The Keys to Writing My First Novel: Overcoming Self-Doubt, Trust in My Instincts, and David Baldacci

Writer: Matt Scott

I was always someone who was passionate about many things. But the problem with being passionate about many things is that said passion is evenly distributed in such a way that one isn’t truly passionate about one thing. It’s like being a loner. The best thing about being a loner is that people leave you alone. The worst thing about being a loner is that people leave you alone. With regard to writing, I had always been good at inscribing greeting cards or penning essays, but writing a novel seemed like a far-fetched dream reserved for those in the business that had been preordained for legendary status.

So, I read. I read thriller novels by those who were deemed worthy of greatness at the time but had not yet achieved legendary status: Dan Brown, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, David Baldacci, and others. Over the course of time, I can now say that reading their novels had a profound effect on me, so much that I absorbed their respective styles and learned the craft of developing characters and weaving a plot.

But I still couldn’t make myself pull the trigger and write my own novel. Self-doubt is a curse for many of us. After all, I was an office worker in my late thirties and believed any notions of professional destiny had likely passed me by. This wasn’t to say that I didn’t have ideas for my novels. I did. I simply didn’t have the courage to manifest them into something tangible. However, that all changed in November 2018.

At the time, I was just another avid reader with the dream of becoming a writer. I drove through a snowstorm to meet David Baldacci in Williamsburg, Virginia while touring for his novel, Long Road to Mercy. When it was my turn at the table, being thirty-nine-years-old at the time, I asked David if forty-years-old was too old for one to write their first novel. He stopped mid-signature, looked up at me, and said, “Oh hell no. The industry could use some good young writers.” I didn’t know which part of his comment surprised me the most. On one hand, a legendary man of the literary world was telling me to go forth with my mythic destiny. On the other, he thought forty-years-old was still considered to be young.

When I returned home, I decided to go for broke, and began outlining my first novel. Over the course of many rewrites and edits, I discovered elements about myself that I didn’t know were present. First, there was no one with whom for me to report to or to check in. I reported to only myself and the story went where I alone decided to take it. My story would literally live and die with my own keystrokes. I did not seek advice on story structure. I would live and die on this pursuit by my own story’s sword.

Most importantly, I discovered to trust my instincts in a way that I hadn’t before. When writing my story, there was no time for self-doubt as my fingers pounded away at the keyboard. The only way to determine if what I wrote was worthy and made sense was to complete the sentence, paragraph, or chapter. Editing would come later, but getting my initial thoughts on paper were essential. 

I was fortunate enough to discover what I think is the best feeling as an author early in the process. As nervous as it still makes me feel, I love starting my day by looking at my generic outline and wondering how in the world I am going to write a character out of a certain situation. To this day, I can’t explain it to myself. But, within the literary world, there are fewer feelings more gratifying than not knowing how you will do something, then only moments later reflecting on how you did precisely that, leaning back in your chair, and saying “Damn, that was good.” Each time this happens to me, after I finish the chapter previously containing such a dilemma, I head downstairs and pour myself a celebratory shot of Jack Daniel’s finest.

My journey into writing the Surviving the Lion’s Den series was planted years ago when I started reading novels by authors who are now renowned for their craft, and grew in my meeting David Baldacci, but it certainly flourished by trusting my own skills and instincts. Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks, and it’s never too late to start. 

About the Writer

Matt Scott is the author of the SURVIVING THE LION’S DEN series which debuted in 2021. Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Hampden-Sydney College, where he had the honor of studying under former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, General Sam Wilson, who was the college’s president and initially introduced Matt to the world of espionage. During his subsequent studies, Matt became fascinated by the CIA and read dozens of books related to Middle East politics, spy craft, CIA’s war against terrorism, tales of clandestine spies and double agents, and memoirs of former agency directors.

Website: mattscottbooks.com