aka: the work ethic chapter

so you got your thing. you planned it, designed it, and youre in love. youve even started writing it as well.

what now? how do you keep doing the thing?

WORK ETHIC.

work ethic, in layman's terms, is your ability to force yourself to do something you really dont want to do.

im sorry if i gave off the implication that writing is a blast. it really isnt. it's pretty darn hard. sure, expressing yourself and bringing your ideas to life is pretty rad, but the actual writing process is more of a pain than anything.
so, naturally, youre gonna get a lil discouraged.

i highly suggest you set up a schedule and keep it up religiously. books that have regular updates instead of "whenever i feel like it lolz" make readers feel more comfortable and also keeps them from forgetting about your story because you havent updated it in a month. weekly chapters are really the best way to go

now, keeping the schedule is the hard part. no matter how ''''uninspired'''' you are, freaking write that weekly (or whatever) chapter. all that matters is that you write, dangit! that's the only way to get better!

ive had times where i could barely write a sentence. but i knew putting it off wasn't gonna help any so i just sat myself down and forced the words out. i promise you can do it, just strain a little.

theres no magic spell you can cast to make yourself a good author. all you can do is just continue to write, over and over again.

lets discuss """writers block""". writers block is your brain being a weenie.

no, really

when you have writers block, there's something in your brain, conscious or subconscious, that's making a block in your mind. usually, you're afraid of making something that sucks.

lemme tell you something

youre writing a first draft: its gon suck no matter what. theres no getting around that.
buut, that's okay. the first draft isnt supposed to be good! the first draft is for getting your ideas out. get everything down, and then focus on making it presentable 

a surefire way to kill your  creative spirit is to try to edit your book while you're writing it. just saying. leave the editing for when youve already focused on the real important part: the story

wanna know how to get over writer's block? write. sit down, cut off your phone and your internet, and just write. write a oneshot. write a random description of a scene or a person. just, please, write something!

when i have writers block, and i know i have a chapter deadline coming up, i just suffer through it. and you know what? after ive done it for a good hundred words, it becomes easier. that 'block' starts to crumble and the words flow easier. before you know it, im cranking out nearly 1000 words in a day.

i hit the source of my writers block: my own self imposed challenges. for every chapter of nfh, i have a minimum word limit- 500 words. this, naturally, stresses me out as i constantly worry "oh crap what if i run out of plans and dont have enough words??" so the first 400 or so words are torture to write. nearly every single time. but once i hit my minimum, i get less scared. im free to just,,write.

so, no, i really dont suggest having a word limit. it hurts more than it helps, at least for me.

writing is all about discipline. if you can control yourself, you can write a book