I’m often asked when I knew I wanted to be a writer; I may not know exactly how old I was, but coming from a literary family I knew it was in my blood. I wrote my first novel at 14 years old, and I’ve been writing ever since.
My journey as an author started at a young age, inspired by my father and career novelist, Michael R. Phillips. I watched him write book after book and figured I could do it too. That memory continues to inspire me as a writer even now when I get stuck or too busy.
7 Lessons to Become a Better Author
My father taught me a lot about being an author. Here are seven specific lessons I learned from him over the years.
1. Write About Something That Inspires You
As a writer, you’re going to spend a lot of time focused on your novels. It’s important you pick a subject that inspires you; this will keep you motivated during the long process of researching, writing, editing and more.
My dad’s work was deeply rooted in his passions: a love of books, fascination of history, desire to communicate clearly and an ongoing curiosity to keep learning. His example of writing novels that reflected his interests showed me how to select topics in which I’m ready to fully immerse myself.
2. Take the Time to Research Thoroughly
An author’s job is to tell a story that resonates with readers. Even for fictional tales, giving the characters and plot a believable canvas rooted in reality is imperative for creating a novel that will connect with the audience.
As my father wrote, he spent quite a bit of time on research. Conveniently he owned a bookstore, which provided him with an array of helpful resources. Still, he showed me it takes time and diligence for a writer to learn enough about the book’s time and place to create a vibrant, realistic backdrop for the story.
3. Remain Diligent
While I figured I could write novels because my dad did, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. A successful author needs to write a little bit every day to finish a novel; it takes diligence and a strong work ethic to develop and write a book. He set the example for me from an early age so I knew that if I wanted to complete my story, I needed to put in the time and effort.
4. Create Virtuous Characters
My father devoted his career to the legacy of George MacDonald, a Scottish poet, fantasy author and minister that inspired many other writers including G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L’Engle and C.S. Lewis. The value MacDonald placed on virtuous characters was an example to my dad, which he passed on to me.
5. Brainstorm Your Plot
As my father worked on his novels, it wasn’t unusual for us to hold plot brainstorming sessions around the dinner table. In addition to setting the example of how to logistically brainstorm a plot, he also showed me that a good writer bounces ideas off of others.
6. Embrace White Space on the Page
A great writing lesson I learned from my dad was the value of white space on the page to keep the reader engaged. Using dialogue and short sentences or paragraphs keep the plot moving; use short chapters and scene breaks. When readers see a lot of white space on the next page, compared to big, dense paragraphs, they are more likely to keep reading.
7. The Business of Books
When it comes to navigating publishers, agents, distributors and promoters as an author, a lot has changed since the 1980s and 1990s; however many elements remain the same. My father provided me a look inside the business part of writing books. In addition to seeing him navigate the publishing world as an author, I also saw the end of the process as he sold books at his store.
As you can see, my dad taught me a lot of helpful lessons that have positively impacted me as a writer. I’m incredibly grateful for his inspiration and guidance over the years.
Soon you’ll be able to read the most recent result of the lessons I learned from my dad; The Exile will be released in just a couple of months! In the meantime, get your copy of Love of Finished Years on Amazon and let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your feedback.