Picture this. You are sitting in a doctor’s office when your physician casually mentions, “I’ve always wanted to write a book. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m planning to write one this summer.” Without missing a beat, you reply, “That’s funny. I’ve always wanted to be a surgeon. Maybe someday, after I retire from my real job, I can get into medicine.”
The doctor will laugh nervously because he understands. It takes time to learn how to become a surgeon. You cannot watch a few YouTube videos and start cutting on someone. In the same way, you cannot watch a few videos and suddenly know how to write a book.
IBecoming a doctor requires years of medical school, residency, practice, and mentorship. Becoming an author is similar. In fact, there are more professional doctors than professional authors. It is harder to get good enough at writing to make a living than it is to get good enough at medicine to make a living.
So why do so many people believe they can master the craft of writing simply by sitting down and writing a book? Becoming a professional author is not about shortcuts or “get published quickly” formulas. It is about craft, and craft takes time.
If you ask a bestselling novelist how long it took to go from aspiring writer to published success, the answer is usually about ten years. One reason it takes so long is that most authors get their training out of order. They read a blog post here, listen to a podcast there, attend a conference where they receive a firehose of information, and then watch YouTube videos hoping to fill in the gaps.
It is an overwhelming way to learn. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by everything you need to know about publishing, you know exactly what this feels like. Part of that overwhelm comes from the pressure to learn everything all at once.
But what if you could cut that ten-year learning curve in half? What if there was a way to learn the next thing you need to learn, in the right order?
There is. The Five-Year Plan for Becoming a Professional Author is my course that will help you learn what you need to know in the order you need to know it. I invited James L. Rubart, co-creator of the course, to give you an overview of the course. Jim is a Christy Award Hall of Fame author, a bestselling novelist, and the former co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast.
How is the Five-Year Plan different from other writing courses?
Thomas: Many courses focus on one piece of the process, whether writing, marketing, or getting published. How is the Five-Year Plan different?
Jim: The Five-Year Plan is a comprehensive, university-level education in writing and publishing, covering all the details most courses skip. It is the course I wish had existed when I was starting out.
Thomas: It does not replace specialized, topic-focused courses. There is still a time and place for a full course on building a website and for other focused trainings. But most authors need a clear big-picture view of what to work on now and what to tackle next.
Many writers try to skip ahead. They start with a book-launch course, realize they need a platform, then discover they still need to strengthen their craft. That backwards approach is the slowest way to grow.
The Five-Year Plan starts with craft, which makes everything else easier. You do not touch websites until year four. Day one begins with learning how to write the kind of book readers truly love.
That takes time and practice, including creating work you may never publish. Do not release your first attempts. You need to allow your craft to warm up and develop.
If I’ve been writing for years, why would I need the Five-Year Plan?
Jim: Some will say, “I have been writing for years. I started in third grade. I have written essays and short stories. I even took journalism classes.”
We think we know how to write because we have done it our whole lives. But creating a work of literature that people are willing to pay for is on a different level.
I always use this analogy: If I picked up my guitar right now, I could entertain you for twenty minutes. You might say, “That was fun. I did not know Jim could sing and play.” But would you pay money for my CD? No. I’m not that good.
It is the same with writing. Yes, you can write. You can write a novel. But you’re not yet at the level where people will pay money for it.
Thomas: Writing follows the Pareto distribution, not the standard distribution. Most doctors earn within a fairly narrow financial range. A few may earn five times more than others, but nobody earns ten times more.
In publishing, the top authors earn one million times what the bottom authors earn.
Readers want to read the most popular books. The industry has a winner-takes-all dynamic. It is the power law, which is sometimes called the 80/20 principle, although in publishing, it looks more like 80/1, where 1% of authors earn 80% of the income.
That means being just a little better matters. Moving from the top 2% to the top 1% may seem like a small difference, but it is like the temperature dropping from 34 to 32 degrees. Suddenly, freezing rain becomes snow, and everything changes.
That requires effort, hustle, and humility. It often means going back to the fundamentals, which is where the Five-Year Plan begins.
Year 1: Learn the Fundamentals
Jim: In the first year, you’ll focus on the fundamentals of writing.
John Wooden was one of the winningest college basketball coaches of all time. He coached the UCLA Bruins, and he repeatedly emphasized fundamentals.
We study the classic Elements of Style by Strunk and White. We drill into the essential basics you must understand and master.
Consider another analogy: In jazz, musicians eventually reach a point where they can improvise. They can branch out in creative directions and “break” the musical rules, but they can only do that because they first mastered the fundamentals.
In writing, many authors try to break rules before they are ready to break them. Year one ensures you truly understand the rules first.
What does each month of the Five-Year Plan entail?
Thomas: I like to compare it to learning to drive. At first, you have to think about everything, including the blinker, your speed, and the clutch. Over time, those actions become automatic through practice.
Each month in the course, you read a curated craft book written by one of the best writing teachers in the world. We have taught this course for years, and the books that worked best stayed. When possible, we upgraded titles with even better options.
Then comes the writing assignment, which is typically a short story that applies what you just learned. That short story practice is the secret sauce. If you do not put new learning into practice, you lose it.
Short-form writing is essential for feedback and growth. Many authors have only written a handful of short stories in their entire lives, yet they jump straight into writing a novel.
A short story teaches you how to open well, hold interest, and conclude effectively. Many writers endlessly revise their openings but barely practice endings. Writing short stories forces you to practice sticking the landing.
Jim: And the best part is that we give you tools to revise those short stories to the point where they can later become marketing pieces or even a sellable collection.
If you want to be a novelist, your instinct is to write a novel right away. But that is like someone saying, “I want to be a chef, so I am going to prepare a seven-course meal for 200 people.”
First, make dinner for your family. Learn one dish at a time. Otherwise, you will spend months preparing something that does not work.
Short stories save you a lot of time and editing because you only repeat mistakes for 3,000 words instead of 90,000 words.
Thomas: Short stories are like a writing drill that builds skill and endurance. When I was a kid, I swam in a neighborhood swim league. It was the lowest-level league, but our team won almost every championship. Our secret was a coach whose husband was an Olympic swimmer.
She did not have us swim endless laps. Instead, we swam drills. We hated them, but they built technique.
You can splash hard, make noise, exhaust yourself, and still lose the race. Effort matters, but technique matters more.
That is the same approach we take in this program. Some drills may feel strange or uncomfortable, such as writing in a style different from what you are used to, but they build strength and skill.
We introduce plotting. We study what makes a strong story structure. Then we explore outlining versus discovery writing. We are not dogmatic about either method. Instead, we require students to write one short story from an outline and one by discovery.
For many authors, this is terrifying and transformative. Some discover they have been using the wrong method for years. Others realize they can improve their preferred method by understanding the alternative.
That kind of creative cross-training builds writing muscles that make everything stronger when you return to your natural style.
Why is it important to understand the anatomy of a story?
Jim: You’ll also read The Anatomy of Story by John Truby. I love this book because it helped me change my approach. I used to approach writing from a purely creative standpoint. I am an artistic, creative person, so my attitude was, “Just let the creativity flow.”
That is a problem because you need to understand story structure.
Back to my cooking analogy. I could grab random ingredients and “let the meal flow,” but that would not work. I need to understand heat, process, and which flavors complement each other. In the same way, you must understand the anatomy of a story.
When I first started learning this, Darcy and I would watch films together. I would say, “Okay, at 32 minutes this will happen.” Or, “At 90 minutes this will happen.” She was fascinated that I could see the anatomy of the story. You have to understand it and apply it to your work, and we will teach you how.
Year 2: Become a Disciplined Writer
Thomas: By the end of the first year, you will have written many short stories and your first book.
Year two is about becoming disciplined. It is the year you will be most tempted to skip, and it is the year you must not skip.
The focus is on habits, productivity, self-editing, and learning from the masters. It is about character as much as technique. You will hear from authors who share how they stay disciplined, how they approach work, and how they think about the creative life.
It is about working hard and honing your technique. It is also about knowing what to say “no” to and shaping your life so you have time and the mental energy to write.
If you always come to your writing mentally exhausted, you make the process harder. If you sit down rested and refreshed, your writing will be better and faster.
How does year two help writers develop discipline?
Jim: Procrastination is almost a joke in writing circles. Writers say that the laundry gets done faster than ever when you’re trying to write because that blank page is intimidating.
In year two, you will learn how to overcome that fear, how to push through the resistance, and become the disciplined writer who gets it done efficiently.
One of the best things about this year is that the discipline you develop improves your writing and spills over into every other area of your life. If you push through year two, I am confident that by the end, your life and writing will be better.
I recently read an article written by a Marine titled “Embrace the Suck.” Her approach was to fully accept difficult moments instead of avoiding them. That mindset made her stronger and helped her push through other challenges.
Why does discipline matter?
Thomas: And if anyone tells you, “You don’t have to work hard. Hustle culture is bad. Just believe in yourself, and things will work out,” that is not true. There will be parts of this job you do not enjoy. There is no way around that.
But you can learn to use a hoe instead of your bare hands. You can learn to use a tractor instead of a hoe. The thorns remain, but how you approach them changes.
If you learn discipline, you can save yourself from unnecessary struggle.
Many of the drills focus on learning to write faster. It is not only about forming good habits, but also about increasing your speed.
One of the books this year is How to Write 5,000 Words an Hour by Chris Fox, and you will learn how to do that. You will write short stories quickly, learn to get out of your own way, and then learn to edit. Self-editing is key in year two. You will learn how to get your first draft out fast and then refine it into something stronger.
You will write another book at the end of this year.
Year 3: Become an Excellent Writer
Thomas: Year three focuses on becoming an excellent writer.
The focus of the program has shifted slightly from the first version of the Five-Year Plan.
Version one was “The Five-Year Plan to Becoming a Bestselling Author.” Version two is “The Five-Year Plan to Becoming a Professional Author,” which, in many ways, is harder.
Many students in the first version earned a bestseller badge. We love that, but we want you to be able to make a living as an author.
A major part of that is how many books you can produce each year. If you write one book every five years, you will starve unless that book is a phenomenal success. But if you write a book every year, or every three or four months, you can afford to strike out and still make a living. There is far less pressure, and your entire approach changes.
You must learn to write quickly, but you must also learn to write well.
In year three, we spend three months on writing openings, because they are that important. We spend a quarter on characters, teaching you how to create characters readers love and want to spend time with.
Good characters sell sequels. If readers do not like your characters, they will move on to another author, even if your plot is strong.
We then spend three more months on tension and scenes, learning how to hold attention, how to control pacing, and how to dial tension up or down for your genre.
Finally, we focus on endings.
The goal is to level up your writing so you are the best in the room. If you want to make money as an author, you cannot be the third-best writer in the group. Readers want the best, and that requires working harder, reading more, and studying more than everyone else.
Jim: The benefit of becoming an excellent writer is that while your writing improves, so does your visibility. Conference directors start calling and asking you to speak at events.
That brings visibility and exposure, and it starts to snowball.
Going from “good” to “excellent” is hard, but if you are still listening to this and saying, “Yes, I want to be that excellent writer,” then you probably have what it takes.
How can you prevent overwhelm?
Thomas: One of the benefits of this program is that you focus on one skill each month, so you are never overwhelmed by everything at once. You might spend a month writing a short story that emphasizes only openings, crafting a first sentence that immediately pulls readers in. You practice openings, endings, and sustaining reader interest through the middle.
You will also read authors who strongly disagree with one another. One author passionately defends discovery writing. Others insist traditional publishing is best. Still others argue indie publishing is the best path. Our goal is to give you a well-rounded education that equips you to make informed decisions about your career.
We are not teaching “one right way.” We intentionally selected successful voices on every side of the debate. Several indie-publishing selections are by Joanna Penn, whose teaching has helped authors sell millions of books. The traditionally focused books come from veteran literary agents whose clients have also sold millions.
Both paths work. This course helps you discover which one works best for you.
What does the course NOT include?
Thomas: We have made an effort to keep the course inexpensive, and one of the ways we have done that is by not including certain things.
Accountability
This course does not include accountability. We are not going to check in with you. We are not going to say, “Everyone, turn in your homework on this date.”
Accountability is important. You can find “Marine sergeants” who will bark at you and hold you accountable, but that will not be Jim and me.
Feedback
The course also does not include feedback from us on your writing. We will teach you how to find accountability and develop habits. You will read books that teach you about hustle and accountability, but we are not providing direct accountability or critique.
Joining a critique group is a big part of this process. Many students in the Five-Year Plan have formed critique groups with each other, and some of those groups have seen every member go on to run successful Kickstarters. In one critique group, every member had at least a four-figure Kickstarter. Some have had five-figure Kickstarters and done even better.
Thomas: We have a special area at AuthorMedia.Social especially for Five-Year Plan students where you can find each other. As we relaunch version two, we will have a new cohort of students signing up. This is an excellent time to join because you will have many people at the same stage in the course.
Everyone still goes at their own pace, so you will find people moving faster or slower than you.
Jim: You do not have to do this alone. This community is a place where you can post ideas, ask questions, and request feedback from other students.
Some will be a little further along, and some will be a bit behind you. You can help those who are a few steps back, and you can receive help from those a few steps ahead.
That community element does add a measure of accountability. You can build that accountability for yourself by engaging with the community.
Books
Thomas: The third thing the course does not include is the books themselves. When you sign up, we are not going to mail you a box of books.
Each month, there is an assigned reading, and you can decide how to get that book. Many of these books are available at your local library. You may choose to support the authors and buy the books. You can also decide which format you prefer.
Most of the books have audiobook editions, but some of the older ones do not.
How is version two of the Five-Year Plan different from version one?
Thomas: Some of you have already gone through version one or are currently in the middle of it. We have committed to always giving existing students all the upgrades for free. Whenever you sign up for the Five-Year Plan, you will receive all version two material at no additional cost. There is just one Five-Year Plan.
Let me walk you through how the new version differs.
Audio to Video
The biggest change is that the original version was all audio. It was just Jim and me talking, with one audio session per quarter.
The new version is organized monthly, and it is video-based. Each month has a focused video on that month’s topic. Then there is at least one embedded episode I recorded that ties in with the topic. Sometimes it’s an interview with the author of that month’s assigned book.
Whole Podcast to Specific Episodes
Another big change is how we handle podcast content. In the first version, we assigned whole podcasts and said, “Subscribe to this show and listen.” Over time, some shows became more advanced, and later episodes were not as helpful for beginners. Another podcast we assigned “podfaded,” and stopped releasing episodes.
In version two, we assign specific episodes tied to each month. If the focus is dialogue, all assigned episodes are about dialogue. If the month is about scenes or conflict, the episodes focus specifically on that. We draw from the very best episodes from the past, not just the most recent.
This approach lets you go deep at exactly the right time. There is an episode where Larry Correia and Brandon Sanderson interview each other about how to write action scenes. You can listen to that for free on Writing Excuses without taking the course, but in the Five-Year Plan, that episode shows up precisely when you need it.
Jim: It is perfectly curated to be in one place. Each month is like an onion with layers. You can stay at the outer layer and still benefit. But if you love extra credit and want to go deeper, there are many resources every single month.
Do not think you will be limited. You can go as deep as you want.
Thomas: If you keep hearing the same feedback, such as “Your plot is strong, but your characters are weak,” you will find months that go very deep into that exact issue.
There might be a dozen hours of material in a single month dedicated to that area. We have an entire book, specific podcast episodes, and maybe some YouTube videos we have curated to help you level up that skill.
Can I skip sections?
Thomas: If you are already strong in a certain area, you may not need to consume all the extra credit.
Jim: It gives you the flexibility to go deep where you need and want to, and to move more lightly through areas where you are already strong.
Thomas: Even if you think you do not need a particular topic, you should still write the short story and get feedback from your critique group. Sometimes you do not realize you have mustard on your face.
Practicing in your strong areas matters. Making your strengths even stronger is often the path to bestseller status. It is not always about fixing every weakness. Sometimes it is about fully leaning into what you do best.
Some authors still struggle to create deep characters, but they can write a fight scene that keeps readers turning pages. They can make an excellent living because they serve readers who want exactly that.
You can do as much or as little of the course as you want, but we want to encourage you to go deep, challenge yourself, and improve your strengths as well.
We plan to raise the price once we finish year five of version two. For now, you can still get access to the first three years of version two, plus the final two years when they are updated, at the original version one price.
If you have not signed up yet, I encourage you to take a look. You can also visit AuthorMedia.social and ask current students what they think. Anyone with the “five” badge is in the program, and you are welcome to ask for feedback publicly or privately.
We are confident in this course. Rather than curate testimonials, we invite you to ask any student directly about their experience. We listened closely to student feedback when creating version two. For example, many people begged us not to remove How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method, saying it completely changed their approach to writing. We kept it, and we also added an interview with the book’s author.
We kept what worked and made it even better.
Is the course only for beginners, or can experienced authors benefit too?
Jim: You might already be a bestselling author. You might have written a stack of novels and be thinking, “I wish this course had existed when I started.”
The reality is that even if you are multi-published and successful, there are likely gaps in your foundation. Most authors did not go through a comprehensive course like this early on. There are probably holes that need filling, and this course will help you do that.
I believe it would still be incredibly valuable for you.
Thomas: It has been incredibly satisfying to watch authors go through the Five-Year Plan and become better writers. Many people come to me asking for marketing help when what they really need is craft help.
It is difficult to tell someone, “Your book is good, but it is not the best in the room.” Readers want the best, especially since most read only two or three books a year. They are not choosing the tenth-best title in a category. They choose the number one book.
If you want to be a professional and sell a lot of books, your book must be the best in its category. If you are the third best, you are limited to the small group of readers who will read three books in that niche. Everything becomes harder when your book is not the best.
There are no shortcuts to reaching that level. The joke is that five years is the “shortcut,” because it usually takes ten years, or even a lifetime.
Jerry Jenkins told me he started writing at fourteen. How do you sell a billion dollars’ worth of books? You practice for forty years, and then your moment comes. He wrote one hundred books before Left Behind. People forget that. He writes a book every quarter. Some are hits, some are not. Through persistence and focus on craft, he eventually wrote the book that sold one hundred million copies.
Persistence and faithfulness matter. We would love for you to go through the Five-Year Plan with us if you feel it is right for you.
Is the Five-Year Plan right for you?
Jim: If you are at the beginning of your journey and deciding whether to take this seriously, take time to think it through, then talk with working novelists and ask, “Is it worth it? Is this something I truly want?”
A few summers ago, I tried learning to surf. I enjoyed it, but I was not willing to invest the time, and I have not gone back. Pickleball, however, grabbed me. I paid for lessons, went to trainings, and entered my first tournament. That commitment showed I was serious.
If you are a hobbyist who simply enjoys writing a few short stories, do not take this course. Do not spend the time or money.
But if, after reflection and conversations with successfully published novelists, you think, “I have to give this a shot. I will regret it if I do not,” then this course is right for you.
After working with hundreds of writers, I can tell you one of the biggest things newer authors need is encouragement. They need to hear, “You can do this.”
Some of you are thinking, “They have the talent. They can do it, but not me.”
Since this course launched, we now have ten years of stories and testimonials from people who felt exactly like you do. They thought, “Other people can do it, but not me.”
They did it. You can do it too.
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