Many people express a desire to write a book. These tips will help you get started whether you’ve got a story buzzing around your head or you want to impart your expertise with non-fiction.
Your writing does not have to be perfect
Whilst it’s true that the first line or page of a book has to grab the reader, you don’t need that killer sentence right now. Allow yourself to write whatever comes out and improve it later.
Sometimes it may feel that you are writing rubbish. This is normal. Keep going. There are times when I have spent days writing what feels like trash but then a wonderful idea emerges. If I hadn’t persisted through the drivel, then I would not have revealed the golden nugget.
When you are using a computer there is more risk of wanting to make the writing “correct” and accurate. If you get stuck, then switch to writing by hand as there seems to be a lesser desire to be perfect. You can type it up and edit it later or have someone else type it up.
Remember that a first draft is exactly that — a draft. Books go through several drafts but you can’t revise what isn’t on the page, so just get it down. Your initial efforts probably won’t meet your expectations but is good to produce lots of crap. That’s how you learn. This blog explains more about this concept.
Write in small chunks
It is tempting to think you have to quit your job to write a book. Unless you have a trust fund or a well-paid spouse, this is not a good idea. Even if you are in those fortunate circumstances, too much time on your hands and an empty page are not always a good combination.
Instead write in small chunks of time. If you pick a small target then there is more chance that you will do it every day. I like to shoot for 500 words a day. I can do this in twenty minutes so it isn’t a big time overhead. Other people like to set a minimum of ten minutes a day. Of course, if you are in the flow you can do more.
It is better to have a small target and achieve it every day than to be too ambitious, do it twice and then never get around to writing again. The average novel is…
