So, you want to write a book? I imagine it stems from a childhood dream. Most of us grew up dreaming of becoming a star or a famous author. Few of us achieve that goal. In these series, you will be directed on how to accomplish this dream. The topic comes from your heart but the process comes from experience, practice and focus. Writing a book or story is a learned talent. In this series, you will find helpful tips on writing a book and becoming a published Author!
In each article we will focus on one task at a time. Taking on a project of this magnitude can be overwhelming. Focusing on each stage will lesson your stress level which should ultimately make your book even better!
Tips on Writing a Book
First Discussion
Type of Book
Your top priority is to decide what you want to write about. That may sound silly. It may sound obvious but this is THE most important aspect of your writing dreams.
You may want to write a How-to book or a Children's story or anywhere in-between. The subject is irrelevant. What is important is to define the specifics of the topic.
Begin by picking a topic that is familiar to you. Let's say you are a police officer and you want to write a crime novel. That makes sense. You are entranced in the exposure on a day-to-day basis. You may be a contractor and have noticed several mistakes people make when building their homes. Or, you may be a typist and can tell the best office jokes. If you are a true pet lover, you may want to tell readers all about different pets, their advantages and disadvantages.
Don't sweat the details right now. We will get to that later. Just direct your thoughts in a general bearing. You just need the theme. You don't need the plot.
Search your heart and find a topic that brings you joy. You will be committed to this project for quite awhile, you will want to enjoy the journey.
Think in terms of categories. If you are having difficulty with this stage, walk into a bookstore and just read the department signs. Write them down. Take some time and let your creativity flow. Again, don't worry about the plot. Focus on general thoughts.
Remember to pick a beginning subject you are familiar with. Most likely, you will need to do a lot of research, even if you are an expert on the subject, so you want to make sure the materials is familiar and interesting to you. Although you will need to seek more details, you don't want to start this project by learning the basics. That will get too frustrating, too quickly.
So, make this project as simple to begin as possible. Pick a theme/subject that you already know a lot about and are interested in learning more.
If you are having trouble narrowing down the options, brainstorm. Make a list of all possibilities. Truly, write them down. Make a list of pros and cons to narrow your list.
After careful consideration, pick one. But, save the rest for later. Make a file and store the list. When you have finished this book, you can return to that list and see if the other options are still open and interesting. If so, you can skip this step for book number 2.
When you have found your category, please review Writing a Book, Part 2.
Chris Lowrey
Author and Editor
For more writing tips, see www.manuscripteval.com
Manuscript Eval is a subsidiary of a known publisher on the verge of changing the publishing world.
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