Ask Me Anything!

Question From @violetbird97

Hi Amanda. Let me first say that you are one of my favourite authors and the Trylle series is one of the best book series I have ever read. I am an aspiring writer and I want to ask, are there any tips for handling anxiety over writing and learning to discipline yourself to begin getting words out on a page? Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. X

 

Thank you! I'm happy that you've enjoyed the Trylle series so much.

If by anxiety, you mean self-doubt, then unfortunately, I don't have a lot of tips, because it's something I still struggle with quite a bit. The only thing that I really do that helps is I try to focused on the things that I love about writing – for me, that's just getting lost in another world and the characters. If I stay with them, and not let my mind wonder too much if it's good or if people will like, then I can keep going.

It has become more of a struggle for me as I go on in my career, because I've had more reviews of my work, which means I've read more negative reviews. And I have to work very hard to keep those voices out of my head, telling me every bad thing I've read about my writing – that my characters all suck, the books are boring, etc. I'd never be able to write another word if I couldn't quiet them.

And if I'm being honest, some days I can't. Some days I just can't get them out of my head, and I can't get a word on the page.

But the things that work for me are just really staying present with my story, with the characters. I put on music, turn off the internet, and I sit in my office until the words start coming out, and eventually, they always do.

One thing that helped me, even before I started publishing and I still had a day job, was that I treated writing like a job. I gave myself word count goals, and I sat in front of the computer until I met the goals. Initially, I'd write every day until the book was done – 10-12 hours a day, for stretches of 14-28 days.

Now that writing is my actual day job, and I can't afford the burnout, I write about 6-8 hours a day, five days a week, and it takes me on average, about 3 months to write a book.

So, I guess, those are my tips. Stay focused in the world you're creating, and turn off distractions, like the internet. Treat writing like a job and set goals for yourself – even if it's only a 100 words a day or an hour in the morning. Whatever it is, just make a plan and try to stick with it.