Myths of the Writing Process

Here’s a list of some myths about the writing process I pulled together to help people distinguish fact from fiction:

Myth: My First Draft Will Be My Final Draft

Fact: You will likely end up writing several iterations of one draft and then it will transform into something new along the way. The more you write, the better acquainted you’ll become with your story and characters.

Myth: Editing Won’t Take Long

Fact: In order to edit properly, you need to take your time. If you’re in a rush, you’ll miss words and phrases that need to be altered. Sometimes, like writing the draft, you’ll edit your novel several times over.

Myth: I Must Remain Secluded to Write Well

Fact: If you hole yourself up, you won’t have experiences. Observing people and places is part of life, but for a writer, it’s a built in notepad to draw from later- use it!

Myth: Everyone Will Love My Story

Fact: Hopefully many people will. But no story is loved by everyone. People vary in their tastes and as such, someone will undoubtedly dislike what you’ve written. That’s ok, besides, you wrote it for people who will like it.

Myth: I Don’t Need an Outline

Fact: If you jump into the race without a map, you’ll probably get lost. Outlines allow you to keep consistency and stay on pace with the plot and character development.

Myth: People Love Stock Characters

Fact: People love characters that bend or break the mold they’ve been based off. Cookie cutter characters are unrealistic, but if you tweak them slightly (or majorly), you can create someone unique.

Myth: Too Much Description or Dialogue is Bad

Fact: You want to find a balance, but some scenes require more dialogue and others more description so use them when they’re needed.

Are there things you’ve heard that seem too good to be true? Leave a comment and we’ll discover the facts together!