Have you ever had a story in your heart you’ve always wanted to tell? Or a unique life experience that could help out or relate to others with similar experiences? Or just interested in writing in general? Then writing a book could be a good path for you! Writing a book is hard work filled to the brim with patience and self-trust. This guide is for those who have a story in their heart and a world in their mind. Read this guide and figure out if you can slay the beast of literature!
The machinery needed
Of course you can’t write a book with just you mind! You will need either paper and a pen or a computer. Now if you want to make copies of your masterpiece a computer would be the easiest way to go so your hand won’t tire writing the same thing over and over, but a pen and paper would help you find any mistakes quicker. There are pros and cons to the two of course, but a computer and Microsoft word or word document would be the best way to go.
Keep in mind…
It’s important to note that while you do all of these steps, you read as much as possible to keep your ideas and motivation flowing! Try to write for at least a few minutes every day! Set a goal for yourself to do as many minutes as you can manage every single day to keep improving and keep that train of thought chugging along!
1. Keep a log of what book and how many pages you read each day
2. Set a goal of how many words you want your novel to have at the end of your story
3. Set a goal for writing at least 30 minutes a day and keep a log of how many words you write each day for motivation
Always try to sit in the same spot when writing everyday, routine can help immensely!
Don’t be afraid to get comfortable. Reading and writing shouldn’t be painful.
Step one
Think of an Idea.
This step is one of the hardest; if you don’t already have a thought in mind. You can create new ideas by reading more books or telling a story of your own life.
1. Write down all your brainstorming ideas so you can come back to them if you ever change your mind!
2. Walk or do something physical while you brainstorm ideas. When you body is moving it gets those creative juices flowing!
3. No idea is a bad idea
If you try and try and still can’t think of an idea, google writing prompts and look around until you find one you’d like to try out! Remember you can always change your mind later down the road.
Step two
World and Character build
Now that you have your plot and characters mapped out, it’s time to build the world around them! Think of the setting- is it lush with life or barren? Will it be hot or cold? Don’t forget to fully think out your Characters backstories! How would they react to every little possible outcome they have to face? How do they look? Did they have a good childhood or not?
1. Write down everything about the setting as you can- be as detailed as you possibly can! Think of every nook and cranny. Think of even the smallest details like how the table feels when you run you hand across it. Think of how it smells, everything! Use your six senses. Try and envision yourself in the setting and things you would notice!
2. It is not smart to have too many characters, the audience could get lost! Stick to 2-5 main characters and as many background characters as you’d like!
3. For the characters, live their life through their eyes! How was their childhood? How did they get to the point they are now? How did they look when they were younger and how do they look now? It might be helpful to draw the characters to really get their looks and details down!
4. Think of the characters’ relationships to each other and their attitudes toward the world. Is the main character ambitious or scared? How does the main character and their friend interact? Will there be any love interests in this book?
Details can be hard for some people, but this step is usually authors’ favorite thing to do before they write! Be as creative as your mind will allow! No story is a bad story.
Step three
Formulate a plot
Now that you have your idea, it’s time to sketch it out a bit. You’ll want to think of how you’d like to start your story and end it, then how to fill the gap between! A good tip is to remember to keep some secrets from the reader. Like if the main character is afraid of bugs and later they’ll have to overcome that fear- don’t mention it from the start!
1. Think of everything that happened before your story takes place. What led the main character to where they are now?
2. Start writing the beginning of your story; An interesting hook that engages the reader to continue the story is always what you should aim for.
3. What is happening to make them want to get to the end? What is their motivation? 4. And finally, how does the story finish?
It is always smart to have the whole plot figured out before you start thoughtfully writing your wonderful story. Don’t start the next step until you have every small detail mapped out!
Step four
Start your story!
You can start from any plotpoint you want, for some it’s easier to write backwards and start writing at the conclusion! However, personally, it is easier for me to start my story at the beginning in case I want to change anything from the plot. Remember, you can always change what you would like to write, but don’t erase your entire story if you are disliking it! If you really want to start over, save your previous draft and open a new page to start again!
1. Follow step three closely! Don’t stray too far, it could make plotholes!
2. You can always have new ideas, just make sure they line up with your story. 3. Correct any mistakes along the way, but don’t focus on them.
4. Be as creative as you would like! This process is supposed to be fun.
This step is the hardest step that most people struggle with. Keep doing your daily writing and reading to help with your motivation.
Step five
Read and fix mistakes
Once you feel confident in your writing, read over the whole thing and fix any spelling errors. Once you fix every spelling mistake, read over it again and try to fill any plot holes that developed during your writing. Read over it yet again and keep fixing your masterpiece until you feel like it’s polished.
1. Read over your story as many times as you can handle to try and find every little detail and spelling mistakes as you can
This step can be very tedious, it is okay if you just read it over once and move onto the next step.
Step six
Feedback
Ask yourself again if you feel confident that you are finished. Maybe reread it again. Once you are ready, ask at least three different people to read over your work and ask for as much feedback as they can give you. Now of course you can choose to listen to them or not, but if you are getting the same advice from multiple people, it might be a sign that you should listen and tweak it to their directions.
1. Make sure the people are people you trust to give you accurate feedback. You don’t want someone rude helping you or someone who will blatantly lie and say it’s all good. 2. If you are not good with constructive criticism have your people do things they liked about the book then how you could improve
3. Remember they aren’t shooting you down, they are just trying to help.
It can be easy to take feedback to heart but try to not let it get you down! Even the best authors make mistakes and have ways they can be better. Try to equip yourself with thick skin to get through this step.
Step seven
Are you happy?
Once they have finished your book, read it again and make sure you are happy and confident with your story. If you are, then you are finished! Good job! If not, keep finetuning your book until you are! Don’t be afraid to start over if you really need to, but always keep your old works! Give yourself a pat on the back and go get a celebratory ice cream.
Congratulations! You have finished a masterpiece! Writing a book is hard, intellectually draining and very tedious. You should feel proud and fulfilled in yourself. Now, ask yourself if you genuinely enjoyed the process of writing and if you would like to write another! If not, it’s okay! Writing is not for everyone, just keep reading and that’s enough to be proud of.
The Hoot 
Leave a comment