Do you want to write a book? It’s important to understand the ins and outs of the creative process. There are many tips for those willing to try their luck and prove themselves in this art.
Sign up for writing classes
There is a long road ahead towards the future book: you need to write a lot, find your voice, improve your style. Writing courses or master classes will be useful. By attending them, you can improve your skills and find like-minded people. Mixing with both beginners and established writers will give a sense of belonging to the profession.
Decide on a theme
How to start writing your book? Determine the theme of the story by answering the question of what you can tell the reader. It is important to understand what the story will be about, whom it will be for. The theme should arouse sincere interest in the reader, which means that the author – you – must create a world in which everyone will find something interesting and useful for themselves.
Make a plan
Define micro-goals for yourself and make a plan of action. It’s important to have tasks that are laid out in a consistent manner. The main task of the plan is to gradually move forward, without straying from the chosen path. Completing each task will be a small victory on the way to the big dream.
Establish a creative space
A comfortable atmosphere for work is absolutely critical. Create as comfortable a workspace for yourself as possible. It can be a small table in your own kitchen, a cozy chair on the balcony or a separate office. Whatever it is, you should not be distracted from the process.
Write every day
Working on a book requires consistency. Develop the habit of working on your book regularly. Write a little bit at a time, but every day. Set a convenient time and number of pages you would like to write. Even if it is only 30 minutes or 1 hour. Working gradually, you will be able to get your book written without pushing yourself to exhaustion.
Find inspiration in the world around you
Help your feelings to unfold. If you’re writing about something based on a personal experience, find things that help you and keep them in view while you’re writing. A heartwarming figurine, a picture, an item dear to you, a smell, or a simple pebble from a flowerbed in the family garden can spark the needed emotion.
Visualize your text
Visualization will give you an outsider’s perspective on the story and allow you to understand how well the particular plot lines of the book are planned. Blake Snyder suggests a method of visualization that involves a storyboard and cards. Write down specific episodes from the book on paper cards. Place them on the board and then shuffle them around. The board allows you to see the result before you even start writing. Besides, this way you’ll create a zone free from psychological pressure.
Finish what you’ve started
You can’t start working on a new chapter until you’ve completed the previous one. Focus on developing the story in each section of the book and bring it to a logical conclusion. Your imagination will feed you ideas as you go along. Capture them on paper and post on the aforementioned board so you don’t miss any valuable thoughts.
Edit yourself
Learn to edit the text yourself. It’s not just about adhering to the norms of spelling and general literacy. To edit the text yourself means to be self-critical. Carefully read each paragraph. It is important to objectively assess whether the text is easy to read, if there is any tautology or an overload of meaning, etc. Editing will help you to set accents and follow the logic of the narrative.
Explore your publishing options
It will likely take a long time to get your first book published. Explore the existing opportunities for young authors. Look for crowdfunding platforms where people can donate money to various startups. Look for literary contests where you can compete for the right to be published. Make a list of potential publishers who deal with books on the topic of your choice.
Write a synopsis
How do you present a book to get it published? In addition to the manuscript itself, there should be a synopsis – a summary of your book in 3-5 thousand characters. In most cases, this is the basis for the publisher to decide whether to take the time to read the manuscript. Think through each section of the synopsis. Tell about your work in an unbiased and substantive way. This is the case when brevity is the sister of talent. Send the resulting piece to several publishing houses at once.
Conclusion
Is writing a book worth it? Of course it is, if you feel the potential in yourself and have something to tell the audience about. Writing a book will give you an incredible experience, an opportunity to share your thoughts with numerous other people; it will reveal new realms of knowledge. And to ensure that your laptop is always ready to capture inspiration for later editing, get it fixed in a timely manner by professionals like Smart Addiction.
This collection of tips will help you as a young writer to work on your books with satisfactory results. Who knows, maybe soon the literary world will hear the name of a new talented author!