You’ve Published A Book: So What Next?

Keep Writing.

It’s that simple and that complicated. After you’ve poured your heart and soul into your book, you might be inclined to take a breather or go on vacation. You’ve earned it. Right? Indeed you have, but you cannot lose momentum.

Personally, I prefer to keep it going. Whether the ideas are still flowing or if they’ve temporarily dried up. Staring at a blank page can be daunting. There are a few tricks you can use to get going. Start with a scene. It doesn’t have to be the opening to the book. In fact, you may not have that part established. But hopefully you know the main characters.

If the book is the second of a series then you already know the background of the characters. Start from there. If you are writing a completely new book then you may want to consider who your characters are. Get to know them. When I start a completely new project and need to figure out who my characters are, I like to create bios for my main characters. I’m not likely to include it in the actual story, but it helps me clarify who they are and what motivates them. You need to know what motivates your characters in order to write engaging stories. This is especially useful in dialogue as characters who have specific goals will speak passionately about what they want and can drive your scenes.

Some writers prefer plotting before they jump into their scenes. This is a good technique too. It lets you establish a blueprint and gives direction. I use a hybrid. I like to do some free writing combined with plotting so that I don’t feel completely confined, but I always come back to my plot because I want stay on track. Now it is perfectly okay to make adjustments to the plot as well if you feel that it enhances your story arc.

Make sure that you establish a writing routine. It seems really simple, but it makes a huge difference 1) if you have one and 2) you actually stick with it. Since I am a morning person, I like to get up early and write. If that works great! Others are night owls and prefer to write when the kids are asleep. Either way is fine. I know some writers who like writing on the bus or on the subway. What works for you is fine. I believe the key is consistency. Pick a time that you can sit for a while and write.

Give yourself a word count. I know that sounds a little forced, but it gives you a goal to shoot for. Writers need goals and deadlines. Repeat that. I know that there are some writers out there who have an inner editor chirping in their ear. That’s tricky if you are trying to get out a slew of new material. The main thing is to find a word count that is challenging, but doable. Don’t make it too large that you will get frustrated. Word counts are less important when you get to your later drafts.

Now, if you are the other type of writer, the prolific one, then keep plugging away. If the ideas keep coming you might as well get them down and worry about the editing part later on. After all, most of the real work comes during the editing process when you re-envision your work. Think of it this way. You can always toss the parts you don’t like, but if you have no raw material to work with you are stuck with all the heavy-lifting.

Write on.