{"id":3250,"date":"2020-12-17T21:20:58","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T21:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=3250"},"modified":"2024-09-26T14:00:14","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T13:00:14","slug":"how-to-write-a-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-write-a-book\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Write A Book In 10 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you writing a book? Maybe you\u2019re starting out for the first time? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty years ago, I was in your exact position. My wife was seriously unwell. I\u2019d quit work to look after her. And yes, a lot of my time was spent caring for her\u2026 but that still left a whole lot of hours in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t want to just do nothing<\/em> with that time. And I\u2019d always wanted<\/em> to write a book. (I\u2019ve still got a little home-movie film clip of me, age 9, being asked what I wanted to be when I was grown up. I answered, \u201cI want to be an author.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, sitting at home, and often quite literally at my wife\u2019s bedside, I opened my laptop and started to write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That book grew into a 190,000-word monster. I was engrossed by the damn thing too. Worked really hard. Was a perfectionist about every detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got an agent and I got a six-figure book deal with HarperCollins, one of the world\u2019s largest publishers. And the book went on to become a bestseller that sold in a load of foreign territories too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And best of all? I got a career I loved. I\u2019ve been in print continuously ever since, bringing out about a book a year in that time, and I\u2019ve basically loved every second of it. (Oh, and my wife? Yeah, she\u2019s got a long term condition that will never leave her, but she\u2019s about a million times better than she was back in those days. It\u2019s been an up-down ride, but we\u2019ve been a lot more lucky than not.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Super-Simple Step-By-Step Guide For New Writers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But you\u2019re not reading this because you want to know about me. You want to know how to start writing a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve got a big empty screen to deal with. A headful of ideas, a desire to write\u2026 but no structure for putting those ideas into practice. You want to know: what next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, that\u2019s a good question. (One I didn\u2019t think about too hard about when I started out, but then again I did end up deleting a 60,000-word chunk of my first draft because it was just no damn good.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what do you need to do next? The book writing process can be incredibly daunting, so we’ve made it simpler for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to start writing a book, take the following steps, in the following order\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write A Book In 10 Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Take one fabulous idea<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Build a blistering plot<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Add unforgettable characters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Give your characters inner life<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Add drama by showing it unfolding on the page<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Write with clarity, economy and precision<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Writing for children? Same rules apply!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Be disciplined<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Revise your draft<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Get feedback<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Take One Fabulous Idea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to know how to write a novel, there is only one sensible place to start, and that\u2019s not with the first line as you might think, but with the very idea of your book \u2013 the thing you want to write about. This is one part of the writing process which you can’t avoid. Which is great, as for lots of people it’s the most fun part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Concept matters massively. It\u2019s almost impossible to overstate its importance. Stephenie Meyer writes competent prose, but it\u2019s her concept that turned Twilight<\/em> into a cultural phenomenon. Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson, and Stephen King are similar. They\u2019re decent writers blessed with stunning ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Agents know this, and \u2013 no matter what your genre \u2013 a strong premise is essential to selling a book. Given any two broadly similar manuscripts, agents will almost always pick the one with the strongest central concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How, then, do you get your amazing book ideas<\/a>? The answer is that you probably already have them. Your killer idea may be germinating in your head right now. It may arise from a passion of yours; it may come out of a book you love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s not about the seed<\/em> of the idea. It\u2019s how you develop it that counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The key here is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (A) picking material that excites you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (B) picking enough<\/em> material (so you want several ideas for possible settings, several ideas for possible heroes, several ideas for basic challenge\/premise, etc. You want to be able to make choices from a place of abundance.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (C) \u2013 and this is the genius bit<\/em> \u2013 you need to start combining those ingredients in a way that ensures you have at least one rogue ingredient, one unexpected flavour in your concoction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So let\u2019s say that you just wanted to write a 1940s, film-noir style, private-eye detective story \u2013 an homage<\/em> to Raymond Chandler and that great generation of writers. If you just replicated all those ingredients, you\u2019d have an unsaleable book. Why? Because they\u2019re too familiar. If people want those things, they\u2019d just buy Chandler\u2019s own work or others of that era. So throw in \u2013 a ghost. A German secret agent. Or set the story in a black community in Alabama. Or\u2026 whatever. Just make sure there\u2019s one discordant ingredient to make readers sit up and take notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Need more help? Then go watch this 10-minute video<\/a> I put together that walks you through this exact part of the writing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It also helps to know really early on what kind of word count you should be looking at. The gold-standard way to figure this out is to get hold of five or six recently published novels in your exact area. Then count the words on a typical page and multiply up to get an approximate total. If that sounds like too much work, then just use our handy guide<\/a>. The gold-standard approach is better though!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    \"writing-a-book\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    2. Build A Blistering Plot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The next essential for any novelist is a story that simply forces the reader to keep turning pages. Fortunately, there are definite rules about how to achieve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the rules you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Work With A Very Small Number Of Protagonists<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    These are the main characters in your story. The ones who propel the action and whose stories the readers invest in. You probably only have one protagonist, and that\u2019s fine. If you have two or three, that\u2019s fine too. More than that? Not for a first book, please! They\u2019ll make your job too hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unsettle The Status Quo<\/strong> Very Early On<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    You could possibly do this from the first page, but certainly within the first chapter. The incident that gets the story rolling is called the Inciting Incident, and it\u2019s the catalyst for everything that follows. Read more about how to make your Inciting Incident work really well here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Give Your Protagonist A Major Life Challenge<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Do this very early on in the book and don\u2019t resolve things till the very end. The reader basically read the book to see whether your protagonist gets the thing they\u2019re seeking. Does the gal get the guy? Does James Bond save the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Increase Jeopardy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Though it’s important to do this over the course of the book, it doesn\u2019t have to be an even progression, by any means. But by the final quarter or third of your novel, your protagonist needs to feel that everything<\/em> hinges on the outcome of what follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    End Your Book With A Crisis<\/strong> And Resolution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    So the crisis part is when everything seems lost. But then your hero or heroine summons up one last effort and saves the day in the end. In general, in most novels, the crisis wants to seem really bad, and the resolution wants to seem really triumphant. It\u2019s achieving the swing from maximum light to maximum dark that will really give the reader a sense of a satisfying book. (More on plot structure<\/a> here.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Delete Unessential Chapters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    And finally, one more crucial tip: if a chapter doesn\u2019t advance the story in a specific way, you must delete that chapter. How come? Because all the reader really wants is to know whether your protagonist achieves the thing they\u2019re seeking. If that basic balance between protagonist and goal doesn\u2019t alter in the course of a chapter, you\u2019ve given your reader no reason to read it. So axe unnecessary backstory. Ignore minor characters. Care about your protagonist with a passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sounds simple?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well, the principles aren\u2019t that hard to understand, although executing the advice can be a wee bit trickier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use the \u201csnowflake method\u201d to build your structure. The heart of this concept is the idea that you should start with an incredibly bare-bones summary of your narrative \u2013 one sentence is fine. Then you add something about character. Then you build that sentence out into a paragraph. And so on. It\u2019s a great way of allowing your plot to emerge somewhat naturally. More help on that technique here<\/a> \u2013 but don\u2019t ask my why it\u2019s called the snowflake method. It\u2019s nothing like a snowflake.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    3. Add Unforgettable Characters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Long after a reader has forgotten details of a plot, the chances are they\u2019ll remember the character who impelled it. The two things you absolutely must bear in mind when constructing your characters are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Make sure that the character and the story bounce off one another<\/strong> in interesting ways. If, to take a stupid example, your character has a fear of spiders, the chances are that your story needs to force your character to confront those fears. You must bring your character into their zone of greatest discomfort.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Make sure you really, really know your character<\/strong>. It\u2019s so often little things, and subtleties that make characters seem human (e.g. Amy has a passion for Manhattan in winter; she collects a shell from every beach she\u2019s ever visited.) If you want to check if you know your character well enough, we suggest you use our ultimate character builder<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Oh yes, and one great tip (albeit one that won\u2019t work for every novel) is this: if in doubt, add juice to your character<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here\u2019s an example of what I mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Stieg Larsson could have just written a book about a genius computer hacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But he didn\u2019t. He could have written a book about a genius computer hacker with Aspergers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But he didn\u2019t. He could have written a book about a genius computer hacker with Aspergers and a hostile attitude towards society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But he didn\u2019t. He could have written a book about a genius computer hacker with Aspergers, a hostile attitude towards society, and who was also a rape victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      He also tossed in a complex parental background, bisexuality, a motorbike, years spent in the Swedish care system, and an aptitude for violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It was the intoxicating brew of all those elements combined that created one of the world\u2019s most successful recent fictional creations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Short moral: if in doubt, do more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Our character development<\/a> page has got a free downloadable character profile questionnaire that asks you 200+ questions about your character. Those questions basically challenge you to know your character better than you know your best friend. It\u2019ll only take you an hour or two to complete the worksheet \u2013 and your character knowledge will be propelled to a whole new dimension of awesome. Honestly? It might be the single most useful hour you can spend right now. Uh, unless you are on a burning ship in a storm. In which case, reading this paragraph is not a good use of your time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      \"give-your-characters-inner-life\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      4. Give Your Characters Inner Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      One of the commonest problems we see is when a character does and says all the right stuff, but the reader never really knows what they think<\/em> or feel<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you don\u2019t create that insight into the character\u2019s<\/a> inner world, the book will fail to engage your reader, because that insight is the reason why people read. After all, if you just want to watch explosions, you\u2019ll go to a Bond or Bourne movie. If you want to feel what it\u2019s like to be<\/em> James Bond or Jason Bourne, you have no alternative but to read Ian Fleming\u2019s or Robert Ludlum\u2019s original novels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This character insight is one of the simplest things for a novelist to do. You just need to remember that your protagonist has a rich inner world, and then you need to tell us about it. So we want to know about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. What the character thinks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. What their emotions are<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. What they remember<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. What their physical sensations are<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. And so on<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        It\u2019s OK to use fairly bland language at times (\u201cshe was hungry\u201d, \u201cshe felt tired\u201d), but you\u2019ll only start to get real depth into your characters if you get individual and specific too. See for example how much richer this passage feels, and how full of its character it seems to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Seeing the meat, she felt a sudden revulsion. The last time she\u2019d seen mutton roasting like this on an open fire, it had been when [blah, blah \u2013 something to do with the character\u2019s past]. As the memories came back, her throat tightened and her stomach was clenched as though ready to vomit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        Because the character has thoughts, feeling, memories and physical sensations all combining here, the moment is richly endowed with personality. A simple \u201cShe felt revolted\u201d wouldn\u2019t have had anything like the same impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Once you\u2019ve written 20-30,000 words or so, it\u2019s worth pausing to check that your characters seem alive on the page. So just print off four or five random pages from your manuscript and circle any statements that indicate your character\u2019s inner life (physical sensations, memories, thoughts, feelings, and so on.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you find nothing at all, you have written a book about a robot and you may need to rethink. If you do find indicators of inner life, but they\u2019re all bland and unengaging (\u201cI was hungry\u201d, \u201cI remembered a barn like that when I was a kid.\u201d), you may want to juice up your character. If you find a rich inner life, then you\u2019re doing great. Just keep at it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        5. Add Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Your job as a novelist is to show<\/em> action unfolding on the page. Readers don\u2019t just want a third-hand report of what has just happened. That means you need to tell things moment-by-moment, as if you were witnessing the event. Consider the difference between this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Ulfor saw the descending sword in a blur of silver. He twisted to escape, but the swordsman above, a swarthy troll with yellow teeth, was too fast, and swung hard.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (This form of narration is \u201cshowing\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Ulfor was badly injured in a swordfight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        (This form of narration is known as \u201ctelling\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The first snippet sounds like an actual story. The second sounds like a news report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Obviously, you will need to use the second mode of storytelling from time to time. Telling can be a simple way to convey facts and speed things up, but for the most part, your tale needs to consist of scenes of dramatic action, glued together with bits of sparse narration. If in doubt, look up our free tips on the \u2018show, don\u2019t tell\u2019 rule.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        One of the real drivers of drama on the page \u2013 and one of the real pleasures of fiction \u2013 is intense, alive, surprising dialogue. Writing dialogue competently is pretty easy \u2013 you can probably do it already.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But writing really great dialogue (think Elmore Leonard, for example) is not so simple. That said there are rules you can follow which just make your writing better. For more advice on all this, just check out <\/em>our page on dialogue<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        \"write-well\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        6. Write Well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        It sounds obvious, but it\u2019s no good having a glowing idea and a fabulous plot if you can\u2019t write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Your book is made up of sentences, after all, and if those sentences don\u2019t convey your meaning succinctly and clearly, your book just won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Almost everyone has the capacity to write well. You just need to focus on the challenge. So think about the three building blocks of good writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        A. Clarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        You need to express your meaning clearly. Of course, YOU know what you\u2019re meaning to say, but would a reader understand as clearly? One good way to check yourself here is to read your own work aloud. If you stumble when reading, that\u2019s a big clue that readers will stumble too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        B. Economy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Never use ten words when eight would do. That means checking every sentence to see if a word or two could be lost. It means checking every paragraph for sentences that you don\u2019t need. Every page for surplus paragraphs. If that sounds pedantic, just think about this. If you tried to sell a 100,000 book that had 20,000 surplus words in it, you shouldn\u2019t be surprised if agents rejected it, because it was just too boring and too baggy. But that\u2019s the exact same difference as a 10-word sentence and an 8-word one. In a word: pedantry matters. It\u2019s your friend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        C. Precision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Be as precise as possible. This normally means you need to see<\/em> the scene in your head before you can describe<\/em> it clearly to a reader. So it\u2019s easy to write \u201ca bird flew around the tree\u201d, but that\u2019s dull and imprecise. Just think how much better this is: \u201cA pair of swallows flew, chirrupping, around the old apple tree.\u201d The difference in the two sentences is basically one of precise seeing, and precise description. Need more help? Then you\u2019ll find this article<\/a> really useful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you can manage those three things \u2013 and you can; it\u2019s just a question of making the effort \u2013 then you can write well enough to write a novel. That\u2019s nice to know, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Descriptive writing sounds like it ought to be boring, right? Everyone knows what a coffee shop looks like, so isn\u2019t it just wasting words to tell the reader?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Except that\u2019s not how it works. The reason why writing descriptions matters so much is that the reader has to feel utterly present in your fictional world. It has to feel more real than the world of boring old reality. That\u2019s where great descriptive writing comes into its own. If you can \u2013 economically, vividly \u2013 set a scene, then all your character interactions and plot twists will come into their own. They\u2019ll feel more dramatic, more alive. And again: there are simple repeatable techniques for strong descriptive writing. Read more about them right here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        7. What If I\u2019m Writing For Children?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Same rules apply, no matter the age or genre you\u2019re writing for, but we\u2019ve put together a collection of our best tips for children\u2019s authors<\/a>, including help on how to get a literary agent who\u2019s right for you and your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Whatever else, write clearly and economically. If your style isn\u2019t immediate and precise, children won\u2019t have the patience to keep up with you. If a chapter doesn\u2019t drive the story forwards, you\u2019ll lose them. If in doubt, keep it simple. Write vivid characters to an inventive plot. Write with humour and a bit of mischief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        But really: if you\u2019re writing for kids, then follow ALL the rules in this blog post, but do the whole thing on a smaller scale. The only really crucial issue that distinguishes children\u2019s fiction from adult work is word count<\/strong>. You just have to know the right kind of length for the specific market you are writing for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        That means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Figure out what age range you are aiming at<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Figure out what kind of books you are writing (books about unicorns for 6-7 year olds? Adventure stories for young teens? Contemporary issue-driven books for mid-teens?)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Get hold of some books in the right niche<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Take a typical page in those books<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Count the words<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        6. Multiply the number of words by the number of pages. Done!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Oh, and don\u2019t rely on internet searches to give you the right answer. Because there is so much age-dependent variability in kids fiction, crisscrossed by a good bit of format and genre variability, the only safe route to follow is the one we\u2019ve just given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n

          Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The most common mistake made by aspiring children\u2019s authors has to do with writing down to children. And that\u2019s wrong. Children don\u2019t want to be lectured or patronised. They want their world to be taken as seriously by you as they take it themselves. One of the reasons Roald Dahl was so successful was that he wrote about stuff that adults (in the real world, outside fiction) would have disapproved of. A giant who spoke funny? Adult twits who behaved badly? A lethally dangerous chocolate factory? Dahl\u2019s willingness to be subversive put him clearly on the side of kids, not adults. Authors such as Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, JK Rowling, and Stephenie Meyer all use the same basic trick. Copy them!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

          \"good-writing-disciplines\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          8. Set Up Some Good Writing Disciplines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          The first rule of writing is this: Good writers write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          They don\u2019t want to<\/em> write. They don\u2019t think about<\/em> writing. They don\u2019t write a blog post about<\/em> writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          They write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Sure you can do those other things too, but they\u2019re not what counts. What counts is bum-on-seat hours and that document word count ticking ever upwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Now the truth is that different writers approach their work differently. There\u2019s no one set of rules that works for everyone. But here are some rules that may<\/em> work for you. If they do, great. If they don\u2019t, adapt them as you need. Either way, if the rules help you write, great. If they don\u2019t, discard them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          So. The rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Set Up Your Writing Space<\/strong> So It Appeals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Lose the distractions. Make sure you have a computer, pens, and notebooks that you like using. Get a comfortable chair. You’re going to be in your dedicated writing space a lot, so it’s important to find somewhere you can relax. (Just don’t get so relaxed that you end up spending hours of the time that you allocated to your writing sessions surfing the internet or cuddling your cat.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Eliminate Distractions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Got a TV in your writing room? Then lose the TV. Or change rooms. Get rid of the distractions that most bother you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Determine When And How Often You Will Write<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          If you have a busy life, it\u2019s OK if that\u2019s a bit ramshackle (\u201cTuesday morning, alternate Wednesdays, and Saturday if I get a chance.\u201d) But the minimum here is that you set a weekly allowance of hours for your writing sessions, and stick to it come hell or high water. Pair your writing schedule with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Set A Weekly Target Word Count<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Hit your word count target every week, no excuses. In terms of specifics, it doesn’t matter how many words you write. Whether you reach a word count of 2,000 each day or 300, what’s key is being consistent. Once you’ve started writing and have tangible evidence of your hard work, it’s likely that carving out some writing time and reaching your target will get easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Make Some Kind Of Outcome Commitment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          For example: When I have finished this book, I will get an external professional editor to give me comments<\/em>. Or: I will share this with my book group<\/em>. You just need to have in mind that this book will be read. That knowledge keeps you honest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Commit To A Deadline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Don\u2019t make that too tough on yourself, but do make it real. Almost anyone should be able to manage 2,000 words a week, even with a busy life. And most adult novels are 70-100,000 words long, so in less than a year, you have yourself a book, my friend. With practice, you\u2019ll get faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Work To An Outline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          I said you needed to sketch your plot, right? (You can get that plotting worksheet by navigating to the top of the sidebar on this page.) Use that outline as your story-compass. If you need to tweak it as you go, that\u2019s fine \u2013 but no radical changes, please!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Always Prioritise The Reader\u2019s Perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Don\u2019t write to please yourself. Write to please the reader. If you need to imagine an actual Ideal Reader, then do so. Write for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Don\u2019t Worry If Your First Draft Is Lousy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          It\u2019s meant to be! That\u2019s what first drafts are for. Jane Smiley said, \u201cAll first drafts are perfect, because all they have to do is exist.\u201d Same goes for you, buddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Take Breaks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          If you\u2019re a fidgety writer (as I am), you\u2019ll want to take a lot of breaks. If you concentrate fiercely for twenty minutes and take a break for five or ten, that\u2019s fine. Just keep going that way. This is your writing time, and it’s important that you set it out in a way which works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Warm Up Each Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          I always edit my work of the day before as a way to warm myself up for the chapter I\u2019m about to begin. If you like to warm up differently, then go for it. Just remember you may not be able to just start writing fresh text at 9.01 am precisely. Most of us need to warm the engine a little first. Even if all you do for the first ten minutes is get settled into your dedicated writing space and re-read yesterday’s work, that’s a great start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          And that\u2019s it. Do those things, and you should be fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          9. Revise Your First Draft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Nearly all first drafts will have problems, some of them profound. That\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A first draft is just your opportunity to get stuck in on the real business: which is refining and perfecting the story you\u2019ve just told yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          That means checking your story, checking your characters, checking your writing style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Then, doing all those things again. You\u2019ll find new issues, new niggles every time you go back to your work (at least to start with), and every time you fix those things, your book will get better. It\u2019s a repetitive process, but one you should come to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Don\u2019t get alarmed by the repetitions: think of this rewriting task as climbing a spiral staircase. Yes, you are going round in circles, but you are rising higher all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          We\u2019ve seen hundreds of new manuscripts every year, and we\u2019re pretty good at recognising common problems. We\u2019ve even got a checklist<\/a> of recurring issues we find. Most are fixable, so you don\u2019t need to worry too much if some of those apply to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The thing is simply to figure out what the issue is, then sit down to address it. Remember that all successful novelists started the same way as you did: with a lousy manuscript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n

          Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Editing your own work can be a challenging and somewhat mysterious process. So we\u2019ve removed the mystery. We\u2019ve put some actual edits to an actual book (by me, as it happens) up on the blog, so you can see how the self-editing process works for an experienced pro author. You can find more about all that over here<\/a>. While you\u2019re at it, you may want to take a look at the various different types of editing <\/a>that are available. But don\u2019t jump into paid editing until a very late stage. For now, self-editing will improve your manuscript and build your skills.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

          \"get-writing-feedback\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          10. Make Friends, Get Feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Writing a book is hard work. It\u2019s lonely. Those around you are seldom equipped to offer expert feedback and advice \u2013 and, of course, this is a difficult road. Most first novels do not get published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          So please don\u2019t try to go it alone. Here are some things you can and probably should do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Join A Writing Group Or Online Writing Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          It’s really helpful to be able to interact with people who are on a similar path to you, and understand what writing is like. There are many communities to choose from. Like ours! See our expert tip below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Go Public With Some Of Your Writing Goals\/Achievements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          That could just mean updating your Facebook page or talking with your friends at the office. The main thing is to avoid your book feeling like a dark secret you\u2019re not able to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Get Friendly Peer Feedback<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          When your book is finished and roughly edited, it can be useful to seek supportive feedback, of the \u201cWow, you can really do this!\u201d variety. You\u2019ll need to get tougher in due course, but that early support can work wonders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Build Your Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          That could mean taking a creative writing course<\/a>, or\u00a0working with a mentor<\/a> or a book editor<\/a>, or\u00a0attending an event<\/a>. Whatever you choose to do, you will improve as a writer and writing & editing your next book will come easier than it did this first time round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Get Professional Feedback <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Once you\u2019ve done as much self-editing as you can manage, getting some professional feedback is the ideal next step. There is absolutely no better way to improve a manuscript than to get a rigorous set of comments from an experienced third-party editor. We offer a host of top-quality editorial services<\/a> via our outstanding book editors<\/a>. There’s no better way to improve your manuscript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Remember, you don\u2019t have to do all of this at once. This is a marathon, not a sprint. So go easy with yourself when setting out your goals. Under-commit and over-deliver, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n

          Expert tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Meet friends in a free and knowledgeable community of writers. I blog there every week and thousands of writers like you meet to share peer-to-peer critiques, gossip, advice and support. And also \u2013 friendship. Passion makes friends like nothing else and our community is all about passion. Sign up is totally free. And fast. And easy. <\/em>Just go here and do what you gotta do<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

          Bonus Tip: Get A Literary Agent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Literary agents only take about one book in a thousand, so before you take this final step, we do suggest that you\u2019ve completed numbers 1 to 9 properly. You should also take a look at our advice on manuscript presentation<\/a> to make sure you\u2019re really prepared for the next stage. That said, if your novel is good enough, you will find it easy enough to secure representation. Just follow these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A) Select Your Target Agents<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          We have a complete list of literary agents<\/a> and you can filter all data by genre, agent experience and more. It\u2019s the most complete source of its kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          B) Choose About 8-12 Names<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          You\u2019re looking for agents keen to take on new writers. If they happen to represent authors you love, so much the better. (More advice<\/a> on how to start your agent search.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          C) Write A Fabulous Covering Letter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          This can be a little daunting. But once you’re familiar with the process, it will feel less overwhelming. Try using this advice and sample letter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          D) Write A Good, Clear Synopsis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Synopsis writing is a process that terrifies most writers, but this is easier than you might think. Just follow these tips<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          E) Get Your Stuff Out There<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          And there you have it: 10 steps to help you start writing that novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          This may seem like a long, daunting process, but you want to write a book, and now you know where to start. So let’s celebrate that for now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Happy writing, good luck. And keep going!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Are you writing a book? Maybe you\u2019re starting out for the first time? Twenty years ago, I was in your exact position. My wife was seriously unwell. I\u2019d quit work to look after her. And yes, a lot of my time was spent caring for her\u2026 but that still left a whole lot of hours<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":443921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[29047],"class_list":["post-3250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novel-writing","tag-unwcpop1"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJericho Writers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how to write a book is ten simple steps with the help of our in-depth guide that will also show you how to find a literary agent!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-write-a-book\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta 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