In the end, it all comes down to you sitting in your chair and actually writing that book of yours. Exciting as it might be, you might wish to consider a few pertinent tips where it comes to actually putting those words down on paper.
The idea, of course, is to create something that is compelling; something that will stand out and be noticed by the people that read it.
Now that you have gotten the gist of the craft of writing, thanks to the wonderful instructions you have received in those stellar writing MasterClasses you might have undertaken, let’s get down to the actual writing process.
The Lowdown On The Basics Of Getting Started Where It Comes To Writing
The Plot Of The Book
At the very beginning you are going to need a plot skeleton. This is essential in the sense that you need to have a complication in your story. Here’s a quick guide into the steps that go into creating that plot.
Step One: Creating the Plot Skeleton. Ask yourself the question, ‘What does my character want or need?’ Once you have answered that question, the complication arises of your character not quite getting what they need. So, once your character figures out what they need, that is your plot!
Step Two: Getting into the skin of your plot. Now that you have your plot skeleton, it’s time to delve a little deeper and actually add those layers of flesh and blood to it. Create those colorful characters and a vivid setting.
Step Three: Ending your story at a natural place. Now, what you want to do is ensure that after the climax, your story ends quickly. The last thing you want is to drag the story for longer than is required.
Step Four: Ensure your characters resolve their own conflicts. People want to see the characters they have become attached to, resolve their own conflicts. You don’t want to have an act of nature do that.
The idea is to reveal how the characters have been transformed by the obstacles they have faced.
The Theme
A theme is essentially an idea that pervades a work of art. It’s essential to have a theme your readers can relate to. Here’s a couple of ways you can craft a great theme.
Step One. Consider the common themes where it comes to stories in your genre. If you’re say, in the process of writing a romance novel, there are common themes that you will find. Themes like Love and Power (‘Fifty Shades of Grey’) and Obsession (‘The Girl on the Train’). Make a list of the common themes so you can zone in on the one you think fits your book perfectly.
Step Two. Match your themes with the personalities of the characters. Now that you have zoned in on the theme of your choice, you want to see how the characters gel with them. So, if your character’s goal is to settle down, you might wish to consider the theme of commitment and its pitfalls.
That being said, you might wish to revise your first option.
The First Draft
Now that you have zoned in on the vital peripherals like the plot and the theme, it’s time to dive into the actual writing of the book. There are certain things you can do, in order to ensure your book writing journey is as seamless as can possibly be.
Step One. Commit. Writing 2000 words a day is easier said than done. Over time you might come to see that you simply cannot get yourself to commit to your initial plan of getting down to work every single day. There might be excuses you might make like, ‘Oh I’ve got writer’s block’. The truth is, all you really need to do is to commit to writing every day. When you do, the words will follow.
Step Two. Fix things later. When you are writing that first draft, there will be mistakes. It’s perfectly all right; there will always be time to fix them later on, in your second or perhaps even third draft.
