I don’t think there’s a single writer out there who hasn’t felt that they don’t have time to write. More things are demanding our time and attention now than ever. Not only that, writing doesn’t usually pay a living wage, meaning the majority of us are doing it as a side hustle. We’re trying to balance full-time work, families and young children along with the pressures of churning out as many books as possible and marketing them. Honestly, it’s a miracle that anyone succeeds at getting a novel out!

An author’s job is to please and delight readers. This is the joyful, beautiful, wonderful gift of being a writer. Writing success is directly linked to how well we can engage readers. If you are not considering what a reader experiences when they read your story, then it will be incredibly challenging to figure out how to become a successful author.

You’re ready to write a book, but you’re not sure where to start. Or maybe you’re an avid creative writer and you want to level up your story skills. Whatever your reasons, the best thing you can do for your writing life is to invest in continuous learning. When you take the time to understand storytelling at a deep level, writing gets a lot faster and easier. Here are my 10 favorite resources for aspiring authors.

The other day I cringed when I saw a writer post something on IG about how publishing their book would be a great way to get back at all the people who had ever doubted them. I admit, I’ve felt like this in the past. There were times in my early writing life when I thought about the people who doubted me and imagined how they might react when they found out I was a published author! Now though, I find these types of sentiments (and posts) cringy. It’s like seeing someone shout their insecurities from the rooftop.

Your main character is the beating heart of your story. Your goal is to take them on a transformation journey so powerful that your reader is itching to turn the pages of your novel. Considering how important character is, I’m always surprised at how many writing teachers don’t know how to build proper character arcs.

It’s embarrassing to admit this, but there have been times along my writing journey when I’ve spent more time thinking about how my writing can serve me than how it can serve readers. I became a much better writer when I realized the purpose of my writing is to entertain and inspire others. When I shifted my focus outward, I could better see what I needed to work on to improve my reader’s experience and ultimately my own writing.

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time imagining myself as a best-selling author. I pictured days pouring my ideas into my laptop at a coffee shop with a steaming Chai Latte beside me. I imagined myself signingbooks for fans at my favourite book store. There was just one problem. I didn’t have any of the habits I needed to make any of this a reality. I was stuck in dreaming when I needed to be doing.

“When you finally find yourself ready to sit down at your desk to write, or in that studio to paint, or in that sanctuary to speak, or at that sunrise wedding to photograph … or wherever it is that you stand or kneel or walk or sit to create and cause beauty to be and beam from the hollow of your hands - you will find that everything, and I mean everything, will rise up against you.” — Rachel Marie Kang

This quote from the book Let There Be Art brought tears to my eyes. In the ten years I’ve been trying to successfully write and publish a book, it feels like there has been so much to fend off, just to make a little space for my creativity.

We so often look ahead, waiting for our happiness to begin. If I just had …. fill in the blank …. then I could be happy. These are some of the things I’ve thought along my writing journey: “If I just had a literary agent, I’d be happy.” “If I had a publisher, I’d be happy.” “If I had a book on the shelf in a bookstore …” Well, you get it. Maybe for you it’s things like more book sales, a bigger following or better reviews. We have big dreams and big goals, that’s what keeps us going, but when we pin our happiness on future outcomes we have little control over, it can leave us feeling crushed when things don’t happen the way we expected.

From imposter syndrome to negagive thoughts about ourselves, we all live with lies in our heads. Writers have some common lies that affect us and if we put up with a lie for too long, it can influence our choices and behaviour. At the very worst, a lie left too long unchallenged can stop us from writing. With that in mind, let me share four common lies writers believe and the truth that will set you free.

Writers are never promised an easy path. Most of us know we have to take our lumps, whether it's writer's block, criticism or ongoing rejection. Dealing with all of this on top of jobs, school, family and other life stuff sometimes leaves us asking why do I write? Here are four good reasons to keep writing, even if you’re feeling so discouraged, you can't get another word down.