A Week In Writing: Starting the Book

A Week In Writing

This week I'll be exploring the craft of writing. For all those would-be writers, and those just plain interested in how a book goes from an idea to published work, these topics should help round out the process. Below you'll find the agenda for the week. Enjoy!

Monday: Starting the Book

Tuesday: Thy Name Be Character/World Building

Wednesday: Editing

Thursday: Epublishing versus the Print World

Friday: The Dreaded Query

Saturday: Finding Your Book a Happy Home

Today's topic is Starting the Book.

Seems basic, right? But how do you take an idea from concept to fruition? Ever sat down and tried to write a book? It's not as easy as it sounds. First, you need an idea, and you need to be realistic about your ability to write about it. For example, most writers write what they like to read, or at least what they know about. I like paranormals and futuristics, and I love writing them. I also like to read historicals, but I don't write them. Why? Because I haven't done the research required to write a decent historical. Have you ever read a book that sounded so fake you lost interest? "This person has no idea what cops do. My three year old could write a better medical procedural than that."


That's because the writer clearly didn't research well, if at all. And this applies not only to historicals, but to all genres. Don't write about an FBI agent unless you know how a federal agent operates. Yes, most of us write fiction, but if it's set in today's world it has to be adhere to societal rules and structures.


Okay, so let's say your writing a paranormal or futuristic. YOU write the rules of a particular society. Here the trick is to be consistent. As creator of the world you built, all the blue people need to be blue, not white or red when it's convenient. And if you give all of your characters superpowers, you need to keep track of who does what.


All that said, you have your idea for a story. Great. Now write. Sit down and write. Do you write every day at the same time? When you get the urge? Whenever you get a spare moment? Everyone is different. Personally, I write whenever my kids are napping during the day, and every night. Now, my "writing" time may be editing, writing or brainstorming, but the time allotted is specifically for creating stories. My recommendation, especially for newer writers, is to set a schedule. Even if it's only 10 minutes a day, stick to it. If you try writing when you get the urge, it makes it harder to finish your piece, as you're constantly backtracking to figure out where you were going with an idea when you last stopped.


Once you figure out your idea and devise a writing time that works best for you, the hardest part is getting past the editing phase. When I first started writing, I had a solid thirty pages done. Then I'd rewrite those thirty pages over and over. I'd write when the mood hit me, and if I was sad, my story had one tone. Excited or happy, another, and so on, until my story was a different thirty pages every few days or weeks. Force yourself to ignore what you've written and continue on. Read your last words only to get a gist of where to continue if you must. And write your book.


Oh, but I haven't hit on a favorite topic of discussion about writing. To outline or not to outline? Some writers map out a story and stick with it, others are "pantsers," writers who have a general idea of what they're writing and let the characters write their own ending. I'm one of the latter. I've outlines and written synopses to death, only to have my stories go haywire after chapter two. But each author is different, and you have to do what's best for you.


Well, I've touched on quite a few topics on beginning the novel.

Happy Writing!

Marie