Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 7: Come up with a general idea of ​​the piece
• Method 2 of 7: Working on the plot
• Method 3 of 7: Working on the heroes of the work
• Method 4 of 7: Working on the world of the piece
• Method 5 of 7: Create Your Own Workplace
• Method 6 of 7: Writing on a Schedule
• Method 7 of 7: More specific advice
• Tips

Tell me, have you ever had this: you seem to want to write a book, but where to start is not clear? Or maybe you started writing a book, but then you just got lost and didn't know what to do next? Read this article to learn how to write a book and where to start.

Steps

Method 1 of 7: Come up with a general idea of ​​the piece

1. 1 Come up with a theme for the piece. Before you start writing a book, you need an idea. She is, you know, like a seed from which the tree of your book will grow. Yes, it's difficult to come up with it, but if you open yourself up to new impressions, then you will have a lot of ideas - just choose!
   • There are different ideas for getting started on a book. You can only have a general plot, or where everything will take place, or only the protagonist's line, or something less large and detailed. No matter how difficult it is in the beginning, any idea can be turned into a great book.
2. 2 Study the topic. Have you decided what you will write about? Now study the question. For example, let's say you decided to write a book about kids playing a futuristic video game. Thus, it makes sense to learn more about video games, maybe you should even play them yourself. So you will get new experience and, as a result, new ideas.
3. 3 Develop the topic. Any topic can be made more complex, more developed - there would be ideas. You can make the topic more elaborate if you develop it to a logical conclusion, take into account all the circumstances and all that. And the better you work on the topic, the easier it will be to work on the plot.
   • Take the same story about video games. The question may arise - who made this game? What for? What happens to those who play it?
4. 4 Think about your readers. Coming up and developing a theme? Have you forgotten about the readers? Tell me, who are you writing the book for? Different people, different backgrounds, different knowledge levels - you will have to consider all of this when you start working on the plot and characters.
   • Create a book preview (for yourself). Include a summary, cover idea, and title. This will help you come up with ways to make your book attractive.
   • Do not think that your hands are tied - a book about children playing video games may well be interesting for, say, elderly people, who generally have a hard time knowing what kind of beast a video game is. Nevertheless, if you are writing a book for those who have never encountered the topic of the work, then you will have to show miracles of ingenuity to describe everything clearly and easily.

Method 2 of 7: Working on the plot

1. 1 Choose a structure. At the beginning of work on the book, you should work on the plot.Yes, you can leave some room for maneuvers, but in general, working on a book without a kind of "road map" rarely leads to something good. And the best thing is to start by choosing the structure of the piece. According to the theory of writing, there are several basic structures according to which most fiction is written. However, these basic structures may well be combined with each other. The two most basic of them are called:
   • Act. Most often this structure is mentioned in the context of films and performances, although it is quite applicable to books. The bottom line is that the work can be decomposed into several separate fragments without any problems. As a rule, there are three such fragments, although there may be two or four. In the classical three-piece structure in the first act, which accounts for about 25% of the work, the characters, major and minor, the setting of the work are introduced, the problem that needs to be solved is described, and some background information is also given. In the second act (50% of the work) the conflict and the plot are revealed, and it is in it, one might say, that all the most interesting is told. The third act is the denouement, climax and conclusion. Each of these three acts can, in turn, be split into smaller segments, each telling about something different.
   • Monomyth. The general essence of such a structure of the work is that all stories with the participation of heroes can be grouped according to archetypes. It all starts with the fact that the hero was called on an adventure, although he at first refuses. Then the hero is given some kind of help by those whom he knew from past adventures. Then - a series of tests, and at the very end - a serious personal test, a confrontation with the antagonist and a triumphant return home.
2. 2 Select the type of conflict. What type of conflict will drive your book and make your readers read it to the end? There are many such mechanisms for disclosing a plot are known, but the main ones are:
   • Man versus nature - when the protagonist is faced with some kind of natural phenomenon.
   • Human versus supernatural - when the protagonist encounters something alien, paranormal or mythical.
   • Person versus person - when the protagonist collides with another person (by the way, the most common type of conflict).
   • A person against society - respectively, when a challenge is thrown down to social norms or to society itself.
   • Man against himself - and here the story is about the struggle with himself, his inner demons and fears.
3. 3 Think about the theme of the piece. Consciously or not, the story will end with the theme. What is a theme? This is what you were actually talking about. As you open up a topic, you will most likely end up describing your attitude towards it. In general, think carefully about choosing a topic - this will help develop the plot through certain situations and events.
   • Frank Herbert's Dune isn't exactly about a guy taking revenge on his family. This is about the dangers of imperialism, moreover, Herbert made it clear that, in his opinion, the Western world is tightly bogged down in all this, which is alien to him and does not lend itself to his control.
4. 4 Come up with key plot points. These are, in a way, turning points in history, important events that change the course of the hero's movement. And you need to be clear about them. An event that convinced the hero to go on a campaign? Key point. The tipping point where all plans go downhill? Key point. The denouement, the final battle? Key point again!
5. 5 Sketch it. So, you have decided what and how you will write. Now is the time to make the first sketch of your piece. This is, in fact, his roadmap, a map of ideas - but without this, a book cannot be written. Write down the general content of all scenes, their purpose, the characters involved in them, their thoughts and feelings, and so on. Every detail in the sequence of events must be recorded.All this is the best way to deal with the creative crisis, because with the help of such a map you can always describe the main scenes of the work, even if not ideally.

Method 3 of 7: Working on the heroes of the work

1. 1 Decide on the number of heroes. Already at the earliest stages of work on a book, it is worth thinking about - how many characters will there be? Maybe at a minimum, to make the reader feel lonely? Or as much as possible to create the most detailed and voluminous world? This is an important issue that should be addressed as early as possible.
2. 2 Balance the heroes of the piece. Nobody is perfect or gorgeous in everything. Only Mary Sue is not mistaken (the type of "ideal, impeccable and exceptionally brilliant hero"), but such heroes are dear only to their authors. Let your heroes have problems, worries, failures - all this will make them more real, and it will be easier for readers to associate themselves with such heroes. Remember, humans are not perfect, and neither are literary heroes.
   • Your character's mistakes will give you enough room to correct them throughout the story. And what, a good type of story: the hero corrects the mistakes of the past in order to become better. People love to read about this - it gives them hope that everything is not lost and there are Real People somewhere!
3. 3 Get to know the heroes of your work. Endowed your character with strengths and weaknesses? Now think about how they will react to certain events and situations, even if you will never write about such cases. Think about what the heroes hope and dream about, what makes them upset and upset, who and what is important to them. The more you know about the hero, the better you will understand how they will react to changing circumstances, and this is the key to creating a well-thought-out character.
4. 4 Rate the heroes of your work. Are you working on heroes? Okay, now step aside and let's take a critical look at them. Are these characters really important to the plot? No? And why are they needed then? When there are too many characters in a work, who, moreover, cannot be distinguished from each other, then it is more difficult to read such a book.

Method 4 of 7: Working on the world of the piece

1. 1 Imagine the world of the piece. Where does the book take place? What do the houses look like? How are cities built? What nature is around? Have you thought? Now write down all aspects of this world, everything, everything, everything! So you will not go astray from the descriptions in the course of further work, and will be able to create a more realistic and detailed world.
   • You can say anything you want. Your job is to get readers to imagine this and believe it.
2. 2 Think about logistics. Let's say you're writing about a group of adventurers who need to get to a fairytale city on the other side of the mountains. All is well, yes, there is only one problem - it is not so easy to get over the mountains. It takes a long time. During the transition, something will surely happen. You can't just take the heroes across the mountains in two days, as if it were a walk in the park! In other words, measure the complexity and length of the heroes' route with the time spent on it.
3. 3 Think about the feelings and perceptions of your readers. To get them to fully immerse themselves in the book, you will have to think carefully about this question. There is no need to tell the readers what the heroes eat - tell us how fat was sprinkled into the fire, how bones cracked under strong teeth, how the smoke from a fire carried them.

Method 5 of 7: Create Your Own Workplace

1. 1 Think about how you will write. How do you want to write a book? Progress, you know, does not stand still, now you can write not only with a pen on paper. You need to choose the method that works best for you - but do not forget that this can have an impact on the publication process of the book.
   • You can write with a pen on paper, on a typewriter, on a computer, or use a program that recognizes a voice and translates it into text. The choice is yours.
2. 2 Find a workplace. It should be such that you can work without distraction.Plus, it should be comfortable to write the book the way you decided to write it. Often they write in a cafe, at work, or in the library.
3. 3 Do not forget about the blessings of the earth. In order not to be distracted during work, everything should be at hand. And many even have a kind of habit of keeping some special thing next to them, without which creativity does not go: say, a bag of favorite nuts in the table or a favorite chair under the butt point. Don't ignore it all!

Method 6 of 7: Writing on a Schedule

1. 1 Think about your writing habits. Do you know yourself? You know. How do you write? Now, this also needs to be found out. When do you write better? Where? Maybe you need to read another book first for the most productive work? If you know the answers to these questions, then you can work as efficiently as possible without being distracted by trifles. Create a kind of writing schedule based on all of these habits.
2. 2 Write at the same time. Have you made a schedule? Good! Now do not forget to observe it with the utmost rigor. Set aside time for writing and writing only. You can even engage in freewriting, but - at a strictly fixed time. This will help you develop the habit of working at the same time, which will make you more productive.
3. 3 Write piece by piece. Yes, sometimes writing a book is very, very difficult. But is this a reason to stop and give up ?! But it is precisely because of this that books often remain unfinished. Do you need it? Do what gives you new strength to work on the book, even if things go hard and against the grain. The main thing is not to forget to return to the difficult part later, when the muse visits you again.

Method 7 of 7: More specific advice

1. 1 Start writing your book! You have completed all stages of preparation for work on the book, so it's time to get started. Well, depending on what kind of book it is, read the appropriate manuals. The following articles may help you:
   • "How to write a book";
   • "How to write an autobiography";
   • "How to write a book for a teenager";
   • "How to write a children's book";
   • How to Write a Believable Fantasy Novel;
   • “How to publish your book yourself”;
   • "How to publish an e-book";
   • "How to write a short story";
   • How to Write a Novel;
   • How to Write a Short Novel;
   • "How to make a plan for a novel";
   • "How to write a draft";
   • “How to Prepare to Write a Book”;
   • "How to write a book of your life."

Tips

• Always keep at hand something with which and where you can write down a great thought that suddenly visited you (pen, pencil, notepad (regular or electronic)). Remember, insight can happen anywhere, anytime!
• Feel free to ask for help - it's always helpful to know what other people think of a book, especially if you yourself can't tell what worked out well and what didn't work out well.
• Ask someone to read your book (perhaps a chapter at a time). The opinions of others will most likely be different from yours, but this is not a reason not to listen to them.
• The best selling books are 200-250 pages.
• Don't come up with a name until you're done. The best option will most likely come to your mind after the completion of the work.
• The personalities of the characters must be different. Be creative and carry a notebook with you at all times.
• It will be helpful to write your own storyline for each character. These plots do not need to be included in the book, nor do they need to be linked to the main plot. Perhaps, thanks to this technique, new ideas will come to your mind and you will be able to supplement and diversify your book.