This post is a part of our 2024 guest blog post series Bravely Write Your Book.
Learn from publishing professionals and authors how to bravely write your book.
All of the guests in the Bravely Write Your Book series have given great insights on how to enhance our writing. They all agreed that you need to just write to get your story down–just do it, start, begin–but there is one more suggestion they all seemed to agree on to help you be successful: build a support group to help you. Every voice this year has urged you to find a group of people you can both learn from and lean on.
There has been a mix between formal and informal groups suggested. Between teams of people to help with the process, to just having a friend listen to your story. They both achieve the same goal: to help you through the process, to make writing less daunting and more manageable.
This support group can help you get your story down. As Kate Varness says, “Enlist support. Not just any support–only the good kind…Good support helps you progress steadily with burgeoning word counts, know that somebody kind is paying attention, and remember that this whole endeavor is worthwhile.” You will know what good support feels like, you will be driven by a desire to share your story. The people around you will help you in sharing your story either through the process, as is the case with a team, or through encouragement and listening, as is the case with close family and friends.
Even if you are unsure if you can share your story now, positive support will help you take the small (but important) steps to share your story with more people. Jenn T. Grace tells us, “If writing a book feels too overwhelming, start with telling your story to a friend. Then tell it to another friend… All of those experiences will prime you for telling your story in a compelling way.” That is the core of writing a story: telling a story to those who want to hear it.
Once we are prepared to write, we do not need to continue with the rest of the process alone. Doing so is impractical as Jennifer Jane Young reminds us. “Build a team and plan in advance! This is NOT a one-man show. You need to build a successful team around you… I would have never made it to the finish line without the board of advisors I had created to support me along the way.”
As we end the year, consider the support you already have around you. Who can help you through your writing journey? How can they help you take the first steps to share your story with the whole world? As you find the answer remember that this support will always be with you even when the writing gets rough but they will give you the encouragement to bravely write your book.
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This post was written by TWPRT’s Fall 2024 intern, Taeryn McKinstry.
Taeryn McKinstry is an aspiring author studying at Champlain College. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Taeryn currently resides in Burlington, Vermont as he works toward completing his Bachelor’s in Professional Writing. He is driven by a desire to share unique stories and poetry to inspire and uplift others. In his free time, Taeryn likes to read. Taeryn is hopeful that he will be able to continue his education and broaden his literary horizons after his graduation in 2025.
This post represents the last installment of our 2024 Bravely Write Your Book series.
While you wait for the next blog post in this series to drop, don’t forget about these two free and readily available resources.
- The 5-Step Writing Guide to Starting (and Finishing) Your Memoir. It’s time to light up your world and ours with your story.
- My 20-minute Story Stroll where you and I get to talk openly and honestly about the book you’re feeling tapped to write. Let me help you take the next best step on your journey.