Authors, what to do??

Question

I would like to write a book. What do i have to do other than sit and write the book?? I mean, what kind of planning should I do before writing it? What other things should i do when writing a book (before, while, after)? Also, how can i come with a good storyline for the book?

Answer 1

The amount of planning you do really depends on how you write best. Some authors do detailed outlines, even scene by scene layouts of what they want to happen. Others just start writing and let their characters dictate where the story will go. Have you written any shorter fiction before? What techniques worked best for you.

You should read as much as possible before, during, and after this process. Read books in the genre you are writing in. Read books about writing. Read poetry. Read everything. I have a few favorites that are about the craft of writing:
1) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser
2) "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott
3) "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg

Check out this website as well:
http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/
It is Holly Lisle's section for writer's and contains fabulous articles and resources on just about every topic you can imagine. Browse through the navigation bar on the right side of the screen and you can read on just about any part of writing.

Here's another interesting challenge:
http://www.nanowrimo.org
The forums on this site are currently locked in preparation for the event, NaNoWriMo. This stands for National Novel Writing Month, and is a challenge to write an entire novel in the month of November. Everyone I've met through that site is fantastic. It can really help the writing process to have other writers to talk to about your struggles and successes.

Good luck and happy writing!

Answer 2

Writing a book isn't all that difficult, but you have to know what your talking about. It takes practice to learn how to write a good book.

Steps
The first thing you have to do when you want to write a book is choose what its going to be about, if it's your first time writing a book, choose an idea that you know a lot about so you won't have to look up a lot of information.
Find the main points of the book first, save the minor details for later but don't forget about them. A good story line is important but a book is nothing without the details.
Don't rush! Take your time and explain everything in detail, this makes for a better book.

Tips
Practice, it's just like anything else you have to practice.
Have a computer handy to look up anything, a book sounds bad if you have untrue information or it sounds like you're guessing.
Use your imagination! Its the key to a great fiction book.

Warnings
If the first time you write something and it doesn't turn out good, dont give up, just try again.

Answer 3

Before you start to write, you need to learn how to use the language properly, and also to read a lot of books.
Do an outline for the book you want to write and use it as a guideline to help you keep on track. You do not need to stick to it, however.
Learn proper grammar. Keep cards or a notebook at hand to jot down ideas that come to you while doing other things.

Have a knowledgable person critique your work.

Finally, always write as well as you can, even emails to friends. This is not only good practice, it gives you credibility.

Answer 4

i think that this question is for sites like critiquecircle.com or writers.com where u might get some real help from established authors and novelist. i don't know anything about writing so im just pointing u in right direction

Good luck