How to write a book from start to finish

How to write a book from start to finish

When it comes to writing a book, it is a whole new journey even if you have had an experience in writing before.

Each book contains a different journey within the process of writing it. So, if anything that is waiting for you on this journey is a new adventure, filled with immense growth on any level that you will work on during the time of writing this book.

However, it will only happen when with the story of a book, whether fiction or non-fiction, you will work on the other important elements as well that contribute to writing a successful book.

Let’s talk about the other elements that contribute to writing a book, other than the story of your book.

Prioritize Your Writing:

Your writing will only get better if your treat it like you treat yourself and your other priorities.

Have your separate space. Establish your space and deadlines and commit to writing. The simpler it looks, the harder it is to keep up with the simplest requirements of writing your book. We could not emphasize the importance of writing in solitude and treating your deadlines sacredly and religiously.

If you are someone who cannot follow deadlines, then take your time before deciding the deadlines. But, once you decide them, commit to them.

Do not wait to find the perfect time to write, make a conscious effort and take the time to write.

One step at a time:

When you see those piles of papers, thousands of word count that you have to reach, do not overwhelm by it. Always remember it all does not happen in just a moment. Instead of looking to fill all those pages up, take one page and put the first thought you can think of in your mind.

Remember, all the big journeys always start with the first step. Stop expecting it to come to you, just start walking towards it. Sooner or later, the ideas and things that you want to be written on those pages will just carry you through.

Take the advice but don’t follow the pattern:

You may come across many authors’ bits of advice on how to write your book in the best way possible which is not wrong either, but still, you may end up finding yourself traps in the right and wrong ways of writing a book. What you need to work on since the beginning of writing your book is finding your own language and finding your own style.

The pressure of meeting the deadlines and keeping the process going is a discipline that everyone needs to follow, but how you continue to refill your jar of inspiration and ideas for the book, is something nobody can help you with unless have it figured out for yourself in the first place.

Are You a Pantser or a Plotter?

This may be the easiest way to put it. Knowing which category you belong to, is something that not only helps you have clarity about yourself and how you want to go about your work but also helps you know when to stay cautious of certain habits that may delay your process of writing.

What the Pantsers do is completely detach themselves from creating any structure or plot for their story. They would sit and start writing a story that is showing up to them at that moment. They will keep going with the flow and writing it all just as the plots and twists keep showing themselves to them.

What a Pantser experience is the immense level of freedom that comes with writing without bounds, but at the same time, it could sometimes lead them to some dangerous situations of being stuck and having no clue where and how to move the story anymore.

What the Plotter does is that they plan the whole story out. They will write a prescript of the story, mentioning the turns, plots, and twist that they want their story to go with. In short, their story is halfway written, even before it is completely written.

How it helps them in writing a book process is that they don’t usually find themselves in those stuck phases, where they have no idea where to lead the story, but what may turn out to be a con of being a plotter is that they have an already written and planned script for their book, which leaves almost no room for any more creativity. One change in the plot would mean a change in the whole structure of the story and would demand a whole new outline, which is an equally taxing job.

In the case of the writer then compromising their creativity, the story could easily turn dull and less engaging, losing many parts which could lead to mystery and sparkle in the story.

However, there is also a point to note that whether you are a Pantser or a Plotter, you will still need an outline in order to have a sense of the direction in which you are going. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that if the online that you created is not serving its purpose, and the book is working in a different direction, then simply change the outline, not the book, which leads us to the next step in writing your book.

The Marathon of the Middle:

As we have made a point earlier about making an outline in order to have that clarity for yourself in which direction you want your story to move. It is not just necessary for your coherence when you are working on a book as a beginner, but also to help out your agent or editor when learning about your story.

There are certain terms used in the fiction world, which we believe goes for non-fiction writers as well, such as the marathon of the middle.

A phase where every writer stops or sometimes gets stuck. The most daunting task is to get through that phase, where you suddenly think everything that wanted to tell or you had in mind, has been put down on those pages and nothing new or fresh is coming to your rescue to keep the story moving.

This is where your outline work sometimes, or your commitment to getting through this phase works. But, always keep that in mind that surviving the middle of the marathon is not enough, you need to take your time and ace it, in order to keep your reader stay with you.

Your book should reflect originality:

When you are writing a book, it is needless to say that you must have read enough books to design the idea for your own story of the book, but when actually working on it, many writers tend to fall in to pit of getting perfection, instead of authenticity.

Following all the “right” rules to get a successful book, but ignoring or compromising their originality, which actually set a book apart to reach the hands of its reader.

When writing a book, staying true to the process and not just the schedule is the key.

As Lee Child brilliantly puts it:

“A book if it has got any chance of succeeding, it got to be vibrant, and alive, it’s got to be a beating heart, and it is got to be organic. Then it stands a chance, and if it has not got any of those things then it’s got no chance.”

Do Not Rush The Ending:

Imagine somebody decides to discard all the hard work, the headaches, the sleepless nights, struggles, and the fight that you have put with everything around you; in order to write this book. Now imagine, you do this to yourself by giving a brilliantly constructed story a very average ending just to get the job done.

Never do this to your book. Never settle for the second-best. Take as much time as you need. Bring all of your best options to the table, think thoroughly, and make every effort in your capacity to make a book memorable to its reader.

The ending part of a book is probably the most important part of your writing process. It should be able to move them. Leave an impact on them.

A book creates a connection with its reader, don’t make your book leave that connection without leaving a good bond with its reader.