I know the reason why young writers ask a lot about story length is because they're not confident they can finish one. They're like explorers with a flashlight and they want to know how long the tunnel is because they're worried their batteries might run out midway.

For this reason, let me warn you about this bug going around which I like to call the "Invisible Book Syndrome" and which particularly affects young and budding writers. As the name suggests, a writer keeps on imagining the story in their head, including even the hallelujah moment of finally finishing it.

I once read a Psychology article saying that people who imagine reaching their dreams actually have a lower chance of achieving them.

Whaa?! Why?

It's because they feel a certain satisfaction when their brain goes through the emotional, triumphant moment. As a result, writers, for instance, exert less effort in actually writing a story and making their dream come true.

In a word, please don't think of writing as this mystical, I-Am-the-Chosen-One, Muse-dependent superpower. And please don't glamorize publishing a book as some kind of celebrity / royalty lifestyle. Writing is plain and simple pre-writing, writing and revising. You've still got to put in all the work.

I touched on this topic a while back in Chapter 1 when I said that I used to be a tortoise writer but now I'm a hare.

Believe me, I know what it's like to have a story brewing inside you for years. You try to put it in words for the first time ever and it takes you another year or a couple. You can't really force it out. You need a Muse. You need to be constantly inspired. And when dreaded Writer's Block comes, you have to put the whole world on pause. Because what you're creating isn't just any dime-a-dozen story; it's a masterpiece. It's the next global phenomenon, the next Harry Potter.

But the way I see it, if you hope to make a profession out of writing, it's a prerequisite to write fast. Look at journalists, scriptwriters or famous authors like Stephen King and Tom Clancy. These are all artists, too, but they have deadlines and they meet them. They're all very prolific.

Unless you already have J.K. Rowling's celebrity status, you can't just tell an editor, a publisher, a talent scout or even a Wattpad follower: "Sorry, inspiration hasn't visited me today so please come back another time. I don't know exactly when."

You need to get the rhythm of your writing schedule down pat. Every writer's different. But every writer must master themselves or their writing angels or inner editors whatever, and then consistently produce some quantity and some quality of writing. Day-in and day-out – I hate to say it but – like a job.

Writing thrives on routine and it perishes on irregularity. So, if there's something that's preventing you from having a consistent writing schedule, whether it's a day job, school work, family affairs etc, you either find a way around it and make the time or reconsider your priorities.

The second option's perfectly all right, too, because writing isn't everything. It's just one part of your life. You will find there are plenty other more important things like building relationships, learning other skills, or having a million dollars (which writing may not be the fastest way to get your hands on).

But if you're the type of person who can't live without calling yourself an author, then you should definitely find the time to write.

Ok, let me correct myself. You can tell your Wattpad followers that your inspiration tank is empty today and apologize to them. Tell them you're gonna make it up to them next time. But you see, this is the difference between a professional and an amateur writer; between a serious one and the one who dabbles. Everybody likes regularity and consistency. Once a reader has gotten hooked on your story and is hanging on the proverbial cliff for your next update, it would be disrespectful to break schedule.

Wattpad readers don't really care how often you post, whether it's every single day or twice a week or once a week. But I'd say less often than weekly is cutting it close because common sense would tell us that our readers would have a hard time remembering the details of the last chapter if the next one takes too long.

Let me repeat that: Wattpad readers don't really care how often you post as long as you tell them the schedule and you make an effort to stick to it. So, once again, it all boils down to that unspoken contract between author and reader, to respecting each other, not raising their expectations and not breaking our promises as authors. On Wattpad, it's not really the feedback that authors should be most scared of (unlike on other sites like Goodreads and Amazon) but reader engagement. BTW, you can also see your book's precise engagement level on the Stats page. Just go to My Stories and click Stats.

Up Next: More on update frequency

Stay Phenomenal!

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I'll try to update this story every day (whoa!)

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