So you want to write your own book? Well, this is such an exciting journey full of creativity, challenges, and fulfillment in the end. The thought of how to get started might seem overwhelming, though. Don’t get tensed up; you certainly don’t have to be an experienced writer to get started. Every writer starts somewhere, and with the right approach, your dream will be well on its way to becoming a reality.
So, let’s break it down into ten easy steps in helping guide you from that initial idea through to a completed manuscript. Along the way, I’ll also point out some tips and share a bit of my experience gained in my own writing journey.
1. Come up with an idea
It all begins with a spark in the mind: a thought, a feeling, an idea; something that seems to stick there. Maybe it’s that yarn you’ve been mentally kicking around forever, or maybe it’s something entirely new that just popped in there. At any rate, this idea is the very foundation of your book.
When I wrote my first book, the idea came on my walks. I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it, so I started scribbling some notes on my phone. It was not fully formed or anything, which didn’t matter. What mattered was to get out of my system whatever this thing was that had been seated in me and which I wanted to write.
Don’t stress so much that your idea isn’t perfect at first. First, get it out of your head and onto paper, the board, or the screen—all else will follow.
2 Specification of Your Book
After determining what things you will be writing about, an outline should be a developed piece in preparation for the drafting process. Though not very detailed, it should be something that gives you an idea of the direction your book will take. The purpose of creating an outline is for advancing your ideas and to be a guide as you proceed with the writing.
I think it’s the same when I do outlines for my first book. While I might emphasize, it boiled down to chapters. I never knew exactly what was going to happen in each one, but I at least knew the gist of how something would move along. This left me feeling confident in continuing, in realizing that at least I really did have a map article_creator.
But, hey, if you are one of those pansters—fly by the seat of your pants—who gets high on creative tension, then just know that a rough baseline would be handy when you hit the pothole the size of a doughnut.
3. Writing Schedule
One of the most significant challenges to writing your book is to find the time to do it. Life is busy, which all-too-often leaves writing moved to the back burner.
I discovered I was much more effective, and procrastination didn’t take place if I got my time to write before lunch. Some days it would be only 30 minutes, but all those small chunks added up over time.
Write at times that are convenient for you, in the wee hours of the morning, late hours of the night, or even at lunchtime. What’s more important is already having a tangible way—such as writing—to be consistently dedicated to one thing.
4. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
It may be very easy to get caught up in the whole ordeal of trying to make every word perfect while writing your own book. But sometimes perfection can be the enemy of the essential. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect; apparently, it just has to exist.
Several times, in the writing process, I became stuck on sentences and paragraphs. I would be rewriting them over and over again, trying to get them “right.” Then I’d realize I was just slowing myself down more by doing this. I’ve just learned, that basically, you keep moving forward and you can always come back and revise it later.
Write a lousy first draft. You can edit it later. For now, just get everything written down on paper.
5. Write Daily (Even a Little)
The truth is that writing a book requires you to build momentum, in and again. One of the most effective strategies to keep moving is to write something every day, no matter how small.
And sentencing sometimes turned into paragraphs in very short seconds, and before I knew it, I had written a whole chapter.
Writing something daily keeps the creative muscles active, keeping you living in the story you’re telling. Even if it’s just ten minutes, be sure to find some time to get something written. Anything counts.
6. Learn to Love Editing
Editing sometimes feels overwhelming to many, but it is a great part of learning how to write your own book. After you have finished your first draft, distance yourself from it. Let it sit for a while so that when you come back, you will come with ‘rejuvenated’ eyes that will see much more clearly what needs upgrading.
When I was editing my book, I found some scenes had not worked out the way I wanted them to. It’s okay, though; editing is your one opportunity at refining your story to make it better. Make some drastic decisions without fear: cut what’s not going down well, replace it with fresh finds.
Get feedback from someone else as well. Another eye on the manuscript can sometimes make all the difference, and it’s usually pretty easy to arrange to get another pair of eyes on your work.
7. Mile Celebrate
Writing a book is a long process, so it might be good to have some landmarks of your progress on the way. From that first chapter written to that first draft completed, achieve those and take a moment.
When the final period got stopped at the end of the first draft, I treated myself to a nice dinner and the rest of the evening off from writing. It did feel good to have completed that milestone, even though I knew plenty more work lay ahead.
Keeping your accomplishments in perspective will maintain your direction and remind you that you are, indeed, on your way to the summit.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Rewrite
Rewriting is all part of the writing process. You may find sometimes that a scene or chapter isn’t working out, and that’s okay. So never fear going back to reconfigure some of the actual book, it will only make the story that much stronger.
Through the revision stage of my novel, I actually threw out one complete plot point—wherein lies the trust of a bunch of work. It was not an easy decision by any means, but it made the story far better. Well, remember, eventually you are writing your own mind book as a creative process, so it is okay to construct and change your mind along the way only.
9. Everything hurts but keep going.
Writing a book won’t always be easy. For sure, there would be days one feels stuck and void of drive and probably moving in the wrong or no direction entirely. But the thing is to just keep on keeping on, tough though it may be.
But then, every time I hit a rough spot in my own words, I would come back to why I was doing this. Holding a completed book is an amazing feeling. It made it all worthwhile, even on the days that felt a bit like pulling teeth, being able to reach out and share the content inside with the world.
10. Finalize Excessive Beginnings
I think that most important for the writing of your book is finishing it. Beginning a project is easy, but going up to the end requires strength and determination.
Completing this book was very fulfilling. After long hours of hard work, nights out really late with self-questioning, finally getting to hold that finished manuscript, it was all worth it.
Don’t shoulder-fold, no matter how long it takes, or how many assumes you encounter—do not give up. Finish something through to the end and celebrate the amazing feat of having written your own book.
Final Thoughts
Writing a book would be a rewarding effort. But do remember, the process can be long, daunting, and arduous—but oh, so satisfying. In this article, learn how you can push your big idea closer to an actual typed manuscript. Remember, have patience with yourself, make consistency your friend, and enjoy the creative process.
Everyone does have a story to tell, and it’s just about time the world listened to yours. What have you really got to lose? So start writing your book today. Begin your first step toward turning your dream into reality. Happy writing!
