Over the past year or so I have been asking myself this question, Why did I write
Conkers Go To Africa?
Looking back I have actually been thinking about and immersing myself in the Conker world for at least the last 20 years. A long time I know, unfortunately I, like some others who have a story they think would make a good book thought ;
'Oh maybe I will write it some day when I have more time.'
or
'Well no-one is going to want to read it anyway, so why write it?'
My answer to both of these can be found below.
DO IT NOW! START WRITING NOW!
Next I asked myself a simple question. HOW? I didn't have a clue on how to even write the first line. So I did a lot of research on How To Write a Novel and there is so much information out there it can be confusing or contradictory. That is mostly because every person will have their best way to write. Some will plan out every step of the book and some will just start writing. For me it was somewhere in the middle. I did a high level plan, Chapter headings with two or three subheading. I was then able to write the whole book in just 81 days. The rest of the time was taken up with rewriting sections that didn't work or as you will see in the next paragraph just plain self doubt.
NO-ONE IS GOING TO READ IT, ARE THEY? IT DOESN'T MATTER.
As soon as I had finished the first draft I had massive doubts about releasing the book for sale. I didn't touch it, read it or do anything with it for another 4 months. Eventually I gave myself a good talking too and now know it really doesn't matter if no-one reads it. Of cause I would love it if lots of people did and that they liked it but no it doesn't matter because I came to realise I was writing it for myself. When I look back, thinking about the fact that I failed at English literature in school I am proud of the book I wrote for myself.
If you have a book rattling around in your head like I did. You know what to do now.
DO IT NOW! START WRITING NOW!
