July—I fondly refer to it as Camp NaNoWriMo—where I doubt my ability to write a novel, despite having done so already. In fact, I’ve written my share of them in my short lifetime. I say this as I’m about to turn twenty in one month’s time. I’m old, people.

Self doubt is such a crippling feeling. It kills more dreams than anything else in the world if you ask me.

My dream is to publish a novel. I can’t exactly do that when I have the devil that is self doubt breathing down my neck while I’m trying to write. Hello, rude.

So if you think you can’t write a novel, I know how you feel. I felt that way. Sometimes I still do.

It also took me two years, maybe even longer to finish my first.

Short breaks turned into extended vacations. I’m sure you understand.

For anyone out there who’s confident they can write a novel, I like your confidence. Can I have some?

Writing can really kill your self-esteem. On the other hand, it’s boosted my confidence like nothing else.

I hope after reading this post, you’ll feel better about your own ability to write a novel. If not, don’t worry, I have no plans to quit my day job.

Perhaps you’re 222% confident in your novel writing ninja skills. In that case, why are you still reading? Don’t waste your time on this sorry excuse for a blog.

Can you tell I’m self-deprecating to a fault?

I digress. I do often. I trust future Herminia to edit my ramblings by cutting every other word. And then cutting every other remaining word. 

She clearly didn’t do her job. 

Swriously though, do you think you have what it takes to start and finish a novel?

If you didn’t answer I’m the affirmative, I want to smack some sense into your head. Of course you can. You’re a writer. A competent one, completely able to scratch across 50,000 words in a month. Or whatever your word count is. 100,000 words are for non-humans and monkeys. 

I can’t wait to see what you’ll create. I have a feeling you can’t either.