What writing a novel taught me about growing a firm

I'm in the process of finishing a novel. I say in the process because there are a lot of steps. And each step takes much longer than I expect.

As I reflect on the experience, I realized that much of what I learned relates to business and that you might be interested.

Compound interest works

I wrote the bulk of the first draft sitting in my car while my son was at soccer practice. I wrote a page or two each session, and I had 30 pages by the middle of the season. It wasn't good, but I was having a blast and getting a little better each time I sat down.

What knowledge or skill are you investing in that will provide an outsized return for you?

Ask for help

I took those 30 pages to a friend, and she suggested joining her writing workshop. I could have muddled along, but those relationships made the work so much stronger, so much quicker. The workshop gave me deadlines, new skills, and I learned the most from providing feedback to the other authors whose writing still inspires me. I soon had a solid 280-page draft.

Are you in a peer group that can challenge your assumptions and hold you accountable?

Being surprised is good

I assumed writers plotted out the action and more or less filled in the gaps. I did not. I set a scenario, imagined what characters might live there, and set them in motion. Every time I wrote, the character surprised me with what they got up to. It was thrilling.

Do you have the right people, have you set the scene, and are you surprised by the quality of work around you?