Writing a book, especially starting the process of writing a book, is not a simple task. But if it’s something on your bucket list, it’s worth doing!
Nowadays, the number of opportunities to publish a book has increased considerably, considering all the non-traditional formats, such as e-books.You can even publish it yourself online in stores like Amazon, Google Play, or iBooks.
Some might say the hardest part of getting your book out into the world is publishing it, but that’s just not completely true! As writers know, the hardest part of writing a book is, well, the writing process!
If you need help getting words to the page, you can always turn to a professional essay writing service to help complete your manuscript. The good news is that writing, unlike publishing, hardly requires funding or resources. After all, a pen and paper — that’s all it has taken to write for several centuries. If you still don’t know where to start or need some tips, here are a few:
22 Simple and Effective Tips For Writing a Book
#1. Start small
As with everything in life, don’t set yourself impossible goals: this is counterproductive, as you’ll only get demotivated.
Set a certain number of words per day (300 to 500) and always try to meet it. Little by little and without realizing it, the days will pass, and you will have made progress.
#2. Develop a guide
Start by writing a small outline, table of contents, or table of contents. If the chapters are very long, divide them into several sections to make them more manageable.
Keep the structure as simple as possible: beginning, middle, and end. Making things complicated at the beginning of the process does not facilitate progress. You will have time to improve it later.
#3. Set a writing schedule and stick to it every day
If you plan to take a few days off, plan it and then make up for lost time. Always keep in mind the due date, so you don’t get caught by the bull.
#4. Choose a space dedicated only to writing
Designate a special space within your home where you will only go to write, setting writing aside from other daily tasks.
If you have a spare room, buy a large table and create your own office. The important thing is that you feel comfortable and focused. You’ll be ready to start working on your book every time you enter your space.
#5. Keep word count conventions in mind
Divide your work into chapters of roughly equal length, keeping in mind the following: a short story is usually 10,000 words; a short digital book, 20,000 words; a sizable nonfiction book, 40,000 to 50,000 words; a longer nonfiction book, 60,000 to 70,000 words; and a regular novel is around 80,000 to 100,000 words.
#6. Set yourself a deadline each week
Setting small goals and sticking to them is a good way to make sure you make progress while staying motivated. Try setting weekly goals and always stick to them. You can set a certain number of words, a page, half a chapter… Whatever. The important thing is to stay on track.
#7. Get some criticism early on
There’s nothing worse than having to modify the whole book after you’ve written it. Pick a few people you trust and let them give you advice as the writing progresses. You don’t have to review everything every time you write a page, but it’s a good idea to do it every few chapters.
#8. Keep going
Do it however you want, but finish the book. Send it to a publisher, publish it on Amazon, post it on the Internet… Whatever it takes to get it out to the public. Don’t abandon it.
#9. Don’t pretend it’s perfect
You have to psych yourself up and know that it will not be easy. Don’t look for perfection: there will always be small mistakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad book.
Many times what you consider to be mistakes are not really mistakes. Every writer has his or her own characteristics, a style that makes him or her special and distinguishes him or her from the rest. Find yours.
#10. Write another book
Many famous writers feel ashamed of the first work they wrote. But without that first book, they could not have learned from their mistakes and moved on to get to where they are today.
Talent is not enough, and experience is also a great asset to succeed. So practice again, and again, and again, without fear of failure.
#11. Your book, your decisions
Listen to the people around you and don’t hesitate to accept their advice and criticisms, but remember that you are the writer when it comes down to it.
You decide what to change and what not to change, don’t let others influence your work too much. Think about what you want it to be, and don’t let it become someone else’s work.
#12. Don’t think about money
It’s too early to think about whether or not your book will be published, where, when, how, with what publisher, or how much money you will make. These thoughts can be all-consuming and distract you from what’s really important: the writing. Don’t want to sell the bear’s skin before you’ve hunted it.
#13. Work hard
Often the biggest difference between a good book and a bad book is simply the amount of work behind it.
Many people turn a deaf ear, but to write a good book, you have to work hard. It’s not going to be easy, and it takes work, study, patience, practice, and improvement… but it’s worth it.
#14. Don’t be discouraged
People can be very pessimistic; worse, pessimism is contagious. Most of the time, they will do it without bad intentions. Other times it is envy that speaks for them, but in no case, listen to them. If you work hard, you can achieve anything you want.
#15. Write the book you would like to read
Don’t think about your future readers while you are working on the book. Accept it now: there will be people who will like your book and people who won’t like it.
It is impossible to please everyone because there are different tastes. What you can do is write a good book, one that you like and are proud of.
#16. Use all the sources of inspiration within your reach
Writing is not easy. Sometimes everything goes smoothly, and we can write pages and pages without problems, but at other times we can suffer long blocks.
If your imagination fails you, look for other sources of inspiration. It’s okay to take ideas from your surroundings: transform anecdotes from your daily life or develop a new character based on someone you know. Anything goes to keep writing.
#17. Get into character
Especially if you’re writing in the first person, getting to know your characters well is important to give them more credibility. Immerse yourself in their psychology and their social interactions, think like them, and write as if you were them.
#18. Read the great authors
No one is born knowing, not even them. Take advantage of your free time to read some of the most famous works of literature. Don’t limit yourself to those authors you already know.
Also, look for inspiration in those novels that you had pending and had not yet been able to read. Franz Kafka, Truman Capote, Jane Austen, Charles Bukowski, Miguel de Cervantes, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Jules Verne… Classic authors are an endless source of learning (and entertainment).
#19. At some point, everything will start to get easier
Writers say the hardest part is the first 30,000 words. Although it may seem like a lot, don’t give up. Work little by little, day by day, until you get there.
Once you do, most of the story will be on track, and everything will go smoothly.
#20. Read aloud
Reading aloud is a good way to review your book as you write it. Once you’ve finished a chapter, read it once, twice, and a third time out loud. You’ll find flaws you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, and you’ll also be able to pick up on the rhythm and flow of the story and the naturalness of the conversations.
#21. Write with love
It’s always said that the most important thing is to put love into what you do. Love every word, every sentence, every paragraph.
Love your characters, with their many virtues or their many flaws. Love the story, its approach, and its denouement. Let others enjoy everything you have poured into your book.
#22. And enjoy it
The most important tip on the list. Enjoy the writing. Don’t think about others. Write for and by yourself.
The best writers are not those who write to please others or to make a lot of money. The best writers are those who enjoy their work, put all their energy into it, and learn to better themselves every day.
If you put all – or most – of these tips into practice, you will improve a lot as a writer and find it less difficult to start writing. Remember: the most important thing to get a book off the ground is to work hard at it, be patient, accept criticism and, above all, enjoy what you do.