How to write a book, step by step? We all think we have a book to write inside of us, whether it is a pure work of our imagination, with fantastic worlds and extraordinary beings, or telling stories of overcoming our own lives or even a theoretical work on some subject that we master.
And, really, many people have this important book to write.
Deep down, the essential difference between the actual writers and those who only dream about is one: the real writers write and generally publish their books, while the others just postpone this activity, thinking it is unattainable.
Writing a book is not such a complicated task. It requires only discipline and a knowledge of the techniques and principles to produce a quality work.
But if we were to divide the work of writing into three steps, these steps would be more or less like what follows, and this is true for works of fiction, such as novels, novels or short stories, and works of non-fiction, such as works of general knowledge, academic, biographies, history, etc.
Tip #1: Book planning and research
As a rule, most books will require time for planning and research.
In this step, you will have to conceive the formal structure of your book, how many parts or chapters you will have approximately, who the main characters of the plot are and a general or even detailed idea of the plot, that is, of what will happen in the story.
If you intend to equip yourself with certain structural traditional fictional narratives, such as Hero's Journey, the structure of 3, 5 or 7 acts, or in a less conventional or experimental way, this is the time to sit down and elaborate each of the main points of the plot, which occurs at each stage of the story and have a sense, even if not yet very clear, of what the end will be like.
But don't worry too much about this, because as you write, there is a good chance that you will change the course of things, especially when your characters create a life of their own and begin to dictate the course of the plot.
This is also the time to start your research and gather the supporting material. How you organize this step will depend very much on your own style, for some prefer to do a deep and detailed research, while others prefer to have a basic notion, while continuing research during writing.
If this is your first book, it will be a tremendous time to discover what works for you and what doesn't, and it will make your work easier in future books. Still, don't be comfortable or under any illusions that the process of one book will be identical for the next. Each work presents its own challenges, and many solutions which have worked out very well in one circumstance may not be the most appropriate for others like them.
And, really, many people have this important book to write.
Deep down, the essential difference between the actual writers and those who only dream about is one: the real writers write and generally publish their books, while the others just postpone this activity, thinking it is unattainable.
Writing a book is not such a complicated task. It requires only discipline and a knowledge of the techniques and principles to produce a quality work.
But if we were to divide the work of writing into three steps, these steps would be more or less like what follows, and this is true for works of fiction, such as novels, novels or short stories, and works of non-fiction, such as works of general knowledge, academic, biographies, history, etc.
Tip #1: Book planning and research
As a rule, most books will require time for planning and research.
In this step, you will have to conceive the formal structure of your book, how many parts or chapters you will have approximately, who the main characters of the plot are and a general or even detailed idea of the plot, that is, of what will happen in the story.
If you intend to equip yourself with certain structural traditional fictional narratives, such as Hero's Journey, the structure of 3, 5 or 7 acts, or in a less conventional or experimental way, this is the time to sit down and elaborate each of the main points of the plot, which occurs at each stage of the story and have a sense, even if not yet very clear, of what the end will be like.
But don't worry too much about this, because as you write, there is a good chance that you will change the course of things, especially when your characters create a life of their own and begin to dictate the course of the plot.
This is also the time to start your research and gather the supporting material. How you organize this step will depend very much on your own style, for some prefer to do a deep and detailed research, while others prefer to have a basic notion, while continuing research during writing.
If this is your first book, it will be a tremendous time to discover what works for you and what doesn't, and it will make your work easier in future books. Still, don't be comfortable or under any illusions that the process of one book will be identical for the next. Each work presents its own challenges, and many solutions which have worked out very well in one circumstance may not be the most appropriate for others like them.
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