"So I have this idea for a book..."

Everyone - yes, everyone - has a story to tell.

I hear this so often when people learn I am a writer: “You write novels? Amazing, I also have this great idea, it goes like this…”

I wonder about this person, and the stories they tell themselves, and all the words inside they haven’t shared with anyone but chance encounters like ours. This conversation might take place on an airplane or in a rideshare or at a dinner party, and I feel a kinship with anyone who delights in their imaginary narratives regardless of the genre or how polished it may be.

Storytelling is one of the cornerstones of what makes us human. To tell a story is to weave an element of truth into a tapestry of fiction, and I’m not surprised there are so many untold stories out there. Everyone has internal truths to speak aloud. This is narrative impact.

I will never forget typing “THE END” at the conclusion of my first novel. I felt…ecstasy. Relief. Hilarity. Fatigue. Joy. It took ten years to complete and I was floating on a cloud of fulfilled wishes which I can only compare to the elation of quitting a bad job (or relationship).

Hear me out! Why is quitting a bad job/relationship so revelatory? It’s that you know you should have left earlier. You know it was draining you, but you stayed for “reasons.” Perhaps on top of that, you aren’t convinced it did anyone any good at the end of the day. And the day you quit is a validation on a variety of levels: that you prioritized yourself, your well-being, and your beliefs over compromises of increasingly diminished returns. That you’re ready to face an uncertain future rather than toil in a position/relationship that doesn’t serve you. That feeling of satisfaction, that type of validation you can only give yourself… multiply that by a million, and that’s what it feels like to finish a novel.

Like double rainbow at a waterfall. Photo by Jared Erondu on Unsplash

I invested years and resources into this little idea in my head until it became a real, tangible thing. Its future in publishing depends on the market, and that’s largely out of my control. But what is most important? The book exists. A book that doesn’t exist cannot have a future, and now mine does.

There are many statistics flying around the internet such as “97% of people who start a book never finish it!” but I don’t trust stats if the source is never cited. Anecdotally, I think there are many would-be storytellers out there who give up on their writing because “reasons.” Reasons like…

1. I don’t have time.

2. I don’t know how to write novels.

3. No one is interested this but me.

4. I’m not a good writer, anyway.

5. I know where it starts but that’s it.

These are reasons with simple solutions. Not easy ones — writing is hard work — but simple. Some simple suggestions include to get into a habit of writing, to read more novels, to learn about writing devices, and to practice them and receive feedback.

Reading and studying the works of others not only helps on a craft level, but expands one’s emotional horizons. Sharing stories furthers empathy among people. I believe the more we are exposed to different narratives, the more we understand, the more we empathize with different experiences, and the more connected we become as a society.

So I want more people to tell their stories. I believe the world will be a better place if we do. And to make that happen, I want to help you get there. Yes, YOU.

Photo by AbsolutVision on Upslash.

I know what if feels like to have a idea for a book languishing neglected in my mind for all those same reasons above. I had to make the time. I learned how to write novels. I leaned heavily into my niche interests. I improved my writing. And I finished.

Therefore I know it is possible, but I don’t want you to spend 10 years navigating the nebulous novel writing world when there’s a clear path from book-nonexistence to book-existence. I’ve worked with many writers before and I’ve developed a program to help them get to that dream last page.

Narrative Impact will continue to release narrative reviews and craft analyses, however, from today onward, the focus is shifting to how to help writers find their fictional calling and put that long-held idea for a novel on the page where it belongs.

Climb aboard, adventure-seekers!

Novel-writing is wild ride.