A Creative Rebel's Guide to Writing Amazing Fiction

by Meghan March

Genres: new york times bestseller; self publishing; Non fiction; How to Write; Writing a Novel; Writing Craft

Synopsis

Creative flow has blessed me with thirty-nine novels that have collectively sold over 5 million copies, in sixteen languages, in under eight years, earning me over $10 million and over fifty spots on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and foreign bestselling lists.

All of my dreams came true because I learned to write amazing fiction.

I wrote this book for the old me—the girl who had big dreams, but no real idea how to write the books she’d need to make those big dreams come true. I wanted to make it easier for her to get to where I am now by sharing what I learned along the way. I wanted her to be able to leap over the pitfalls where I stumbled, avoid the challenges that held me back, and glide past the emotional despair, mental anguish, and burnout I faced.

I wrote this book because my readers said that no one else writes books like me, and I thought … I bet I can teach some people how and humanity could benefit from better books being written.

Ultimately, I wrote this book because it was fun, and I enjoyed writing it immensely.

I hope you love it and that it helps you on your creative journey. I hope all of your dreams come true because you learn to write amazing fiction. Don’t ever underestimate where it can take you.

Release date: March 28, 2023

Publisher: The Creative Rebel Company

Print pages: 322

Sample

Introduction 

Writing a book isn’t nearly as daunting as it seems. The most important thing to know is this: if you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing, join the club. I’ve written and published 39 fiction titles and two nonfiction titles, and I still don’t feel like I “know what I’m doing” when it comes to writing books. Every single time I sit down to start a new book, I wonder, Do I actually know how to do this? Can I actually finish this?

I felt that way after finishing my first book while embarking on my second, and I still have those same questions occasionally floating in my mind as I begin my fortieth fictional work. I’ve felt that way about every single book in between as well.

Get used to the feeling, but don’t let it stop you from doing it anyway.

Writing books really isn’t that hard. In fact, the hardest part, in my experience, is getting yourself to sit down and actually work.

Nora Roberts, a legend in the fiction realm, put it this way: “Butt in chair. Hands on keyboard.” That’s literally the most important part.

The idea in your head—which is amazing, no doubt—will never be experienced by another soul unless you sit down, put your hands on the keys, and start working your magic.

And the creative process is magic.

You’re not writing this book alone even if you’re toiling away solo at your computer. You’re never alone when you’re creating. Ever. Creative flow is right there with you, every single step of the way. It’s showing you where you need to go and giving you the words to fill the page—even if you think you’re the only one working. You’re not.

We were created to create. I believe that’s why we’re here, being human. We’re learning and growing, and we’re creating our own realities around us at every moment of the day. In many and varied ways, creativity is a natural ability that we’re all blessed with.

I’m a storyteller. I’ve been a storyteller since I was a child. I would come home from school, retelling the stories of books and movies I’d been exposed to in great detail to my family, and then I would make up stories about my dolls, my stuffed animals, and even the deacon and priest during church service.

This is something I was born to do, but I’m certainly not the only one. There’s a storyteller inside everyone, if you want to bring it out.

Since you’re reading a book about writing amazing fiction, I’m assuming that you’re already there and you want to learn how to take that magical idea in your head and turn it into something that can be read and enjoyed by others. And maybe even make a living at it so you can be a full-time creative artist. It’s an amazing life to live, I must say, although it’s not without its unique challenges and requirements.

So, how do you start? How do you go from aspiring author to actual author?

I believe it all starts in your heart and your mind. You have a dream, a desire, something that is calling you forward to greener pastures and a more fulfilling experience of life. That’s coming from your heart. Those heart-centered desires are magical. They’re the yearnings of your soul, begging you to become more of who you are in truth and let your soul shine its unique light in this world.

What stops us from just taking the leap and doing it then? That’s where your mind comes in. It’s an excellent tool and servant, but a terrible leader and master. Your mind is extremely powerful, but it has to be directed by your heart for the best outcomes. That’s a lesson that took me many years to learn.

While you might know you desperately want to write amazing fiction, your mind can still get in your way. How?

Self-doubt.

It’s a doozy. It’s something that pretty much every creative artist has to contend with at some point—or every day.

Perhaps you even have a great idea already. It’s been swimming around in your mind, gathering steam and details. Maybe you can even see the characters and the scenes playing out in your mind’s eye, and it’s so real. But then, when you sit down and face a blank page or screen, you might feel totally intimidated and completely overwhelmed.

It’s not just you. It’s all of us. We’ve all felt that. You’re in good company. Welcome, sit down, and enjoy because there’s a lot of awesome stuff to come.

The first part of writing a book is all mental. You have to believe you can do it. You have to believe it’s possible for you. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe the time and effort you put into this project will be worthwhile. You have to develop the discipline to see it through. That will require getting comfortable with self-doubt and not letting it derail you from creating something that has never existed before.

Because that’s what you’re doing—creating something unique and original that doesn’t currently exist.

Even if it’s an old idea that’s been around forever—because there is truly nothing new under the sun when it comes to fiction—your creation will still be unique and original because you’ve never written it before.

You are the key ingredient. It’s you who makes it unique because you are unique. No one else has ever had all your life experiences. No one else sees the world exactly the way you do. No one else can tell the story of your heart the way you can because it’s your story.

We are all created equally, but none of us are the same. We are all totally unique, and we are all on unique paths through life that will yield unique results and unique creations.

If you’re worrying that your idea isn’t good enough, interesting enough, or whatever enough, stop.

It’s in your heart and your mind for a reason. If you can accept that and understand you are the only person who can bring that idea to life and into concrete form other people can experience, then your story will become a whole lot more interesting.

No one else can see what’s in your head. No one else can feel your characters the way you can. They are yours for a reason. The question is, are you brave enough to commit to the process of bringing them to life so that they can live in truth and be experienced by the masses?

Being a creative artist takes courage. Being willing to put your ideas on paper and offer them to the world as a gift takes a lot of courage. Give yourself a giant high five if you’re going to take this step because you have to know that many people are not nearly as brave as you are.

Tons and tons of people have stories in their heads. Tons. As an author, I hear it all the time. People love to tell you about the story they would write if they only had the time or if they only knew how. Often, they’ll ask you to write it—and share the royalties with them, of course.

My reply is always this: “It’s your story; you should write it.”

No one can give me a story to write. I don’t work that way. I can’t do it. My stories arise organically, springing from my interests, the depths of my soul, the insane workings of my mind, and the mysteries of my heart. I have to be totally, completely, ardently in love with the idea in order to be able to make space, find the energy, commit the time, and dredge up the discipline to bring that idea to life. It takes a lot for me to do that. The story has to be epic. It has to come from my heart and feed my soul. Otherwise, the process is just too painful to bear for any other reason.

Maybe I shouldn’t say that, especially this early in the book, because I don’t want to scare you away. But I’m committed to being totally honest, open, and authentic about what writing amazing fiction truly is for me.

Amazing fiction isn’t written to be on trend. It isn’t written purely for money.

It has to be written for the love of the story. That’s the first key. This story will be your companion for days, weeks, months, or years. You have to think it’s amazing enough to spend that much time with it and to nurture it into becoming all that it can be. You have to be willing to make sacrifices for your story. You have to be willing to work and work hard. You have to be willing to do whatever is in the best interest of the story. I imagine it’s not unlike giving birth to a child and raising it. There are tons of joy and happiness, but there’s also pain and sacrifice often required to get to those magical words The End.

This is why not just any idea will do. It has to be an idea you’re passionately on fire about because that’s the type of energy it takes to write amazing fiction.

If you’re not passionately in love with your story, readers might not be either. If you think your story is boring, readers might think it is too.

This story is part of you. The book you leave behind will be part of your legacy. Give it your best. Make it amazing. It might not be easy, but it’ll be worth it.