Have you ever daydreamed about writing a book one day?
If you have, you’re not alone! The idea of writing a book is more common than you might think. Many people dream of pouring their heart and soul into a novel, creating characters to live out their fantasy life. Or they want to share their wisdom and life-lessons, or passions and hobbies in a non-fiction masterpiece. br>
The imagined life as an author often includes having an unexpected bestseller and becoming an overnight success, with Warner Brothers knocking on your door wanting to turn your book into a box office sensation! br>
The reality however is usually a little different (unless you happen to be J K Rowling!), and once you bring your dreams back down to earth, most people realise that it takes hard work and dedication to create a book that’s of a standard likely to please the average reader, let alone get anyone to actually read it! br>
Having written 4 novels of my own and ghost written and edited both fiction and non-fiction books, I thought it would be helpful to share with you some hints, tips, and advice to get you started.
Writers write!
If you want to be a writer, you need to write! So, your first port of call is to start exercising your writing muscles and make writing a daily habit. This means writing a lot and writing even when you don’t feel like it and what’s coming out of you is rubbish!
Writing is a skill, and like any other skill, to develop it you need to practice. And spend more time practising the aspects you enjoy the least (sorry to be the bearer of annoying news!). For example, for me the aspect I enjoy the least is writing descriptive passages for fiction. However, I know that if I want to write a good novel that isn’t ‘lumpy’ and clunky to read, it’s the descriptive elements that are key to making the magic happen.< br>
As with everything in life, there will be those days when you sit down to write and the words flow through you with ease. And then there will be days when it feels like you’re wading uphill through treacle and every word is a slog! < br>
But no matter what, you must keep at it. And some days that will mean putting your book to one side and simply writing something – anything – to keep your writing habit going. A great little exercise if you find your creativity has upped and left the building, is to grab a piece of paper, set a timer for 5 minutes, and then write about a memory, something that’s happened in your day, your favourite food… basically anything that simply gets things flowing.
What do you love reading?
When it comes to writing a book, it really irks me when I hear people say “write what you know about” – nope! Let’s be honest, if all anyone wrote was what they knew, we’d have no creativity. How about instead you write the kind of book you enjoy reading.
Why?
Passion! When you write with passion, that feeling will be felt in your words. So, if you love reading stories about unrequited love, write a romance; or if you find history endlessly fascinating, then write about the history of a place or people.
And if some well-meaning person tries to tell you otherwise or suggests you’d be more likely to be published if you wrote some other genre, pay no attention! You will be getting up close and personal with your book and dedicating many, many hours of your time to writing it, so you need to LOVE what you’re writing with every fibre of your being otherwise you won’t stick with it.
Plus, when it comes time to edit, you’ll need to read your work over and over, so you need to love it to avoid losing the will to live and get the editing done.
Learn your craft by learning from others
Have you ever heard of a writer who doesn’t also love to read? If such a thing exists it’s rare!
While reading the kinds of books you love is great and will help spark your imagination for your own book, also read other kinds of fiction and non-fiction books. And read them to learn from them: how is it written? How has the plot developed? How have the different concepts been organised? How do characters interact? What works well? What touches you?
The more you read, the more you learn about the craft of being a writer.
The most important advice I can give
Expect it to be tough! Now I appreciate that might sound odd, and frankly rather discouraging, but hear me out. If you think the life of a writer is idyllic and smooth sailing, the moment you hit an obstacle you’re more likely to tell yourself it’s just not meant to be and give up! However, if you go in with your eyes open expecting it to be tough, you won’t be surprised when something discouraging comes along. Instead, you’ll shrug, remind yourself you knew it could get tough and just carry on regardless. < br>
Honestly, this is probably the most important piece of advice I was offered and can pass on to you. It’s always stayed with me. So, when the going gets tough and the words won’t come or I buy into the negative self-talk that I’ll never be good enough, or no matter how well my book is promoted no one will be interested – whatever obstacles there are, I’m prepared for the tough times. And I just keep going because achieving the end goal is what I want.
If you have dreams of writing a book and need some expert help, visit contentalchemy.co.uk and take a look at Book-writing Gold, my academy to step you through every stage of becoming an author.
