Autodidactic Author Speed Self Study

All beginnings are difficult. Little did I know, when, at the beginning of the year, I started my journey to become an author. My novel wanted to be written. But at the same time, I had no clue how to write one. Other people study creative writing or literature at university for several years. I didn’t have that time. So I read in books, I read in blogs, I listened to talks. Tens, hundreds, and thousands of tipps, tricks and references came together. I categorised them into production (research, conceptualisation, writing, editing) and marketing (general marketing, book specific marketing, community). Further sections might be added in future. I created endless checklists. Below you can see a small excerpt of them.

The checklists for conception and editing are cool. However, none is cooler than the one for writing:

• Let your unconscious write. Don’t think too much. The rest follows during editing.

• Write for yourself. Edit for your audience.

Yuki Carlsson’s checklist for writing novels

I am sure, if properly followed, these collections of tips and tricks make a great book. The question now is only: am I able to put the learned theory into praxis? Will my debut novel “Prison of Loneliness” turn out to be not only a good, but a great book? Wish me—skill?! Or luck! As my friend Fabian used to say, “Skill is when luck becomes a habit.”