Have you ever thought it might be fun to write a book?
Maybe you would write a fiction book all about a fantasy world with characters that you created. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to write a story about your life, or share research you’ve learned on a subject you love.
Whatever topic or idea you have in mind, I want you to know that anyone can write a book! How do I know? Because I just wrote my first one this past year!
It can feel intimidating to write a book. Because of this a lot of people talk about it, but never actually start! So today I wanted to share some easy ways to get started writing. Stick with it and you just might have your very own book in no time!
1. Write down all your ideas
First things first. If you want to write a book, you have to decide what you want to talk about! Is this a fiction or a non-fiction book? Do you already have some characters in mind? What kind of setting or world do you want your book to be in? Already have a fun idea for the ending? Your first step should be getting all your ideas written down in one place. If you love pen and paper, you could pick up a fresh new journal for this. Prefer to keep things digital? A Google Doc works great too! It’s okay if your ideas don’t all go together yet. You just need a place to organize your thoughts. You can always go back to choose or change your favorite ideas later.
2. Gather your inspiration
It’s super important that you do this AFTER you finish #1. Get all your personal, unique, and creative ideas on paper. Then go get some additional inspiration and ideas from the experts. Do you have a favorite author, series or style of writing? Check out their cover designs, the way their books are formatted, the length of their books, etc. What are you finding in common with all your favorite books? How can you apply those things to your own writing? Add these ideas wherever you’re taking notes, and keep them in mind for steps #3 and #4.
3. Make time to actually WRITE
Life can be super busy. But if you ever want to finish your book, you have to make time to actually WRITE IT! If you’re in school like me, the best time might be weekends. Every Saturday and Sunday you can take an hour or two to write. Or maybe weeknights after dinner is a good time for you. Have time off from work or school? Make a whole book writing week! If you do a little less TV watching (one of my personal favorite things) or spend less time scrolling through social media, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done. Some people find it helpful to set a goal date or deadline for themselves. This might be worth a shot, too!
4. Put the pieces together
You’re doing it. You’re really, really going to write a book! Once you have a whole bunch of scenes or thoughts written out, it’s time to organize them in a way that makes sense. Separate your book into a beginning, middle and end, grab all the ideas in your notes, and start filling in the details! Don’t worry about making sure everything is grammatically perfect at this stage. That’s what editing is for. The important part is to form your story and ideas on paper and figure out what section of your book they’ll fit into best.
5. Edit, edit, edit
For some people, this is their favorite part! Or if you’re like me, it might be one of your least favorites. But no matter how you feel, editing is super important. This is where you have to take yourself out of your writing and make sure it’s easy for other people to understand and read too! If you know someone who is really good with grammar or editing, feel free to ask them for help! If you have the budget, you can also hire a professional editor who knows how books should be edited and formatted and edited. This is one of the quickest ways to whip your writing into shape. This article has lots of great ideas for finding an editor.
6. Decide on your format
Your book is almost ready! Now it’s time to decide how you want to get it out to other people. Whether you want to make a digital or physical book, you should definitely read my blog about designing a book cover. In it, I share all about making the cover for Welcome To Superhero School, and it might be helpful for you! Your cover is the first thing people see when they stumble on your book, so it’s super important.
From there, you can research ways to print or self-publish your book, make it a digital download, or even sell it on Amazon! The sky really is the limit here, and with a little research, you can find the perfect fit for you.
Of course, there are so many other things you can experiment with in this process, but I hope this blog gives you a good start.
Have you ever thought about writing a book, or have you already done it? I’d love to hear about it on my Facebook or Instagram! Good luck, and I can’t wait to read what you guys write!