Writing Your First Book
Your first book isn’t about perfection. It’s about finishing.
What is Compelling You to Write?
Start here. This is your fuel.
Something is pushing you to write this story. Maybe it’s an idea that won’t leave you alone. Maybe it’s a character living rent-free in your head. Maybe it’s just that itch that says, “I need to do this.” Pay attention to that, because you’re going to need it when things get hard.
And they will get hard. There will be days where it feels like crawling through broken glass just to get a paragraph down. That initial spark is what keeps you moving when the shine wears off.
Share the Story in Your Head
You’re translating imagination into experience.
Your job is to take what you see in your mind and put it into words that create the same images in someone else’s head. That’s not natural. That’s learned. It takes reading, writing, and paying attention to how other authors build scenes and emotion.
You’re not just writing words. You’re directing a movie inside the reader’s mind. The better you get at that, the more powerful your storytelling becomes.
You Write Your First Book for One Person
That person is you.
Your first book is usually the one you’ve been wanting to write, not the one the market is begging for. And that’s good. Writing for yourself gives you the motivation to finish. You care about the story, so you push through.
Later, you can start aligning what you love with what readers love. That sweet spot is where careers are built. But the first one? That’s yours.
Know How It Ends Before You Start
This will save you a lot of pain.
If you don’t know the ending, you’re going to wander. You’ll write yourself into corners, hit the middle, and stall out. That’s where most first books die. Half-finished, full of good intentions.
Know the destination. You don’t need every step mapped out, but you need to see the finish line. Once you know where you’re going, it’s a lot easier to get there.
Find a Tool That Works for You
The tool doesn’t matter. Getting the words down does.
I use Word because that’s what I’ve used forever. Military, law school, consulting; it’s what I know. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Use Pages, Google Docs, Scrivener, Notepad, or a notebook and pen if that’s your thing.
Don’t let the tool become the obstacle. You can always move the text later. First, you need the story.
Final Thought
Your first book isn’t about perfection. It’s about finishing.
Find your reason, tell your story, and get to the end. Use whatever works, trust your process, and don’t overcomplicate it. Once you finish one book, you’ll know you can do it again. That’s when the adventure really begins.
Writing Your First Book — Original Medium Article
Writing Your First Book — Over 1000 Five Minute Focus videos on the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel
SIA Writing Challenge website — Record Your Progress on Your Way to Becoming a Successful Indie Author
Craig Martelle is an author, leader, and entrepreneur living in Alaska. Retired from the Marine Corps military intelligence community and physical security, he graduated summa cum laude from law school and went into business consulting. From intelligence, to the inner workings of company boardrooms, to on-the-ground leadership, Craig has seen it firsthand.
He is a million-selling author of over 200 science fiction (post-apocalyptic, military sci-fi, and space opera), thrillers, and the non-fiction series, Successful Indie Author. Craig has been running author conferences since 2017, and also the Successful Indie Author Facebook Group, and the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel.
Leadership is a service, not a crown to lord over others.