The allure and excitement surrounding the decision to write a book is motivating. You may not hesitate to jump in and get started banging out words right away, with all of those great ideas flowing; at least initially. Accepting the challenge to write a book may be one of the hardest and most rewarding things you can do.
Writing a book is a big commitment and one that all writers may not be fully prepared for. As in any achievement, there are clear steps to be taken to guarantee the successful completion of your manuscript. Planning and following a process is the key to that success.
Pre-Writing
Consider these steps BEFORE you begin the process of writing your book. Take the time to address each one as soon as you decide to write your book:
Select a Genre
Genres are a way of categorizing books. Not all books are written with a genre in mind, but your book will eventually be categorized into one. If it hasn’t already come to you, consider identifying a genre upfront based on your idea, passions, and what you like to read. There are typical genres, emerging genres, and also many blended genres that allow you to be very creative in your decision. For example, romance novels can include thriller or mystery elements. Some genres are hard to define. Revolutionize the genre field by writing a book with a blended genre. Today’s competitive book market tends to favor these over typical genre stories.Confirm the Topic and Story
What are you going to write about? What do you know personally and are passionate about? Is there an experience you want to share? Decide what story you want to tell and choose the topic of the story. Maybe there is a book you would like to read that doesn’t exist. Whether your topic is coming-of-age, regaining sight after blindness, or a cat’s journey back home after getting lost in a piece of airport luggage, make it your own. Run this idea by a trusted friend or two to see their interest level and initial reaction.Write a Summary
This should be short, but take a stab at summarizing your story from beginning to end to round out your idea. If you can come up with a beginning, a middle, and an end now, you will have something to work toward and flesh out in your upcoming outline. This only needs to be a few sentences to a few paragraphs depending on the depth of your story.Set a Goal
Now that you know what you are going to write, decide when and how are you going to write it. This is an effort you are going to commit a lot of time to, so make sure you are passionate about it, and that the idea keeps growing and keeps you up at night because you are excited to explore it further. Decide when you are going to start your book and when you would like to finish the first draft. For now, these are estimates, but committing is the first step to achieving the goal.Commit to a Time Frame and Set a Deadline
You will need to write several hours a week to see progress, so schedule this just as you would any other task you want to accomplish. Break it down into smaller increments, such as an hour a day, a couple of hours every other day, on the weekends, or whatever schedule fits your lifestyle. Decide if you want to get to a first draft in the next few months or later this year. Consistency is key to forming new habits. You will always be busy with other things in your life. You have to make time to write a book.Gather Your Tools
You will need at least some of the following to write your book: a computer, a notebook or paper, software, reference materials, index cards, pens and markers, a bulletin board, and push pins. Maybe a new chair? Get your list ready now so once you get going you won’t have an excuse to stop. Make your space comfortable and distraction-free.Start Creating Characters
For fiction, begin with the characters that you envision first and others will follow once you get into the writing. Detail them out using character sketches, answering multiple questions about them, their motivations, strengths, weaknesses, loves, and fears. Add these details to a master notes document for easy reference. Get to know your characters. You will be spending a lot of time with them and these will be your new best friends for a while!Create an Outline
This basic framework should be a document that you add to as ideas come to light, but for now, the main structure needs to be there to follow and keep you on track. Include a working title, chapter names, a list of major scenes, backstory, character names, and details. For non-fiction, list chapters and a summary of each. Expand on this document as you go along and reference it for guidance and consistency of names, places, etc.Plan the Ending
This is the hardest part of the story and the one that readers will remember the most. Decide in the beginning how you want your book to end and work your way backward. You need to have something to work towards to keep the momentum going. It’s okay if you change or expand the ending later. Determine the general ending and what you are heading towards to set your goal.Break the Project Up into Small Pieces
Yes, you are writing a book of 200+ or so pages. Begin with sentences, paragraphs, pages, then chapters. Thinking of the big picture can be overwhelming and another reason to stop or give up. You wouldn’t run a marathon or climb a fourteener without training and planning in advance to work your way up to the distance goal. The same goes for writing a book!Set a Schedule
Set aside time for specific goals and deadlines. Commit to daily, weekly, and monthly word counts. Make your goals small and attainable – we are all busy people, so don’t over-commit yourself and wind up quitting. Write every day. Consistency makes it easier to keep writing until your book draft is finished.Plan Your Environment
Find a place where you can comfortably and consistently write on a schedule so you can form a habit. This can be a home office, the library, or a local coffee shop. Attend local write-ins if they exist or create your own. Wherever it is, make this space special and different from where you do other things. Real writers can write anywhere.Minimize Distractions
Pets and children are great, except when you are trying to focus on your writing word counts. Set aside time to write and in a place where you will encounter minimal distractions. There is nothing worse than writing down an idea or a paragraph only to be interrupted to answer the phone or feed a hungry baby. Distraction can easily become another reason to procrastinate and put off writing at a later time, which inevitably never happens.Start Calling Yourself a Writer
Now that you have committed to writing your book, you can begin referring to yourself as a writer. There are many opportunities to share this as you go about your daily routine and meet new people. Almost everyone you meet eventually asks you what you do for a living amongst other things. Start telling them you are a writer first. The more you tell people you are a writer, the sooner you will start to believe it and feel like one. Not everyone has the know-how or ability to write down a story. You do and you deserve to take credit for the effort.
Conclusion
Every year, millions of books go unfinished because the author quit. Make a promise to never start and then NOT finish your book, to run away when you get stuck, or claim that you don’t know what to do after writing the last word. It is way easier to quit than it is to finish. Create a system you can trust. And don’t rush it. There are several million books published each year in the United States, and it is hard to compete and stand out in the market. Have faith in your idea and put forth your best effort. In the end, you will have a completed manuscript that you can call your own.