What's the best way to start writing a book?

Question

Out in Baghdad, am v.bored so thinking of writing a book about what im doing out here. Where to start?

Answer 1

A big question!

I will try and help you with the process.

1. Is it for you and your family or to sell? what genre/style willit be in? the style will be very different for each of these.

2. How long are you going to make the book>? this is important, you need to have events happening regularly through the book to keep readers interested.

3. Plan the structure of your story. it should have a very defined beginning, middle and end. (sounds stupid but many new authors ignore this simple detail) Whats it about?

4. Plan your characters. List them. List what they look like, their loves and hates and they way they would react to things.
Consistency of your characters gives them more depth.

5. Plan your major story events. Will this be an informative, exciting or romantic book?

6. Start small. You can always expand later. If you set yourself too big a task, you may never finish it.

7. Give yourself a set amount of time each day to think about or write the book. This should a quiet time away from distractions.

8. If you get writers block, dont stress about it. Leave the book alone for a few days and you will come back to it eventually.

9. If the book never gets finished, dont worry about it. At least you tried.

Good Luck, hope to see you on the bestsellers list!

Answer 2

Always start with an idea, something that would be cool or interesting or tragic or whatever. Develop it into a plot, or an idea of where a plot could go and then start thinking about characters. When you've got a rough idea of what you want it to be about, just go for it, write your first scene. The worst thing is starting off looking at that blank page. Some people like to plan it all out before they start, but that's personal preference. You can start without it if you want to, or you can plan if that's how you feel better. It's all up to you really. Different writers will tell you differently.

Answer 3

What is best for one person isn't going to work for another.

If you interviewed a group of authors they would likely all give you different answers as to what worked for them.

Why not try a short story first, then see if writing is all you expected?

A magazine article might be another outlet. I am sure a lot of people would be interested in reading of the day to day life as a balance to the disaster based highlights we see in the news - especially people with family in Baghdad, for whatever reason.

A third possibility, as you obviously have Internet access, is to create a blog.

Answer 4

Look for your spirit, your heart,your soul & what it tells you about where you are right now.
I was just watching the news the other night (not sth I do often) but there was sth about the Iraquis migrating to Syria as there's no life left for them anymore, how they have no money to live, no future, their lives are ruined. & why? becuase the Superpowers have to put their ugly fingers (sorry for the term) in every weak country they can find to start wars & destruction (in the name of help)to support selling their arms which would lay wasted otherwise & the rest of the story etc...
I waa so sad, these innocent people have to suffer becuase superpowers who are already rich want more money,more power & are greedy "PIGS" (sorry for the term) all at the cost of people's lives. I am very angry about this....
anyways, just thought maybe this was sth to give you an idea!

Answer 5

draft out the main idea of the book and list the characters (this list can be add on later in the book if there is the need to do so)... think of the events and what kind of stories you want to write about...

you're out there in baghdad there must be many things happening there and could influence your writing...

wish you luck in writing your book hope to see it on the shelf someday...

Answer 6

The best thing to do is to just start writing. Put pen to paper and write about anything, even if it's just about the room that you are sitting in at that moment. When you become inspired enough by an idea, just begin. Don't overthink it until you have finished. That's when you start to put things right.

Answer 7

Write about what interests you. Write what you'd like to read. Write every day so you get better with practice. Then go back over your writing, edit and revise it to polish it.

If nothing else, you could journal - you'd be working on your writing skills that way.

Answer 8

maybe you could write a daily diary of what happens and when you are satisfied with enough info you can find a beginning from your diary entries ,good luck and respectxx

Answer 9

Try this program, it's free and very easy. It's called YWriter2.

Good luck!!
:D

Answer 10

To face a profound, strong feeling.