Over the years my writing style has developed from simple too advanced with the skills and steps that I learned over time. If you are wanting to start a novel, short story, ballad, or poem, you can read this on how to plan out your book for beginners.
If you’re going to write a great book, you’re going to need a great space to write. It doesn’t have to be a soundproof room with a stunning view or deep in the catacombs of a library among books and papers. All you really need is a quiet place free of distractions where you can consistently get good writing done. I tend to listen to music, mainly piano, cello, or fantasy or sea shanties to help me gather my thoughts and inspiration for whatever I plan to create. It always helps me clear my head. Whether it’s in your bedroom, your couch, or a coffee shop, the environment where you work should allow you to focus, uninterrupted, for hours at a time. Make sure it avoid distractions like a dog barking, loud music in the background, or in a busy environment. You can write anywhere, everywhere. In your home, a shop, park, bedroom, or dining hall.
Perhaps you already know precisely what your book is about, or maybe you’re trying to decide between a million different big ideas. Maybe all you have is an image for the book cover. Either way, to ask yourself a few simple questions before you start writing. What is my book about? Why is the story interesting or important? What attracted me to this idea in the first place? Who will want to read my book? If you’re still searching for a book idea or struggling with writer’s block, sketch it out, write it out, or make bullet points. Create your character! Is it a male or female? Where do they come from? What is their background? How old are they? Whats their name? Do not worry how long you want the book to be. It doesn't matter if it's 90 pages, 350, or a 1,000. My motto for writing a tale is I write till I feel the story is told to my satisfaction. I don't care how long it may be, if I feel comfortable with it, then thats amazing in itself. Don't try to change a bunch of ideas at once, just go with it. If some don't work out, that's okay, just start another. The possibilities are literally endless! You can also incorporate new thoughts as you're writing and improvise to mash it up a bit.
Good storytellers spend plenty of time outlining before writing books. Outlines can be detailed chapter outlines or simple beat sheets in which each section of the book is plotted out. They can be visual maps that serve as a graphic representation of where your book is headed. Regardless of your method, what’s important is that you have a roadmap for your future writing sessions.
Research, outlining, and idea development are all critical steps to writing your first book, but there may come a time when preparation becomes procrastination. At a certain point, it’s time to begin writing your rough draft. This requires committing to consistent routines and productive writing habits. There are simple steps you can take to maximize your chance for success. Just because you aren't Stephen King or J.K. Rowling doesn't mean you shouldn't treat writing like your full-time job of course. Write when you want to write. When you feel like it. If your motivated to grab a cup of tea and crank out four chapters have at it! It is alright if you don't write at all for weeks. It comes naturally to you. When I have time on my hands, I typically would write for anywhere to an hour to five during a single day! I know that may seem a lot at the start, but just write when your wanting too. You don't have to go crazy and write your book 7 days a week, ten hours a day, you'll get burned out and we don't want you to start looking at your book as a chore. Try setting daily word count targets to keep you on track. Schedule writing time and put it in your calendar so that you won’t skip it. But don't get obsessed or pressure yourself, making up a deadline to finish it. Books take time. A good story takes time. Do not force yourself too churn out work to meet a deadline. When I first started writing, I struggled with stressful time crunches. I always felt like I had to constantly work on my project all the time, and it would give me a head ache. Over the years, I simmered down to a belief that you can write whenever. You story isn't going anywhere. It'll be there when you wake up or ready to continue.
As you’re writing your first draft, you’ll encounter self-doubt, lack of motivation, and writers’ block. That’s normal. Whenever you feel stuck, try going back to your outline or research for inspiration or take a break. Try to manage your expectations as well. Your first book is likely not going to be a generational masterpiece or New York Times bestselling book, and that’s okay. If you compare yourself to literary greats, you’re doing your work a disservice. All you can do is keep writing until you reach the end. First drafts aren't complete stories. The story you put is ultimately for you. As long as you are happy with your work or whatever you produce, then you are doing alright my friend.
Every good book goes through many rounds of revisions. You can endure the editing process yourself, or ask a friend to test read it for you. Or someone who is a fan of books that you know. Either way, you need to have an honest, ruthless eye on your writing so that you can know what needs re-working. Punctuation, errors, misspelling, re-wording dialogue or changing new ideas, taking out sentences that aren't needed or over used. Adding new things. My girlfriend fills this role for me. When I finish a book, I re-read multiple times to myself or my girlfriend along the way to make sure everything is perfect. But don't be an insane perfectionist. Perfection is a myth, it doesn't exist. Do not feel like your book has to be perfect in every way, just make sure it fits in your eyes that way you want it to be. Look for sentences that rely on cliché tropes or overly common descriptors. If you’re writing fiction, try to determine where there are character inconsistencies, plot holes, or gaps in logic. Develop a system to keep track of your edits.
The second draft is your opportunity to apply your revisions and edits. It’s also a chance to consider larger, overarching questions that can only be answered after you already completed your first draft. Does your book have a consistent tone? Is there an overarching theme that can be developed and strengthened? Are there weak parts of the book that can be cut entirely? The second draft is also a chance to address more granular questions. Does the book have a strong opening hook? An impactful conclusion? Is the first chapter or prologue interesting? Will it grip the reader?
Once you’ve finished your final draft, it’s time to publish. With the rise of online marketplaces and e-readers like the Kindle, self-publishing is easier than ever. Alternatively, if you want to go the traditional route, you can submit a book proposal to a publishing house, ideally with the help of a literary agent. Make sure to have a good book cover. The cover has to match what the story is about or elude to secrets it holds. Double check everything. Chapters, sentences, characters, theme, grammar, table of contents. It is your last true chance to make sure everything is ideal for you before it's made into a digital copy or physical one. Once you’ve successfully published, all that’s left to do is sit back, relax, and start working on your second book. Although, you don't have to start another book right away. If you want to take a break to gather more ideas, do it, or if your ready to begin, crack at it lad.