Book Writing

I talked about writing a novel for a long, long time before I actually got around to doing any real book writing. I must have spent three to four years saying “I want to write a book” or “I should write a book” before I actually wrote down one serious word. But first you need to make a plan.

In the meantime, I kept journals, wrote short stories, wrote essays – essentially, I wrote anything that I could finish within a day or a month. I avoided anything that would take real discipline or commitment. Like writing my novel. I had no dreams of being discovered. I wasn’t really interested in being a famous writer. I just knew that I wanted to write a book. I even knew what it was going to be about.

I also read a lot of books about how to write. I told myself over and over that the research was what mattered. The technique mattered. I wasn’t…quite…ready…but once I read just one more book about writing, I’d get after it.

Things came to a head. I was too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but for some personal reasons, I vowed to quit procrastinating. I was not going to waste time talking about things I wanted to do. I was just going to do them. There would be no better validation of the new me than actually starting and finishing my book. It would be my symbol of triumph, or it would prove that I hadn’t changed at all.

Long story short, I spent the next three years writing that book. I self-published it to zero fanfare and little acclaim beyond my own satisfaction. And that was just fine.

Here is how I did it, which will not blow your mind at all: every day I wrote something. I did not hold myself to a word count, but I wrote something every single day and I did not go back to edit until I had an entire draft. The more words I wrote, the more paragraphs I had. Paragraphs soon turned into pages, and so on until I had a gigantic stack of papers sitting on my desk. I had done it.

I spent two of the three years re-writing the book. That was lake side ct actually the most enjoyable part of the process for me, which was a huge surprise.

So if you want to write a book, I have some advice for you. Not as a famous author, just as a guy who finally figured out how to get it done: just get started and write something every day. Stop reading about writing and just write. Don’t worry about the quality. Just keep those fingers writing, or typing, with whatever tool you use.

Do not tell yourself that anything except writing is actually writing. There will be a time for research and revision. If the words are not appearing on the page, it’s not writing. Make that your mantra, even though it’s not catchy!

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Writing a book is a much easier task when you can visualize how it will all come together into one completed project. But when you set out to write, all you usually have is an idea and a blank page in front of you.

When you know in advance how your expanded idea will be divided up into multiple sections that all relate to the main topic, your task is far easier. In fact, writing your book then becomes a fill-in-the-blank process that anyone can accomplish.

Here’s a book writing format you can follow to create your own information product quickly and easily.

Begin with the end in mind. You know your topic. Now shape it into a title. It doesn’t have to be carved in stone, but you do want a title that clearly defines what your topic in a meaningful way. In other words, you want your title to convey a major benefit to readers. Successful information product titles include: Small Reports Fortune… 75 Secrets For Writing Winning Copy… and Million Dollar Marketing Makeovers.

With a title, you’re on your way. But the real secret to a book writing format is to have your table of contents already in place.

Take a look at competing products in your niche market. Find a bestseller and model your table of contents after theirs. Take the basic structure and presentation and figure out what works for the other book. Use this as your starting point. Don’t copy the work of someone else — that’s a definite no-no. But you can develop your own outline based on the table of contents of another book.

The idea is to model the original and modify it to make it your own. Improve upon it. Adjust it to fit the content you’ll be sharing.

The beauty of having a table of contents before you is that you have a polished, visible outline of your book. All that’s lacking is the details. You can then take each chapter and divide it up into segments.

Shoot for 10 different segments in each chapter. You can always adjust this figure up or down to suit your project, but 10 is a nice round number and it’s something that’s easily attainable.

Jot down a few key words or concepts for each and you’ve got a detailed outline for that chapter. Then simply move onto the next. It’s a fast and efficient way to develop your book outline, which will in turn make the writing of it that much easier.

Every project completed expediently requires a thorough outline. This method gives you the structure in an organized format that has already proven to be effective.

Setting out to create an outline from scratch can be challenging. Part of the problem comes from trying to think in logical sequence is mentally draining. That’s why I advocate creating a simple mind map as a preliminary step to crafting an outline from scratch. But modeling an existing table of contents is another fast technique that anyone can use.

Whatever method you choose, you’ll advance farther, faster with plan or outline in front of you before you letting your fingers fly across the keyboard.

An effective book writing format begins with a big idea. It’s the spark that gets the motor running. And every idea needs to be broken down into component parts, with each part explored in detail. Flesh it out to develop the content you intend to write. Think of your book idea as a table top and the main ideas as the legs that support it.

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the first place to start is by selecting the system that will help to carry you through the process.

When you select your system you’ll want one with three characteristics:

1. It must be based around cognitive tools. Cognitive tools help you retrieve information, make connections and reorganize the information. Linear tools such as the traditional outline don’t work the way the mind does. They will therefore fight you while you’re trying to get the information out and on to paper.

2. It must be efficient. Many tools rely on editing being the last step. However, structural editing can be done as soon as the organization of the book is fixed. If it is done before any physical writing is actually done, then rewrites will involve a minimum of effort. If structural editing is left to the end, a rewrite becomes a major task.

3. It must be effective. It must help you to complete your book. And to have that book meet your reader’s needs. Normally this means that you need to start the process with planning. And it also means that the purpose for writing your book needs to be clearly understood and apparent at every stage in the process.

But what if you’ve already got a system for book writing? Theoretically the system should tell you how to start writing a book.

But all good systems start with planning.

And planning a book starts with identifying your reader. After all, that’s who you are writing for. Without a reader, you have pieces of ink spotted paper and nothing more. A reader releases the ideas trapped within a book.

So you need to start by identifying your target reader. Who are they? How old are they? What are they like? Are they married? Do they have children? Do they own their own home? Where do they work?

By the time you finish asking and answering questions about your reader, you should know as much about them as you do about your spouse! More. A little mystery is good in a marriage, but suicide with targeting.

Now you need to identify their pain points and problems. How is your book going to resolve their problems for them? How is your book going to overcome their pain points?

Once you’ve answered those questions, you’ll know how to start writing a book. You’ll know what your book has to teach, what questions it needs to answer. You’ll know how long it needs to be. You’ll know what level it needs to be at.

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One of the biggest problems experienced by both new and experienced authors when book writing, is getting the actual writing done. Actually sitting down and writing seems to be the favorite thing to avoid.

The solution is creating a schedule to write by. And then sticking to that schedule.

Before you can create a schedule to write by you need to determine how much time is needed for book writing. You see, it is important to write in blocks. And you need to identify how long that block of time needs to be. Generally, I recommend that you block out enough time to edit and write a full chapter as a minimum. Don’t forget to allow for a 15 minute break to relax your eyes and stretch your legs. For me, I prefer to block 4 hours which is enough for me to write and edit 2 chapters at a time. Just not in that order.

Once you’ve identified how much time you need for book writing, you then need to determine when is best. After all, if you are a night owl, creating a schedule assigning the early morning to write by is not going to result in a great deal of work getting done. Instead match the schedule to your body’s habits. Are you an early to rise type? Then schedule first thing in the morning. If you’re a night owl, your schedule has to be designed around late night writing. Pick the points during the day when your writing productivity is at its highest.

Next, look at how often you are able to block time for book writing. When creating a schedule to write by, you aren’t going to be able to block a single period. After all, very few people can write 50,000 words in one day. And sleeping, eating and other things tend to be important. On the other hand, you need to be consistent when writing and you need a frequency that helps you to complete the book in a reasonable time. After all, if you only write once a week, those 50,000 words are going to take you six months or more.

There’s no real point in blocking out a period of time for book writing if that time is going to be superseded or constantly interrupted. So the next task is going to be determining when you can guarantee that period of time will be available for book writing.

So now you’ve created you schedule to write by. Just two more simple tasks and you’re done. First, you need to mark it on the calendar. That time is now sacred to the muses. And you don’t want to tick them off. So mark it on the calendar and do not schedule anything else that conflicts.

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How can book writing software help you with continuity in your novel? Indeed, even before we start talking about that, we need to discuss what I mean by continuity in your novel and why that’s important in writing a novel. Have you ever looked at any of the movie mistakes websites, which log the various mistakes every movie will let slip through by mistake? Making a movie is a hugely complex process, and mistakes creep in.

Thing is, though, writing a novel is also a hugely complex process and mistakes creep in there too. An example of a continuity mistake might be something like having Character A hand Character B a glass of wine, and then two or three lines later, having him hand her a glass of wine again. That is actually one that I made – I am just lucky that my editor spotted it! Or even more subtly, you could have a character receive a glass of wine, take only a sip or two, and another character is filling up the glass again even though there’s no room for it. I’ve read novels where characters changed names half way through with no explanation.

These sort of continuity mistake are very easily done. There is so very much to keep track of when you’re writing a novel. You have to keep track of the plot, any subplots, make sure clues are dropped where necessary, look after your character arc and development, keep the timeline straight and keep track of any important ‘props’.

It’s very hard to pick up on these mistakes yourself, as we all have a tendency to read what we expect to read. We see what we think will be there, rather than what IS there. The problem is that readers, of course, come to the novel with no preconceived ideas, and then genuinely see what is there, mistakes and all. And continuity mistakes can really spoil their pleasure in the story.

One solution to this problem is to make sure you are super organised, so you have the right information to hand. I know writers can shudder at that prospect (I’m prone to doing that myself!), wanting to just enjoy being in the flow of the muse. But a novel is a very complex construct – with as much science as art in it – no matter how much we might like to think otherwise, and needs to be handled as such.

You can use index cards or post-it notes to keep organised. Both of these options are much, much better than keeping all the details in your head. But they can get lost, or out of order, and shuffling through a whole pack of cards (say) to remind yourself what colour eyes the hero has, is time-consuming. And so a modern option would be to use book writing software. The simplest of these acts like a virtual index card system, but one which is much easier to keep track of than real ones. And the higher-end products have other facilities such as timelines and mind maps.

The essential issue though, no matter which option you choose, is to make sure to check for continuity, and ensure there are no errors in your novel.

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Before you begin, you may be interested in some simple tips for writing your book. Actually, some of the best tips you can find are those which are the most simple to do as well as those that make the most sense. By finding and following a few simple writing tips you can organize yourself, your time, efforts and your book.

Designate a Work Area

One of the most essential book writing tips is that of setting up an area dedicated as your work area. Having a regular work area is important, since you’ll be able to organize everything you need in one place and have it readily at hand when you need it. If at all possible, you want a dedicated work area that gives you freedom to express yourself fully as well as a place where you will not be disturbed. It is those small, quiet moments that mean so much to any author working on a book.

Setup a Writing Schedule

You need to determine how much time you can dedicate to writing your book. You may wish to break this up into small sections of writing time to accommodate your daily schedule. For instance, you may be able to spend several minutes a day for researching or taking notes on thoughts of what you want to include. Breaking your time up into short segments can work to help you keep a steady pace, without becoming overwhelmed as time passes away. Then again, you may be one of those writers who can just sit for hours, creating your masterpiece. The point is to keep on writing your book, working in such a way that is easy for you as well as productive.

Write What You Know

You must admit that when you write what you know, you are most comfortable. It works the same for any good writer. This is one of the best tips to consider when writing your book. When you write what you know, you are an expert. Of course, this does not mean that you should not spend any time doing research for you book. Research is great and may be required. However, when you write what you know, you will shine.

Write for Your Readers

It is essential while writing your book that you write for your readers. In order to write for your readers you may need to do some research. Find out what they like and do not like. Find out what problems they may have, so that you are more able to help them find working solutions that will solve their problems.

Once you have you work area designated, your writing schedule set at a good pace that suits you, you can write what you know, while writing for your readers. Keep these simple tips for writing your book in mind and stay open to other practical book writing tips and incorporate them into your book writing plan.

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People have different tastes when it comes to writing a book. Some would prefer a novel for mature writing and reading, while others want the self-help ones, and so on. Even though they have different types of interests, every writer shares the same passion which is writing. It is a way to express what you feel while enjoying the idea of it. Some people who are not into writing thinks that authors have a very stressful life trying to put all those words together and try to make sense in every line they write. But the truth is, a writer is always in a happy mood when writing. Even if the story is about tragedy, romance and others, the writer always holds the kind of excitement and happiness into it.

Writers that are into children’s book writing are probably the ones that mostly enjoy what they do. Most of you might think that it is pretty easy writing a book for kids. What you don’t know is that even children’s books need a lot of understanding and studying. You will see that authors are like kids themselves. In order for them to write an effective children’s book, they first should know what interest their readers. This is not that easy at all.

We all came from childhood. But along the years, we are forgetting what it feels to be a child. We grow up and mature after many years. Understanding what a child feels would be a bit of work. Writers write as if they are the readers of their stories. As they write, they keep asking themselves “Would I like to read that if I was the reader?” That would be pretty tricky when the reader would be a child. How can you feed a young mind with your matured thoughts? The answer is to know their needs.

Ask yourself what a child needs. First, you will think that children want fun, laughter, moral lessons, simple thoughts and ideas. Then that is what you should write about. Write in a very humorous way. Try adding a little or more laughter into it. Make sure you add a moral lesson but not a difficult one for the child to understand. Always try to see the kid’s point of view and see if he can understand that kind of thought.

Make the characters colorful. Children would like a story which they can picture in their minds. Make sure to state clearly what the details are and keeping them simple at all times. Never try to stress a child’s mind by adding some serious and too heavy parts into it. Just be at ease and enjoy as you go along.

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