People may think being an author seems like such a quick and easy process. I can’t speak for all authors, but the book I’m currently working on has been in the works for almost three years. Books can take a lot longer to write than you think.

Writing books has been my passion since I was 8. When I was younger, stories ended up being short stories full of nonsense.

The first serious book formed when I was 10. That story was going to be about werewolves. However, I could not stand all the cringe stories of fantasy creatures being made, so that story ended after two years.

The book was about ten pages when I went to delete it, but I couldn’t. There were several parts of the story I knew I could turn into something better than what it was originally going to be. I was also quite fond of the characters I had mapped out for the story.

That was when I decided not to delete the story, but to revise it. It only took a couple of weeks to get rid of the whole werewolf aspect and completely change it into something new. Once that was finished, the story was ready to go into the process of a real book.

That book is now 92 pages long and still going. I am constantly making revisions to the book. That is one of the main reasons it has taken nearly three years for me to write it.

 When writing my book, I will end up writing a chapter, leaving the book for a while and then coming back. However, when I come back I always reread my previous chapters and end up making several changes to the chapters.

Over time, it has gotten to where I don’t make nearly as many changes as I used to in previous chapters. That is why this year has been the year I’ve had the most written.

My revisions are not my only downfall when it comes to my writing. When I get bored or I just no longer feel like writing, I tend to abandon my work.

When I abandon my work, the length of time before I get back to it can sometimes be months. I try not to stay away for long periods of time. However, when I start to experience what’s called writer’s block as I take my break, that can cause me to stay away from writing more than I wanted.

Writer’s block can be quite frustrating. For me it’s when I can’t think of anything to write, so I am completely out of ideas of what to write next for my book or whatever piece I’d be writing at the time.

I experience writer’s block quite frequently. Several times it has happened to me while I was in the middle of writing. Usually what I will do is write down every idea that comes into my head before I either forget it, or writer’s block happens.

Occasionally when I forget what direction the story was going while I’m in the middle of writing it, I will just change the direction of the story on the spot and roll with it.

If I ever remember where the story was originally going and I don’t really like what I had switched it to, I usually go back in and switch it back to the original plot.

Working on becoming an author is almost a surreal experience for me. I see all the books other authors have written and how successful they are, and I think I can’t possibly put myself into the same category as them. 

However, when I see all the hard work I’ve been doing, I know I can put myself into the same category. Because in the end, I know all my hard work will pay off. When I publish my books, not only will I be an author, but I will have earned the right to that title.