Buy or find a notebook to record ideas in. If it is small, you can carry it with you and record ideas that come to you wherever you go. It doesn’t matter if you write your actual book/novel out on paper, or if you type it, but a notebook is always a good thing to have.
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Part Two of Five:
Determining your topic Edit
Decide what you want to write about. You want something that interests you, but is also meaningful to you. It is a good idea to write about what you know, but it is also fun to learn about new topics. Make sure you do perform research, though, no matter what you are writing about. Get your facts straight!
Get inspired. Read the works of others as you work. This might help you to develop an initial idea, or to embellish on an existing idea.
Plan your book. Make sure you at least have a general idea in your head about how you want it to work out, whether or not you change things as you go.
Be dedicated. Books don’t write themselves. Set a time to write each day or every few days, when you have free time. Make sure that this time is interruption-free and that others know to leave you alone.
Try free writing. Simply let the ideas flow at first, then look through it and fit the writing that you like into your plan. This allows for a nice balance between directed writing (following the plan) and truly creative, meandering writing (free writing).
Write a first draft where you write and write and write, unbiased. Don’t judge your first draft, just write! Then, as you work through your different drafts, or rewrites, you can edit.
Part Five of Five:
Finalizing the book Edit
Edit the book. Do a thorough job of self-editing, then send it to others to edit. Listen carefully to suggestions for rewrites, culls and changes to your work. If the suggestions are constructive, consider making them for the sake of improving the read.
Make a title for your book based on what it is about. Consider the events, characters, and places that are in your book. Make your title catchy.
Seek a publisher. Do you want to self publish or have it published by a publishing company? Decide which will work best for you by considering the costs, the time you have available for chasing up publishers and marketing
Done. Now you’ve made a book, congratulations!
Don’t forget someone or something. Keep track of events and characters.
If you are wanting it to be published there is no use in just checking with your family and friends, as their opinions may be biased. Send it off to someone you don’t know as well. Or if you can’t find someone else print off your story and recommend it to a friend, saying you found it on the internet. You want to have true opinions on your book and possible improvements you could make before you send it to a critic.
Get help. Writing is not something for the lone wolf. Have family, friends, or book group members over for a writing workshop or to look over your work.
Warnings Edit
Don’t get bogged down and give up. If you’re having writer’s block, take a while to step away from your work and just breathe, but always return.