Are you sitting in front of your computer, with a large cup of coffee next to you and your head buzzing with ideas, yet the page is still blank? Are you saying to yourself, “I’m not Stephen King! What was I thinking, saying I would write a novel?! I could never write like that!” Don’t worry, dear happy writer, because overcoming your fear of writing your first novel is easier than you may think. You just have to look at the process from a different perspective, start with baby steps, and celebrate your progress along the way.
In this post, I’m sharing with you the roadmap that will help you in overcoming your fear of writing your first novel, enjoying the writing process, and having fun on your writing journey. Are you ready to finally put those first words to paper and bring your story to life?
If you prefer the video version, check out the YouTube video below for tips on overcoming your fear of writing your first novel and having fun along the way.
Understand the fear of writing
It’s important to understand that it’s normal to have doubts and fears when starting to write your first novel. When you’re writing your first book, you’re stepping into the unknown. You’ve never written a book before, and of course, you’re worried.
As you’re stepping into the unknown, your brain perceives it as a threat and tries to protect you, to keep you safe by showing you all the things that could go wrong. That’s why you end up using only half of your brain to think of your story, while the other half is constantly questioning your decision to write a book, shouting into your subconscious: “What if I write the book and it’s terrible?”, “What if nobody likes my book?”, “What if people criticize me for my writing?”
In order to enjoy the writing process, we first need to address these concerns. While the answers might not be what you were hoping for, they will provide some realistic expectations, helping you get past that initial block with clarity and renewed excitement for your project. Here we go!
- “What if I write the book and it’s terrible?” – It’s very likely that your first draft will be terrible, or at least not sound like a published version of The Hunger Games that’s been through many rounds of revisions and professional editing. But to get there, you need to have a first draft ready.
- “What if nobody likes my book?” – There will definitely be people who don’t like your book. There are even some people who don’t like the Harry Potter books, which is simply beyond my comprehension capabilities. What can you do… Some readers will simply not like your books, and that’s perfectly alright. They’re just not your ideal readers. Your ideal reader will love your books.
- “What if people judge me for my writing?” – If they judge, let them, and maybe check out The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Don’t let others’ opinions define you or your writing. You choose who you are and what your writing stands for.
Overcoming your fear of writing by embracing the “messy first draft”
There’s a reason so many authors talk about how lousy their first draft is. It’s because that’s the truth. No author sits down and writes the perfect novel from the beginning. The first draft is always messy, but it’s the most important step because without it, there’s nothing to improve and turn into the masterpiece you’ve been dreaming of writing.
So don’t worry about all the mistakes you make in your first draft—just focus on writing it. Knowing that your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect removes some of the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself and helps you have more fun writing.
Once you have the first draft, that’s when the magic happens! You can fix all the plot holes, make your characters more relatable, and polish your manuscript until it shines. But for it to shine, you need to have that first draft ready.
Baby steps to writing your story
Now you’re no longer worried about perfection, but another worry starts to creep in. I actually have to write a whole novel! Even as a messy first draft, that’s still about 80,000 words, or more! How am I going to write 80,000 words?!
A huge goal of a completed manuscript can be overwhelming. Don’t worry, dear happy writer! You don’t have to write all of it at once. You can start small, and small, consistent efforts over time add up.
When I wrote the first draft of my first novel, I wrote it while working a full-time job. So I had very little time to dedicate to writing, just half an hour or an hour in the early morning. You can’t finish a whole draft during that time, and you can’t make huge progress, either. But you know what you can do? You can write 100 words or 200 words. And if you do that every day, soon enough, the words compound, shaping your story into that first draft you’re aiming for.
RELATED POST: How to Write a Book While Working a Full-Time Job
You know what would make this process more fun? Turn it into a game where you track your word count and maybe even get some small rewards on a bigger milestone. A spreadsheet can help you track your daily word count and see your story’s progress.
I created a Google Sheet Word Count Tracker that you can download for free to help you monitor your progress, so you can celebrate the small and big wins. It tracks your progress for the day after a series of writing sprints, shows your full progress in the book and the word count left to the finish line. Use it to turn writing into play and make your writing sessions more fun.
Overcome your fear of writing by celebrating every small win
Writing a full-length novel is a massive project. Don’t wait until you have the finished manuscript to celebrate. As a happy writer, you need to enjoy the entire process, not just the moment you typed The End.
Celebrate each win so you can push fear away by making the entire writing process more enjoyable. As you feel you’ve accomplished something, however small it is, it defeats your doubts and helps you overcome your fear of writing your first novel because you see you’re making progress on it. It is possible to do it, and you are doing it! Way to go!
Your writing journey is full of things to celebrate! Here are just a few examples of milestones, both big and small, that you should be proud of:
- achieving your word count goal for the day
- completing a scene that was difficult to write
- completing a chapter
- pushing through writer’s block
- receiving positive feedback on a scene you exchanged with a critique partner
- writing 10K in a day
- writing 5K in a day
- writing even 1K in a day
Now it’s time to celebrate! Stand up and do your happy dance! Congratulate yourself on the great job you’re doing and reward yourself for each step that takes you closer to your dream. Doing this builds positive momentum and gives you the confidence you need in overcoming your fear of writing your first novel and keep fighting for your dream.
Find a supportive community
Writing is a solitary activity, and sometimes it feels like you’re the only one struggling with the fear and all the uncertainties of writing your first novel. But you’re not alone! Lots of other authors have the same difficulties with their first drafts as you do. That’s why connecting with fellow authors can be very helpful, offering the emotional support you need to push through the struggles of writing your novel.
Here are some ways to find your community:
Join writing groups
Consider joining a writing group, either in person or online. A writing group offers support for your writing and the challenges you face as a writer. Your fellow writers will be happy to provide encouragement and accountability during your writing journey to help keep you motivated and on track with your writing goals. You might even find a critique partner—someone to exchange manuscripts with, to give each other helpful feedback to improve your stories.
Join writing challenges
Joining writing challenges, like Sarra Cannon’s Rough Draft Challenge, Novel November, or other 10K writing challenges, provides both the fun and the encouragement you need to enjoy writing your first draft. All these kinds of challenges are helpful because you no longer feel like you’re alone in the struggle of writing your first novel. Facing similar challenges creates a supportive environment among authors, giving you someone to cheer for you along the way.
Attend writing conferences
If you want to attend writing conferences, I strongly recommend attending in-person rather than online conferences. In my opinion, nothing beats the atmosphere of in-person events for connecting with people who share your interests. Face-to-face interaction with fellow writers fosters a stronger sense of community and deeper author connections. Writer conferences are perfect for connecting with others facing similar challenges. That’s where you’ll find your support system, the tribe who will cheer you on through thick and thin.
Be a happy writer
If you can’t find anyone else out there, remember that I’m here for you. I’m here to cheer for you on every step of your writing journey. My goal is to provide the motivation and inspiration you need to keep the words flowing, and to help you become a more productive and happier writer. I will support you with new videos and blog posts every week and encouraging messages to help you get through the tough writing days.
Dear Happy Writer, remember this: overcoming your fear of writing your first novel is the first thrilling step toward sharing your creativity with the world. Yes, it can feel daunting—but the joy and fulfillment you experience when you type “The End” will have made all your effort and struggles completely worth it. Embrace the adventure, trust your voice and your words, and watch your story grow and turn into a beautiful work of art.
This post was all about overcoming your fear of writing your first novel. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy this post:
How to Write When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
Now it’s your turn. Let me know in the comments how you managed to overcome your fear of writing your first novel. What tips do you have for new writers who are working on their first novel now?
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