Dorothy Parker famously said, “I hate writing; I love having written.” It took publishing my first novel, The Lions’ Den, to fully understand what she meant. I’ll save you some trouble and break down her meaning into five digestible lessons to help you figure out if you really mean it when you say, “I want to write a book!”

First, writing is hard. Unless you are Hemingway (and you’re not), you’ll struggle – writer’s block, uncooperative characters, senseless plots, doubts, time constraints, drafts ad nauseam, and rejection are but a few challenges to overcome.

It took me nine years from beginning to end: seven years to develop my plot and characters into a compelling narrative arc, plus two more working with my editors to turn my manuscript into a novel ready for the world. In my own defense, I had a busy full-time job, but still… nine years!