Find about learning to write?

Question

I would like to obtain information on how to become a writer and write a book. Thanks

Answer 1

Your best bet is Writer's Digest. They are a well respected magazine and book publishing enterprise; and they have everything you'd ever want. Here's a website.

http://www.writersdigest.com/

Answer 2

Hi there -

I'm a writer (30 published books); I also teach writing courses (among them Write and be Published) at the college in our nearest city.

I ask my students firstly whether they are willing to put in the effort to learn how to write to a publishable standard. It's hard work! Other answers to your question are right in part: you need talent, certainly. But you need to build on that talent. A writer of fiction should first of all know how to create a plot, build on it, create characters, write dialogue that flows reastically - and when your book is finished, have the know-how and the confidence to present your manuscript to a publisher or agent.

So, how to do all this? My advice would be to sign up for a writing course at your local college, making sure it is suitable for a new writer who wants to be published. (Some Creative Writing courses are more general in tone and include poetry workshops etc.) Look around for a writing for publication course.

I wish you every success in your future writing career. Good luck!

Peggy

Answer 3

I have several book recommendations that have been helpful to me:

1) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser. This is a technical guide that applies to any type of writing, from fiction to emails. I recommend it to anyone who does any form of writing on a daily basis.

2) "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. This is possibly one of the best grammar, composition, and usage manuals that I have ever found. It can help eliminate many common mistakes from your writing.

3) "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. On to the fun stuff! This book studies the practice of writing and provides a number of exercises for the new writer. Like anything else worth doing, you have to work at writing. Ms. Goldberg is incredibly inspirational to me-- every time I get writer's block I pick up her book and things start coming to me again.

4) "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott. This book is really step by step on how to write a novel or story. Writing can be overwhelming, and taking it one phase at a time is crucial so you don't get lost in all the work.

Besides reading, you can also check out your local adult school or community college and see if they have any writing classes that look appealing to you. Once you get some short stories, poems, or a book written, take a look at the book Writer's Market for resources on how to get your work into the hands of people who publish.

Answer 4

Join a writing group; there is sure to be at least one in your area. A group would give you support, encouragement & feedback on your work. You could also try a correspondence course. I don't know if you have any particular genre or market in mind, but you should research that market before submitting manuscripts. For example, if you would like to submit stories to a particular magazine then contact the mag. to find out what their critieria are. Try your local library - they might have some information. There are many books available on creative writing, but I think the best way to learn is in a group where you get feedback. I wish you good luck, but be prepared for rejection; it's not easy to get published.

Answer 5

Ignore the answer that says that if you are a writer you should know, how ridiculous is that?! I was interested in your answers as I have recently got into writing. I've always had lots of ideas but never really considered how people go about getting them on to paper and perhaps even get them published. I actually attended a workshop yesterday and they had lots of useful ideas there.

Definately try to join a local writers group - I was sceptical at first but it was fun to listen to other people like me having a go and even writing some short pieces myself, it gave my confidence a boost and now that I know them they can proof read my work (rather than having to show it to friends or family first) and I can do the same for them - all very interesting.

They also recommended a book called The Writer's Handbook - I found it on Amazon here:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writer-s-Handbook-Barry-Turner/dp/1405049375/ref=pd_sbs_b_1/202-6052134-9747843?ie=UTF8
It's updated every year and the 2007 edition is out now. It covers all the info you need as a writer, including finding an agent if you want to get published, the likely costs, earnings, etc.

As I was leaving I talked to a lady who recommended another book. I said that I had enjoyed the exercises we did to help us build characters, set a scene, describe a memory, and she thought that I would benefit from The Artists Way - again on Amazon here:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-Artist-s-Way-Course-Discovering-Recovering-Your-Creative-Self/dp/0330343580/sr=1-1/qid=1157822810/ref=sr_1_1/202-2960015-0935004?ie=UTF8&s=books
If you can get over the initial 'self-help' scariness it is apparently really helpful for getting more creative, using your brain more efficiently and writing better, I'm looking forward to trying it but can't vouch for it's effectiveness yet.

I'm going to check out the other ideas people had here... thanks for asking the question!

Good luck and have lots of fun getting your ideas on paper - don't forget to invite me to your first signing, lol?!

Answer 6

You have to be knowledgeable first. Satisfy first with reading on the subject you want to write on. For stories, poems and novels you should read as many as possible. Observe their techniques but do not borrow from them.Then dip your pen if you have enough inspiration and thoughts and ideas. Keep on revising and do the writing regularly.

Answer 7

My friend uses 2 programmes he's downloaded from the net......1 is called liquid and the other is called writer's cafe. He finds them useful.

Sorry....I can't do links. (Am I the only 1 on answers who can't? lol)

Answer 8

frankly, I think someone with real writer's skills does not need advice on how to write a book; ever thought about that?

Answer 9

search the web with key words

Answer 10

http://www.authorlink.com/