Jennifer Killick: ‘Your story is worth telling’- Johanna E

Every aspiring author has a story to tell, but many of them do not believe that their writing could ever be good enough to truly be successful. The fear of failure, pressure to write something good, and uncertainty of where to begin can make the dream of becoming a published author seem far away. In an interview with British children’s author Jennifer Killick, I had the opportunity to learn how she deals with these challenges and I‘ve picked up a few insider tips that could help aspiring authors to write their own book.

Writing a book is not always easy, and every writer faces challenges along their way. Jennifer herself sometimes struggles with writer’s block, but over the years she has developed several techniques to cope with it the best she can. Often taking a break and giving yourself some time away from the story can help. At the same time, Jennifer thinks that the most important thing is to force yourself to carry on writing. She admitted that ‘Sometimes I catch myself starting to do other things around the house, simply because I‘ve run out of ideas at that moment’ making it clear that ambition and perseverance are important qualities for an author. After all, a book must exist before it can improve. Jennifer has made it a habit to carry on writing whatever the circumstances are and spends the first half an hour a day revising what she wrote previously.

Another important lesson is to remain open-minded throughout the writing process. It can be scary to show your work to other people for the first time and you might get feedback that you weren’t expecting or didn’t want to hear. Jennifer herself experienced that at first she was disappointed by the feedback received, but in the end, it really helped her to generate new ideas.

In fact, not everything needs to be planned from the very beginning. Some ideas only emerge once you start writing, and characters can gradually develop in unexpected ways. As you get to know them better, they may almost seem to take on a life of their own. When Jennifer writes her books, she starts off with a rough idea in mind and sticks to the main points, but many details only take shape as she writes. I am currently writing my own book as well, and I always like to say that as a writer, I discover new things about my characters whilst writing that I didn‘t know at all before. So it is no big deal if you don‘t have a clear plan yet, as most things will sort themselves out in time.

Ultimately, aspiring authors should not let self-doubt stop them from pursuing their dreams. It is easy to question your abilities or wonder whether your writing is good enough. But waiting until you feel completely confident might mean never finishing your book at all. When I asked Jennifer for one final piece of advice, her message was clear: “Ignore the self-doubt and keep going. Your story is worth telling.“