Second novel – is it any easier?

Second novel – is it any easier?

I am often asked this – having written one novel, was the second one less difficult to write? The answer of course is – yes and no. Yes, because you know that you did succeed in creating a lengthy piece of writing. And most rewarding – and therefore inspiring – was the positive response from readers who loved the book.

As an independently published author, I was familiar with the process of printing the book, especially as I used the same printing firm as previously (Bytes n Colours, Canberra). Their advice to use a typesetter the second time made the process so less fraught. (There were still many decisions to be made, of course.)

However, I suspect the actual process of writing never gets easier. Every book is its own entity and demands that consistent hard slog. I am somewhere between a plotter and a pantser, so although I have an overall concept and overarching story arc, I don’t know how the story will unfold. That is unsettling until that magic moment when my characters take charge and decide where their story will take us. I would like to think the ability to relax into this expectation might become easier with ensuing books.

So, as I mull over book number three, I have to admit every book is hard, but as the story moves along and characters develop, I would like to think it does become easier.