Goodreads asked Sarah Pekkanen:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Sarah Pekkanen We writers are really good at messing with our own minds. When we sit down to work, we begin with great excitement and confidence. But soon, a pack of mean girls gather in our heads, telling us our story isn't good, our writing is terrible, and that we should just give up. So my my most important piece of advice is to be kind to yourself. Your first draft is just that - a messy document, something that will need lots of rewriting and pruning and shaping.

Once you've given yourself permission to write a terrible first draft, it's time to focus on your writing practice. In terms of the mechanics of getting words on the page, I suggest working in bite-sized chunks. Set a reasonable goal - say, 250 words - and try to squeeze that in multiple times a day. If this technique doesn't work for you, wake up an hour early and write in the quiet space before the rest of the world comes alive (my absolute favorite time to write these days is 5 am - 4 am if I can manage it). Or pick an evening and write on the couch, with music playing and a glass of wine or tea by your side. Test out different environments until you find the one you like best.

I'm also a huge advocate of studying the craft of writing, and luckily, there are so many books and classes devoted to this topic. Some of my favorites are Story Genius, Plot & Structure, Writing the Breakout Novel, Bird by Bird, and On Writing. Listen to writing podcasts, too. Attend workshops. Immerse yourself in the craft of writing, and soon, those mean girls in your head will realize you'll never again listen to them.

Writing is hard. I spent three years working on a novel that wasn't published - but it taught me so much. Those years weren't wasted; they made me a better author, one who was ready, with her next book, to be published. So don't get discouraged.

Good luck! I am rooting for you, always.

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