how do You write a Book?

Question

I mean Do You just write it on paper?then what do you do after its written?

Answer 1

When I was a teen, I wrote my first novel in a couple of notebooks. My second one too. But that was back in the 80's. Nowadays, if you have access to a computer, your best bet is to use Microsoft Word. That's the first step--find a way to record it.

Next you need to decide the genre. It's best to ask yourself, 'what kind of story do I want to write?' Fiction or non-fiction (imaginary or real). Then what sub-category (mystery, horror, romance, children's, young adult, self-help etc.)

If you're a natural writer, you'll have ideas/stories 'pop into your head' all the time. Sometimes seeing a word or phrase may spark an idea. Make notes if that ever happens.

Then start an outline. You can do this simply by dividing your story into three parts: beginning, middle and end. The beginning should start off strong (many publishers won't read past the first 10 pages of a manuscript!). Remember the "Four Firsts"--first sentence (should be powerful and hook the reader immediately), first paragraph (should expand the hook), first page (should give us an idea of what's going to happen) and first chapter (should end with a 'hanger'...meaning we just have to read the next chapter.

Every chapter needs to expose more about the main characters and their motives for doing everything and anything. In fiction, dialogue is key; along with the main rule: "Show, don't tell!" Allow the dialogue and actions of the character to tell the story.

Conflict is also key. Any good novel will have the protagonist (main character) facing some kind of conflict. Usually it starts off as a small conflict that may be overcome failrly easily, then they're hit with another conflict. Every time you solve a problem for your characters, always ask: "What else can I do to make their lives hell?"

That is the beginning and middle.

The end focuses on resolving the main conflict, the main object of the story. And shortly before the story ends (within last 2-3 chapters), you must give them the climactic conflict, the race against time, the last straw, the fight for survival, and then solve it. This is usually where you'll find a good solid twist in a work of fiction.

I write mystery/supsense novels, so of course I'm basing my answer mainly on writing fiction. However, you can apply some of the same principles to self-help or other non-fiction books. The ending is a wrap-up, a conclusion that explains or resolves any issues in the story.

After it's written, you must learn how to write a great query letter, pick up a copy of Writer's Market, join some writer's groups or places like BookAdz.com and learn how to market yourself. And you never give up...if this is your dream!

You find someone to help edit it for you, someone who knows how to edit or critique and get feedback. Then you re-write and make it better. A novel will be edited dozens of times by you before it is even ready to be looked at. That is the reason why MS Word is so useful. It's my best friend. :) It's far easier to edit on the computer than scribbling in a notebook!

The other thing you can do after it's written is try to find a mentor. I was told years ago that if you want to be the best at anything you have to learn from the best. With writing, you can never learn too much and you'll always be learning. Find an author you admire and see if they'll mentor you. Find someone who writes what you write and ask for their opinion. It's amazing what people will do to help if you ask. What's the worst that will happen?? They'll say no. Ask someone else.

If you're a writer...write. And keep on writing. Go online, there are tons of resources for writers.

All the best to you! :)

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song (Kunati Books), Divine Intervention and The River
http://www.cherylktardif.com
http://www.kunati.com/catalog_whale_song.html (cool book trailer!)

Answer 2

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Answer 3

First, you want to get the big picture of what you are writing and why you're writing it. Ask yourself what are lessons are the readers going to learn from this book? What is the major plot of the story? What is going to happen at the beginning of the book and the end and how do all the events lead from one point to another? Then just start writing. It really depends on the style of the writer too because some are writing to inform and/or teach and others write for entertainment. You just have to know where you stand on that. After you write it, you have to read through it and edit it like a thousand times! Then you can call a publisher and they may publish it for you....

Answer 4

First you have an idea, theme or topic. Then when get a piece of paper and a pencil. No wait, these days you use a laptop and then a printer. When you have written 400 or 500 pages you print it, read it and correct errors and misspellings. Then you give it to a friend with good eye for errors, who is also an avid reader and has no heart to tell you if the book is good, average or bad. From there you make more corrections, hopefully improving the book from bad to average or from average to good. If you are lucky an editor somehow find it, ready and publish it!

Answer 5

I start with a general outline on paper, but then I type it into Word as I'm writing it. After it is written, you edit it and make sure it is clear and correct. Then you decide if you want to send it to a publisher or self-publish it or just let it sit there.

Answer 6

I'm invoking Saxon's Axiom #2. 'There may be more than one way to get the right answer.' [Harry Saxon was my HS Geometry teacher, 45 years ago. It was his way of saying that he expected more than just parroting his class lectures for tests.]

Write it long hand, or use a typewriter, or use a word processor.

Use an outline, or wing it.

Start at the beginning, go on thru the middle and when you get to the end, stop. Or write what comes to you and re-arrange it later.

Write to a schedule, or when the muse sings in your ear.

Go to the library and get something called "Writer's Digest". It will clue you in on the publishing industry and your particular genre'.

Answer 7

I've used a notepad, a typewriter and now my laptop.
I've started with an outline, with a dream (One of those things that wake you up at night) and with just an idea.
The point is to write and keep on writing.
Then rewrite, reread, rewrite, reread until it's as good as you can get it.
You can try the traditional over-the-transom route but I got nothing from sending it to the publishers in New York.
You can see what iUniverse did for me on the link below or on my 360 page.
Good luck.

Answer 8

If you have to ask these types of questions, you should not even be contemplating writing - of all things - a book. A book takes enormous amounts of time and energy and know how. And to ever submit it, it MUST be in proper manuscript form and error free. You really need to start out at your school newspaper. A book takes a lot of experience and I don't think you have any judging from your question.

Answer 9

get yourself Final draft software for your computer, this helps with almost all stages of the process of writing, check it out on the net for more info (there may be cheaper alternatives)

Answer 10

try with a beginning and finish with an end. you can write it on the wall, if you want so, but computer is a better way if you want publish it. justOne