I Tried to Write a Novel. Here’s What I Learned
A fourteen-year-old’s takeaways from her first experience with long-form writing.
Last year, in the fall of my freshman year of high school, I tried to write a novel.
It started as a microscopic dot in my mind, an inkling of an idea to come. I’d been writing a lot — short stories, mostly. Sci-fi and environmental awareness were my most-used themes at the time.
I’d just joined Wattpad in an effort to get some new eyes on my writing, and my first experience with writing online was going well. I’d posted a few of the aforementioned short stories to positive but unenthusiastic responses. I needed more views. My solution: write more and post more.
So there I was, spitting out a thousand words that meant little to me. The air bubble of an idea was coming to the surface, but it was blurry and unspecific.
A girl at an abandoned school… Hmm… Maybe she gets kidnapped… Or she’s there for a test… Should I have something jump out at her? The words weren’t exactly flowing. Still, though, I held my nose and clicked “Publish”.
For a few days, I didn’t think about the story. When I went back to my Wattpad account to check my stats, though, it had ten reads! I know, not exactly monumental. Compared to the one or two reads I’d been getting per story before, though, it felt fantastic.
Looking back, I’m embarrassed to say that those ten reads were my inspiration. If I ask myself why I got serious about that story, that’s the honest answer.
Whatever my inspiration was, though, it was driving. It kept me writing. The story, as it stood so far, was entirely incomplete. I could tell even then that it was only the first piece of a complex jigsaw puzzle, one I’d be attempting to assemble for months to come. Every day, I’d pour hours into it. A thousand words per day was my minimum.
The story progressed, and I grew to love it. Wherever it started, it had gotten to a place where it felt real to me. I spent more and more time on it; I started planning out the plot and adjusting the characters until everything seemed to fit together perfectly.
And then, I stopped. Just like that, I stopped.
Forty-eight thousand words into this dream, I decided to give it up. I got busier; I made excuses. Weeks and, eventually, months passed, and I didn’t write a word. I shifted to other passions. I took up climbing and piano with more vigor than before and poured myself into mathematics.
Since then, my shard of a novel remains unchanged.
It still pushes at my mind occasionally, but not yet hard enough for me to pick it back up as a project. Maybe someday I’ll complete it, or maybe it will remain just one more failed attempt, one more half-finished document in my Google Drive to look back at when I’m older as a remnant of my high school years.
And I’m alright with that. Though I never finished my first draft, I learned a lot about myself from it.
Here are some of the most valuable lessons I learned:
Self-discipline
I learned how to write well even when I don’t feel like it. I learned how to write well amidst distractions. Before my novel attempt, I wrote only when I felt like it (except for the occasional exception of school assignments). Now, though, I can write fast and well whenever I need to, even if I’m not feeling motivated.
This carries over to other aspects of my life as well. I became a much better student; I started working out more consistently and got much stronger. Self-discipline is incredibly important; and, while working on my novel, I learned for the first time that I possessed it.
Planning
My instinct as a writer is to write freely. No plans, no outlines, just the words flowing from pencil to paper. While I enjoy that loose form of writing, there are times when it’s necessary to plan, research, and conform to more rigid formats. Over the course of writing a novel, I learned how to do that.
I practiced writing outlines; I practiced summarizing chapters before starting to write. I allocated word counts to each portion of the story.
Though I still don’t plan most of my writing, those skills have been invaluable for essays and scientific articles, and knowing that I have them in my arsenal has given me much more confidence as a writer.
Losing perfectionism
Writing daily for months taught me to accept the “imperfect”. I realized the value of getting words onto paper, whether or not they’re “right” or “perfect” or even good. There will always be a chance to edit, but you can’t edit what you never write. I learned that I won’t always be writing my best, and more importantly, that that’s fine.
What I would do differently
If I ever attempted to write a novel again, there are a few things I’d do differently. I’d pick a plot I’m passionate about. I’d start planning from the beginning. I’d take it slower; my lofty daily goals were a major part of why I burnt out.
I don’t think I’ll try to write a novel again in the near future. I’m relatively new to writing; I’m fourteen years old; I’m still figuring out my writing style. My experience with long-form writing has taught me that flash fiction and essays are the best way for me to find my voice as a writer.
Despite this, I don’t regret the months I spent on that unfinished novel. They mark a period of growth in my writing, of lessons that I will carry with me through the rest of my life.
