Dear first time author...

...who just had an idea and now can't stop thinking about it

First of all—congratulations. You’re infected.

You were just going about your day, minding your own business, when a story idea snuck up behind you, tapped you on the shoulder, and whispered, “Hey. Let’s do something completely impractical with your free time.”

And now here you are. Wondering what to do with it. Wondering if you should do something with it. Possibly googling “how to write a novel” with the nervous energy of someone consulting WebMD.

Here’s what I want you to know:

You don’t have to do anything big or official right now.

You don’t need a 50-page outline.

You don’t need a title.

You don’t even need to know if this will ever be a published book.

And you most certainly don’t need to announce it to the world (except perhaps your cat—as long as they can keep a secret).

All you need is to give your idea a home.

Oh, and just so you know who's writing to you from this slightly chaotic pep-talk corner: I’ve published four books so far, the traditional way and self-published, and I’ve made just about every newbie mistake going (including spending a week trying and failing to format my first ebook in Scrivener. I never did manage it). I’m not here as an expert with a megaphone. I’m here as someone a little further down the path, waving a torch and shouting, “It’s okay! The path is twisty but it’s totally walkable!”

So how about this…

Create a quiet place for it to live

Open a new Notion page, a scruffy notebook, a Word doc titled “Just an idea don’t get excited yet”, anything. Capture what’s showing up. A character. A setting. A vague feeling. A scrap of dialogue that came to you in the shower.

Don’t try to write the whole thing today. Just write into it. One small thought at a time. No pressure, no plotting bootcamp. Just curiosity.

Think of it like planting a seed. You don’t yank it out the next day to see if it’s growing. You just water it. Light, soil, scribbles.

But what if it’s a terrible idea?

Ah, yes. Welcome to the “panic spiral”.

Let me reassure you: most first ideas sound at least a bit unhinged when you try to explain them. ("So it's kind of like a haunted IKEA but with time travel and a love triangle?") Don’t worry. Your future self will make sense of it later. Right now, you’re not writing a masterpiece, you’re lighting a match.

And let’s be honest: your first idea probably is a little wobbly. But guess what? Thousands of published books started with a wonky, half-baked, slightly embarrassing idea. And somehow, with enough attention and time and maybe a dramatic playlist or two, they turned into something real.

You don’t have to know what this story will be yet.

You just have to care enough to write the next bit.

There’s no right way to start

Some people start with outlines. Others start with vibes and vibes alone. Some write 50,000 words of backstory before the actual story appears. All of that is fine. This is your book. You get to build it your way.

Not sure where to begin? Here are a few gentle jumping-off points:

• Write a journal entry in your character’s voice

• Scribble down the dialogue that’s circling your brain

• Describe a scene that you keep picturing, even if you don’t know where it fits

• Answer this question: What would happen if...?

• Make a playlist that matches the mood of the scene

• Pick a colour scheme for a setting

You don’t have to write the whole book this week, this month or even this year

You might. And if you do, I’ll high-five you through the screen. But you’re also allowed to write one paragraph and then go watch Netflix and stare into the void.

(Important note: do capture your thoughts and ideas somewhere, so your creative muse doesn’t storm off in a huff and take her story with you. Remember that idea for the perfect character you had in the middle of the night once, that went ‘poof’ in the morning? Yeah, that.)

And while you can 100% keep everything to yourself, if you do feel like sharing my inbox is open. I love hearing about unhinged plot bunnies, weird dream characters and vague fantasy kingdoms where the clouds are sentient. (Send them.)

Until then, keep going. Or keep sitting still with it. Either way, you’re doing it right.

Michelle 💙

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