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How do authors find time to write? That’s a very common question that many new or aspiring writers have. After all, we’re all swamped with work and family life and all the things that we need to live, like shopping, hanging out with friends and family and cooking food. There are a lot of things that we must do for our own survival and comfort, and things we do for relaxation, including watch TV, browse the Internet, scroll through our phones on social media and watch random videos from creators.
Figure Out What You Can Give Up in Order to Make Time
The first step is understanding your schedule. What do you do every day? What time do you work? Do you have extracurricular activities that you must attend? Do your kids have after school activities? When do you clean your house? When do you cook meals? How much time do you spend on your phone? How much time do you spend watching videos, TV and browsing the Internet?
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When you pick up a novel, watch a movie, or even follow a TV series, you’re experiencing a story arc in action — whether you realize it or not. But what exactly is a story arc, and why is it so important? At its core, a story arc is the structured journey that shapes your narrative, guiding your characters through conflict, growth, and resolution. Understanding how story arcs work can help writers craft compelling tales that keep readers hooked from beginning to end. In this article, we’ll break down the concept of story arcs and offer practical writing prompts to help you master this essential storytelling tool.
What is a story arc?
A story arc is the narrative structure and progression of a story, outlining the journey of the protagonist from the beginning page to the last page and final conclusion. It maps out the key events and turning points that shape the plot and character development. Understanding and effectively implementing a story arc can enhance the emotional impact and coherence of your story, while providing you with specific plot points.
Read more: The Secrets of Story Arcs: What Makes a Story Work
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Spending some time writing each day can be beneficial for most new and existing writers. It’s a good habit to get into because it means that you are honing your craft. People like to say that writers have a talent, and while that’s true, they also have about a million hours of practice. Just think about that. If you were to spend 1 hour a day writing, you’d get 365 hours of practice in one year. If you did that for ten years, you’d have 3,650 hours of writing under your belt. That’s like writing 24 hours a day for 152 days, or if you treated those hours like a job, that’s 91 weeks of writing full-time, 40 hours a week. How good do you think you’d become if you wrote 8 hours a day for 1.75 years? The truth is that all that practice adds up. So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of setting aside some time each day to work on your writing.
1. Builds Consistency and Discipline
Writing every day helps establish a routine, making writing a habit rather than a sporadic activity. This consistency can lead to greater productivity while increasing the odds of you actually meeting your goals and finishing your stories.
Read more: Why Some New Writers May Want to Consider Writing Daily
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If you’re like most people, you have a book or two in you. Maybe you’ve been thinking about an idea or a genre for many years, and you’ve finally decided that you understand enough about the concept you want to write on or the plot to finally open your word processor and get started. Unfortunately, this can feel overwhelming. The good news is that there are some novel writing tips that can help you gat starting in writing your novel, keep you motivated and help you finish your first draft. Let’s take a look at the novel writing tips that can help you navigate the process and turn your creative ideas into a compelling story.
1. Start with a Strong Idea
Every novel begins with an idea. It could be a character, a setting, or a plot twist that sparks your imagination. Spend some time brainstorming and refining your initial concept. Most writers can write at least a paragraph or a few pages with just a concept. To keep going on your novel writing dream, ask yourself questions while you write, like:
- What would happen if my character did this?
- What happens next? (This one I use a lot, since I don’t write with an outline on the majority of my books.)
- Why does this scene or action happen? What are the consequences of this action?
- These questions can help you develop a robust foundation for your story.
If you’re short on ideas but want to explore some concepts, a writing prompt book, like 31 Days of Impossible Writing Prompts, can help you.
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How do your hands and wrists feel? If you’re just starting or young, you might say – They feel fine. If you’ve been writing or typing for a while, you might say – Not so hot. I’ve been writing and typing for decades, even before computers were a thing in most businesses and certainly before work from home became a big thing. I’ve written millions of words, and if you don’t believe me, the entire bitey series to date is estimated at 770,000 words all by itself. I’ve written millions of words, and I have terrific hand pain because of it. Unfortunately, resting, icing and putting heat on my wrists isn’t an option. I must continue to be productive. There’s no one else paying my bills for me, so I can’t just stop and rest. It’s not an option. So, what do I do and what might you want to try?
Read more: How Are Your Hands and Wrists? Writing and Hand Pain