Don't Forget to Write

Writers can often mistake "bad writing" for failure, but the only true failure is never starting. The writing process can seem overwhelming - between researching potential topics, character development, and plotting, simply finding a starting point can feel impossible.

The most thorough research in the world, the most ironclad world-building or top-of-the-line character development will never beat simply putting words on paper.

Don't Forget to Write Your World's Atmosphere

Atmosphere isn't just a simple descriptor; it is the transport through which your characters experience your world. Even if you know every minute detail of your world, with every microcosm of each societal group mapped out, you will probably have a very tough time getting a solid grasp without writing. If you can't immerse yourself in your own world, your readers won't be able to either. One of the best ways to build something that you can escape into is by hashing out even the little details through your words.

There are many aspects that world-building and story development simply don't cover. Ironically, it is possible that you will only discover these specifics during the process of writing about them. The crisp air biting at your character's cheeks. Sand, grating into every pore with each step. If you can't imagine yourself standing in the very environment you have created with just words on a page, you can most assuredly expect your readers are missing the experience, as well.

A fantastic way to truly discover your world is to mentally stand within it, soak up every sensory experience, and translate those feelings for others to read. But your world will never truly feel meaningful without characters moving through it. The world provides the flesh and bone, but the characters are the real lifeblood.

Don't Forget to Write Your Characters

The best way to get to know someone is to spend time with them, and while your characters may not be flesh-and-blood, it is still a good idea to learn who they are as deeply as you can. One of the best ways to do that is to stick your characters into different situations and see how they would figure things out.

Even if you never use these scenarios in a book, you can still use them to establish who your characters are and how they behave. After spending enough time with your characters, and you have gotten to know them, slipping into their shoes during the "real writing" will begin to feel like second nature.

Even scenes that will never see the light of day can help you understand how your characters think, act, react, and grow. The more time you spend with them through writing exercises, the easier it will be to see the story from their perspective. The real writing can begin when you are able to look at the world through your characters eyes!

Your characters must stumble and fail in order to grow. Their strength will build under the pressure and stress of the very things that are developing their character-arc. You are not that different from the characters in your story. At least not in that respect. Let your inner author become strong by doing exactly the same thing!

Don't Forget to Fail

Much of the writing process is founded on failure. Failure isn't the opposite of progress, but proof that progress is happening. Press through the struggle, and success will follow. Only by trying and trying again is it possible to find what works. Don't be scared of writing, whether because of a blank page, or one that is too full of words that you don't like. You have to flush out the bad in order to welcome the good, and writing is no exception. Once you have purged the "bad" writing you have bottled up, which is done by - yep, actually writing - you will undoubtedly find that the words that follow are something to be proud of.

Writing isn't just about worlds, characters, or plot points. It's about digging deep and finding the true mechanics of what drives the individual - how fears and values are uncovered through uncomfortable situations and hard truths. It also uncovers what you, the author, fear and value, and what you place your dreams and hopes in. That is what makes writing truly beautiful.

Don't forget to write! There is no such thing as bad writing; there is only unfinished work. In the end, writing isn't about perfection or about having everything figured out. It is about showing up, one word at a time.

The blank page is where your world begins. Take that crucial first step, and push yourself to fail a little bit more, and a little bit better than last time. Pour out the words, and use them to unleash your inner author.