How to Write a Book

 

I heard a surprising statistic on the Bestseller podcast a few days ago. The podcast revealed that roughly 80% of Americans have wanted to publish a book at some point — but fewer than 0.1% have actually done it. There are likely thousands of reasons aspiring writers don’t reach their goal: discouragement, lack of time, lack of resources, etc.

Some reasons may be understandable. But it shouldn't be something you don't pursue because you don't know how to do it. To give you a boost on the incredibly difficult yet perfectly possible journey of writing a book, here are a few steps to get you there.

CHOOSE A GENRE

Hopefully, any aspiring writer considers themselves an avid reader. What genre do you gravitate toward? What type of television shows do you enjoy most? You may have to experiment with some genres before you find one you want to pursue. Be diverse in your search, but be sure to stick to one for your story. That will be important for publishers down the road.

Once you have a genre, do some research. What is the expected word count in this genre? What is a plot structure that is most helpful to follow? What should you do or avoid doing to be true to this genre? What do your readers anticipate out of books in this genre?

CREATE A BIG IDEA

What will your story be about? This can be one of the hardest decisions to make and is where some people stop. You don’t have to think of it all at once. In fact, things may change as you write. Don’t let this stress you so much; a big idea is to give you a theme to work with not put you in a tight box where you can’t be flexible.

One way to create a big idea is to start with the phrase “what if…” Don’t put boundaries on yourself. Just let your mind roam free, and be sure to have a pen and paper at the ready. Write everything that comes to your mind. Soon, you will find your thoughts complimenting and compounding off of each other.

What is a message that you wish to share with the world? What is a principle or truth that has shaped your life? What are things you wish could change about the world, or even just your surroundings? How can you put this into a story? Many stories start with their deep intent and message already discovered. Others start with a random scene and just let their words guide them.

Here are 6 questions Glenn Gers, a professional writer, shares stories must be able to answer.

Who is it about? What do they want? Why can’t they get it? What do they do about that? Why doesn’t it work? How does it end?

OUTLINE YOUR STORY & DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTERS

I combined these two because your characters should grow and develop with your story. What kind of character does this story need? Does your main character need wise mentors or friends who can explain things to them? Or does your character’s wise and independent nature drive them to figure things out themselves? Think about some sub-plots that help develop or prepare your character. Find ways to have these sub-plots somehow add depth to your big idea.

Follow the basic writing outline structure:

Exposition- The opening of the story

Rising Action- Events that complicates matters for your characters

Climax- The big showdown where your characters encounter their opposition

Falling Action- Events after the climax that leads to the end of the story

Resolution- The end of the story where things are resolved

SET ASIDE TIME TO WRITE CONSISTENTLY

There is at least one commonality in the 99.9% of Americans who wish to publish but don’t: the failure to set aside time to write consistently. "Consistently" is important here. Can you relate to this situation? You think you’ve got your big idea, so you start writing thousands and words rather quickly. Then you get to a point where you go days, maybe weeks or even months without writing. That idea just stays in your head stagnant and somewhat fading.

There are some perks to taking breaks and letting your story develop in your mind. But don’t go too long without writing. Schedule a time slot dedicated to writing. Make it one hour or even just half an hour if that’s all you can give. But be consistent and true to it. Don’t let anything affect this period. Force your day to adjust to your writing, not the other way around. You may not put extraordinary things to paper every time. But remember, you can always edit a bad paper, you can’t edit a blank one.

You can always edit a bad paper, you can't edit a blank one. Click to tweet.

UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO ONE SET WAY

You will find all kinds of blogs and videos about how to write a book. They’ll likely all be different, and like this one, there will be opinions. It is important to understand that there is no one set way to write a good book. Do what works for you. If it takes you one month to write a whole novel, don’t let someone tell you didn’t do it right. The same thing goes if it took you ten years.

Plot first. Write as you go. Write everything in order. Write completely out of order. The point is, pick an approach that suits you and don’t let others tell you otherwise.

GET FEEDBACK

Outside of actually writing, feedback may be the next most important thing. It is one of the best ways to improve. It may be vulnerable, but it’s one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself. Your book may flow perfectly in your mind, but then again, you are the creator. How does it flow to someone who doesn’t know how the story will go or end. Does it make sense? Does it give off the tone or voice that you are hoping for? These are questions you can’t completely answer on your own.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Be happy with the skills you have and dedicated to improving them. It will do you no good to compare your work with other authors, especially those more experienced than you. Remember that every expert was once a beginner. You don’t have to be a brilliant author today to publish that book you so desperately want to finish. Put in daily effort to learn new things, elevate your skills, and grow as a writer. Good things happen when you keep on doing them. So, keep writing.