write a fiction book

you have a story inside you that nobody else can tell

everyone has at least one. that idea that pops into your head in the shower. that "what if" scenario you've been turning over for years. that character who feels more real than some people you know.

the only difference between you and a published author is that they sat down and wrote theirs. badly at first. then less badly. then eventually, something worth reading.

stop waiting for permission

you don't need a writing degree. you don't need to have read a thousand novels. you don't need a perfect outline before you start. you need a blank document and the willingness to fill it with imperfect words.

the first draft of everything is garbage. hemingway said it. every writer knows it. the magic happens in revision, but revision requires raw material. you can't edit a blank page.

the building blocks

every story needs five things:

characters — who are these people? what do they want? what are they afraid of? make them flawed. perfect characters are boring.

setting — where and when does this take place? make the reader feel like they're standing there.

plot — what happens? what's the sequence of events that moves the story forward?

conflict — what's in the way? stories without conflict are just descriptions. something has to go wrong.

resolution — how does it end? it doesn't have to be happy. it has to be honest.

the actual process

commit to 500 words a day. that's it. some days they'll flow. some days every word will feel like pulling teeth. write anyway. in three months, you'll have a 45,000-word first draft. that's a short novel.

don't edit as you go. don't re-read yesterday's work. just keep moving forward. let it be messy. let it be raw. the creativity is in the chaos.

your story is already in your head. the only question is whether you'll let it out.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.