Plot Twist Magazine issue #1

Agony Author

In my opinion, however, this problem arises when you have a character issue. Your main character or cast of characters is the star of your show, regardless of whether your book is character or plot-motivated. Your characters need to want something, and it's your job as a writer to put them through hell for it.

I can never plan my work. It always feels like I am forcing it. Am I going to write incoherent books because of this?
Probably, but that's half the fun! I would recommend you at least write down key information so you don't contradict yourself later, but are outlines strictly necessary to write a successful, coherent novel? Nope. Skip around; scribble ideas in the margins; disregard old ideas for new ones. Writing should be fun! As long as you fill the plot holes later (most of them, at least), it'll come together in the end.

I have never been in love before, but I really want to write a romance book. Will my lack of experience and real-world knowledge show in my writing?
Do it. I believe in you. No experience? Ask someone what it's like to be in love. Learn what love means to you. Read romance books! As a society, I feel like we forget we know what love is more than we think we do. The love of a parent, the love of a child, a friend, or a pet. Couples walk hand-in-hand down the street. Old friends meet at coffee shops. A child hugs their cat. As long as there's deep care, joy, companionship, security, respect, patience, sorrow, and devotion through thick and thin, that is love. As much of the bad that's in this world, the good always finds a way to shine through. Even if you feel like you have never experienced love in any capacity, you could certainly learn to appreciate it. Besides, if you really want to write a romance novel, you must already be a romantic at heart.

When I started writing, I wasn't too busy at work. But now, I got a promotion, and I feel so tired after work. I have no time to write. Then on weekends, I have to keep my house together and running. How can I work writing into my busy schedule?
You're in good company. Change is exhausting. Let yourself adjust. When you feel ready, you can always start off small. Section off time specifically to write it doesn't have to be much or give yourself a daily word goal. That could be two hundred words, one hundred words, or a sentence. What really matters is that you're writing something. Any progress is better than no progress at all.

Speaking as a psychology major, if you still feel overwhelmed and you really want to fit writing in, you may need to make some sacrifices. Overcommitment leads to burnout, and burnout leads to a vicious cycle of exhaustion. Take a break. Set boundaries. Seek support from family, friends, or a professional. Reassess your needs and wants, and work from there. And for the love of new books, get yourself some self-care!

I recently had a fight with some of my school friends, and now nobody will hang out with me. How do I stop myself from feeling so alone?
Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! Loneliness is defined as when your needs for social interaction and human connection go unmet, so naturally, one of the first steps could be joining a community. Maybe specifically a reading or writing community since that's what we all have in common on Wattpad. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Listen to music to fill the space, take a walk, practice a hobby, take a break from social media, practice mindfulness and gratitude, make every social interaction count, and most of all, remind yourself that this isn't permanent. If all else fails, talk to someone you trust a parent, sibling, or other relative you're close toâ€"or the school counselor. Take care of yourself and your mental health. I hope this helps, and I hope you feel better soon!

I hate my job and get no enjoyment from it, but when I write it's the opposite. Should I quit my job and just pursue writing full-time?
I totally agree to quit your job, but I wouldn't necessarily jump headfirst into full-time writing. One, writing as a career can be incredibly thankless. If you don't have a publisher backing you up, you gotta be your own editor, publisher, and marketer. And all those things take money. Two, it takes time to find a literary agent (for traditional publishing) or for you to gain any traction (for self-publishing). Ghostwriting might be the most stable out of the options, but not all writers can be ghostwriters. Some of the most well-known writers worked a day job, and I recommend you do the same until you know you can make a living wage.

I have finished my book, and I really want to get it professionally edited and published. I have looked online, but I can't find anything. Do you know where the best place to look would be?
Unfortunately, some of my recommendations may not apply to everyone since I live in the US. But, I do know of some sites.

First, is Reedsy. I haven't used the full extent of their services (alas, I am a broke college student), but from what I know, it's a fairly intuitive site. There's an extensive list of professionals, and it's easy to see their credentials. Not to mention, Reedsy has a blog with all sorts of articles about how to choose any professional and what your budget would look like.

Next, I'd look up editing and literary agencies. It's really up to you to research who would be the best fit (and if you're feeling extra ambitious, look up your favorite book's editor and literary agent).

Lastly, I'd recommend looking through Jane Friedman's website (janefriedman.com). She's written so many blogs about the publishing process, both traditional and self-publishing, as well as other writing-related advice.

Side note, DO NOT FALL FOR A VANITY PUBLISHER. If you have to pay to get your book published, run. The only thing you should be expected to pay for is an editor, or at the very least, a quality proofreader, so your book looks near publish-ready before presenting it to a literary agent. You should NEVER pay a publisher to publish your book. And since we're on Wattpad, I'm sure everyone has gotten a message from Webnovel, Hinovel, A&D Entertainment, etc. While you don't pay them to "promote" your work on their website, nearly all of their contracts are terrible, either having you sign away your rights over your work or contracting you to keep up with an impossible schedule. Writer Beware (writerbeware.blog) is your best friend in this situation. They have a long list of bad companies and bad contracts. If you're unsure if it's a good deal, check with their blog. You'll find out very quickly how awful these companies can be. Don't get scammed, people!