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They say, “Everyone has a story to tell.” Many writers dream of publishing to share their past (memoirs), educate others (nonfiction), help others (self-help), take others on a journey (fiction and sci-fi), or titillate their senses (poetry). Now in the 21st Century, technology has caught up with aspiration.
In the past, over 70% of all published books were through traditional New York publishing houses like Simon & Shuster and Penguin Random House. However, the advent of user-friendly tools, direct access to readers through Amazon and others, and the print-on-demand convenience of self-publishing has removed most barriers.
Today, over 80% of all books are self-published and, more astoundingly, the number published has leaped from 75,000 in 2000 to over 3 Million per year in 2025! So if you are ready to share your story, join the crowd and get started!
Getting Started
Getting started is perhaps the hardest part.
What to Write About?
There are so many genres to write about. How to choose? Jot down the kinds of books you read or movies you watch. What do you feel you know well or have a unique angle on? What are you curious about? Pick a topic or style that comes naturally to you.
What Tools Do You Need?
You really don’t need any tools to start. You can just start with a pencil and paper. However, you will find it much more convenient to migrate to Word or Google Doc on a laptop for ease in writing and editing.
How Much Time is Required?
This is another fallacy. You may hear of authors that crank out several books a year. Don’t be intimidated. If you write just one page or about 250 words a day, you would still finish a typical 60,000 word book in 8 months. Sure, it is hard to find time amongst family, work, and other leisure time, but if you dream of writing a book, you can do it!
Staying Focused
The biggest challenge in writing is not really the quality of the writing or the time it takes. It is you!
Imposter’s Syndrome
Okay, so you have a topic and your laptop is ready. But you just aren’t convinced you can or should be doing this. With so many people writing books and well known authors like Stephen King and Danielle Steel, many of us suffer from Imposter’s Syndrome. Why should we feel we can be part of this prestigious author community?
Writing is not a competition about who can write fastest or sell more books. Writing is more of a personal journey of self-expression. If you pick a topic which you are passionate about, you will be driven to explore and share this with others through your writing. Through practice you will develop your own style and others will sense this and want to read what you have to say.
Pantsers vs. Plotters
Oftentimes, writers can be placed into one of these two categories. Pantsers tend to write “from the seat of their pants.” They might not even know what their characters will do in the chapters ahead or how their story will end. On the other hand, Plotters have an outline, sometimes in great detail, regarding the storyline for each character of their novel or the points and research that will be covered in each chapter of their nonfiction book.
If you tend to be a well-organized planner, you are a Plotter so spend some time preparing your project. This can be soothing and motivating while many Pantsers may just jump in. There is no right or wrong. Follow your intuition and your personal approach to life.
The Pressure is Off
Don’t pressure yourself to write “the next great American novel.” When you start, it is just a draft. You’re getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Drafts are meant to be ugly. Let it flow. You will have plenty of time to polish your book through editing much later.
So, when you are ready, just start writing. Write whenever and wherever you’d like. Don’t pressure yourself to sit and write for an hour or 500 words or one chapter. There will be days you will “feel it” and may write for hours and other days it just isn’t flowing. Feel free to step away. Go about your day. Come back the next day. The best writing happens when we are enjoying it and don’t have any pressure.
Seek Support
Writing, like many creative arts, can be a lonely endeavor, but I encourage you to find support. Whether it’s a writing coach, a podcast or YouTube episode, a writing buddy, or a Writing Club, learning from others, sharing frustrations, and celebrating successes can be the icing on the cake
The Dripping Springs Art League, in partnership with the Dripping Springs Community Library, offers a monthly Writing Club for aspiring, new, and experienced writers. Find your tribe. Share your stories. Learn about the writing, publishing, and marketing paths ahead. Everyone is welcome and the Club is free to all.
Join the Club mailing list at: https://artindripping.com/memberclubs/
Sign up for the April 30th meeting at: https://dscl.libcal.com/event/16253974
Steve Friedman serves as the DSAL/DSCL Writing Club lead. After his corporate career, he has published three nonfiction books including the award winning Corporate Introvert. He invites you to join the Writing Club and explore your many stories within…
