So many people admit that writing a novel or getting published is on their bucket list- but they haven’t yet put pen to paper. If your partner is one of these people, here are some things you can do to help them achieve their dream.
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Give them a journal- You can wait until the New Year or buy them one now- but a journal is a great way to encourage your partner to write something every day. It could be about the day’s events at first- but they might start to write down ideas for stories too.
Encourage them to read- If you are a reader yourself- why not ask them to come to bed with at the same time and you can read together? Or spend a day reading in the sunshine. It’s a good habit to get into if they want to generate ideas and see how others are doing it.
Help them to find a local writer’s group- If you have one near you- this is a great way to get the juices flowing because they’ll probably be expected to write something for each meeting and they can spend time with other like-minded people.
Read their writing- If they take the time out to write something- make the effort to read it. Give them constructive criticism and show an interest. It’s important to them so it should be important to you.
Give them space to write- If they want to dedicate a night a week or a few hours at the weekend to their writing- give them some quiet time and find something to do that won’t disturb them.
Talk them up to other people- If they’re not keeping the fact they are writing a secret- tell other people how proud you are of them to take on such a huge task. The sooner they start identifying themselves as a writer- the better. And you never know what can come of talking about it with others- new contacts, inspiration, a willing proof reader or the simple sharing of a common interest.
Travel to places of inspiration- If they want to write a book that’s set in a particular place- make sure you visit and talk about it as you’re looking around, encourage them to take photos and notes.
Talk with them when they’re at a sticking point- Every writer will get writer’s block at some point- so it’s good to talk it through when this happens. You never know if you put your heads together- you might just unleash their creativity once more and come up with an idea for the next chapter, a new character or even a backstory.
Console them when they get knocked back- If they submit something and it gets rejected- give them a hug and remind them that it’s all part of the process. It doesn’t mean they are a bad writer it just means their writing is not the right fit for that publisher and to keep on going.
Believe in them- They may get published or they may not- but if they keep going- they will write a book in the end. So believe they can do it and give them as much praise and support as you can along the way.