By Hannah Currie, @hannah_currie_author
When it comes to writing, there’s a lot of advice going around. As a rule-follower and lifelong learner, I’ve eagerly soaked up a lot of it over the past decade—through craft books, blog posts, and other authors. Most of it has been incredible. But alongside the wisdom, I seem to have soaked in some myths along the way.
Here are the top five:
1. There’s only one ‘right’ way to write a novel
I’m not sure where I got this idea but it made me feel inferior for a long time because I … didn’t do it that way.
Fun fact? I often write the last scene of a new manuscript first. It may (very likely will) change along the way but it gives me something to work toward. Actually, I write most scenes of a first draft out of order. Then, when the basic story is there—usually around 60% of the word count goal—I’ll go back to the start and work my way through, filling in the gaps and bringing the story together. It’s messy, and would likely drive many authors mad, but it works for me.
I’m also somewhere between a Plotter and Pantser, plotting out major points and scenes before I start but leaving a lot of the minor characters and twists and turns to the whim of the story.
It’s taken me a while but I’ve finally come to accept that my way of writing isn’t ‘wrong’, it’s just different. And that’s okay. Will I still plot out my next book and try to write from beginning to end sticking to that plot? Probably. Will I succeed? Who knows? And, to be honest, who cares? If it works for me, and a great book comes out of it, then does the process really matter?
2. There’s no such thing as Writer’s Block
Well, maybe not. But there is such a thing as exhaustion. And the creativity drain that comes from it.
Maybe it’s not ‘writer’s block’ per se, but there are definitely days—even on a deadline—when I stare at my screen and can’t force a single word to come out of my brain. It’s not that the words aren’t flowing, or that they aren’t good enough. It’s that they’re not there at all. Because I’m exhausted. And the harder I try to force the words, the more depressed I get (and the more good words I end up deleting out of frustration).
I’ve realized in those moments that the best thing I can do for my writing—even on a deadline—is to close my computer and walk away. Do something else. Sleep, watch a movie, bake something, read a book, go for a walk, catch up with a friend. Maybe it’s for an hour, maybe for a day, but just take a break. I always come back feeling so much better and my writing is better for it.
3. You must write every day
I… don’t.
See Writer’s Block myth above, but also, I just don’t. I have little kids and a busy family and some days, it just doesn’t work out. I choose to make something else a priority. Like rest. Or time spent with family. Or reading a book. Or just getting outside my head (and fictional worlds) long enough to remember that there’s a real world in front of me.
I write almost every day—because I love it and I want to get books out to readers—but letting go of the pressure of it being every single day made the world of difference to me as a writer.
4. Marketing is only for extroverts (and the rest of us have no hope)
Again, nope. Maybe the way extroverts and introverts do marketing looks different, but it’s certainly not confined to one personality type. And there is definitely a place for introverts. See Marketing for Introverts post for more of my thoughts (and hacks) on this.
5. I’m not a real writer because _____.
- I never did a course on writing at college/don’t have the qualifications
- I’m not published
- I don’t have a dedicated home office or desk
- I don’t know the difference between an Oxford Comma and…whatever the other one is called (or, for that matter, an em-dash and an en-dash)
- I don’t drink coffee
- I don’t have a huge platform like [insert super-famous author name here]
- I haven’t been to a writing conference
There are a hundred different ways I could fill in the blanks on this one. They batter my confidence frequently. But here’s what I’ve learnt (and cling on to when my doubts and inferiority complex start screaming at me):
If you write, you’re a real writer.
Maybe you do things differently from every other writer you know. That’s okay. Great even! Be who you were created to be. If that means writing every day and following a detailed plot and synopsis, awesome! If it means writing in bursts or back to front or discovering the joy of the story along with your characters, cool! Figure out what process works for you and your personality/time/limits/giftings and go and write the best story you can.
Your readers will love you for it.
What myths have you believed about writing or being a writer?
To all bar a few, the Guardian of Raedonleith is a mystery. To Lady Mykah, second daughter of King Lior, it’s her calling. For the past four years, the mask has given Mykah a way to care for her people in her father’s stead while she hides from them how distant their king has become. Never once has she questioned her mission nor thought the cost too high—until the night an arrow finds her. Though she has the courage of a knight and the calling of the Almighty, Mykah admits she would have died if not for the man who carried her to safety. A man who is as determined to keep his identity hidden as she is.
Six years ago, Sir Finnian lost his heart to a mysterious young archer. Though he searched, he never learned her name—until the night he shot her. On his brother’s orders. Wracked with guilt, Finnian makes protecting Lady Mykah his new mission, never guessing how difficult it will prove to be. The Guardian has more enemies than she knows, and they’re closer than she realizes.
The longer Finnian stays, the clearer the price of his vow becomes. Because the only way to win Mykah’s heart will be to break his own. And the only way to keep hers beating will be to break it altogether.
Hannah Currie has loved royals—both real and fictional—for as long as she can remember and has always been fascinated by their lives. They started making their way into her writing somewhere around first grade, and never stopped. While she never dreamed of being a princess for real (way too many expectations and people watching), she certainly wouldn’t say no to the gorgeous gowns, endless wardrobes, chefs and cleaners that come with the job. A crown or two wouldn’t go astray either. Or Belle’s library. Where she’d just sit and stare at the books with a giddy smile on her face for hours.
Hannah lives with her husband and three kids in Australia, where they proudly claim the royal family as their own. She is very honored to be one of the launching authors for the new WhiteCrown Publishing line with her Crown of Promise series full of faith, romance and—of course—royals.