How to Write Your First Book

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

When attempting to write a book, many novice writers find that they have a great idea but have trouble knowing where to start and how to organize their thoughts. While the writing process varies greatly between different writers and types of books, there are some basic ways to inspire new ideas, organize the book’s major aspects, and develop compelling content. While writing a book can be a rewarding experience in and of itself, you should consider publishing your writing to share your work with the world and possibly even make some money and receive recognition. With some guidance, even new writers can develop and publish a great book.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing to Write

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Choose a subject you’re passionate about. Writing a book is a significant undertaking that will require a lot of time and energy. Choosing a subject you know and care about will help propel you through the daunting process. Explore your passions and interests when choosing a topic and make sure you have something important to express on the matter.
- Choose a genre that you love to read and have explored in depth, whether it’s horror, romance, or political intrigue. Choose a genre that others will find interesting as well.
- You’ll also find it easiest to write in a genre you’re familiar with, since you’ll have a good grasp of the common tropes and conventions of the genre.
- If you’re writing non-fiction, make sure that you have a level of expertise and credibility on the subject.
2
Read similar books. You should read other similar books within your genre both before and during your writing process. Read these books with a critical perspective, noting which aspects of the author’s style you like and which you would do differently. Doing this will keep you connected to the reader’s perspective throughout your writing. It will also keep you aware of what has already been said on the subject so you can produce an original work of your own.^{[1]
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- Make notes while you read so that you can keep track of your reactions and observations. You might keep a notebook or journal on hand as you read, use sticky notes, or start a document on your computer where you can make notes.
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3
Outline your plot or structure. The plot of your book will likely change as you go through the writing process. Still, it’s good to begin with a rough outline of the major events and points of interest you wish to emphasize. Focus on how your content can be organized to best achieve your book’s purpose, whether it’s to entertain, inform, or titillate your reader. You can take note of valuable plot sub-points, methods of describing imagery, or how the dialogue is developed.^{[2]
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- Don’t focus too heavily on chronology or dividing the content into chapters with your initial outline. You can consider these aspects before writing but a general plot outline should come first.^{[3]
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- For non-fiction books, outline the core concepts you are trying to express in the book and fit specific examples and plot devices underneath them as subpoints.
- There are a lot of different outlining techniques out there, for both fiction and non-fiction. If you’re not sure where to start, do a quick online search for “book outline templates.” You can also try more specific search terms, like “romance novel outline template.”
- One popular outline style is the Freytag Model, which allows you to diagram the plot structure of a work of fiction. Do an online search for “Freytag Model” or “Freytag’s Pyramid” to find templates and resources for making this kind of outline.^{[4]
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4
Outline your characters or major events. If you are writing a fiction novel, your characters will be critical to conveying the story. Start by outlining their function in the story, whether they are protagonists, antagonists, neutral, supporting, or ancillary to the main plot. Then develop more specific characteristics pertaining to their function in the story like their personalities.^{[5]
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- Developing backstories for your characters, even if those stories don’t factor into the actual content of the book, will help you conceptualize how they might react to plot points or interact with each other.
- Try to make your characters realistic so they will be relatable, even if your book does not take place in a realistic setting. If you do have a mythical-type setting, like a world with dragons, try to consider how real people would react in that environment.^{[6]
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- If you’re not writing fiction, then key events may be the major “players” in your book. Spend time early on familiarizing yourself with the major events or concepts that form the core of your book, since this will help you think through your book’s organizational scheme.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Developing Your Content

1
Establish a writing routine. Writing a book will take time, especially when it’s your first. Don’t expect to complete it all in a few sittings or to consistently churn out a large quantity of pages each time you write. Set aside a regular amount of time to work on your book on a daily or weekly basis so you stay on track.^{[7]
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- If you feel like you’re on a roll and churning out a lot of material at a given time, try to make the most of it and write as much as you possibly can.
- Try to set up a specific place to do your writing that is free from distractions including other work.
- Set a daily or weekly goal. You could start with 300 words per day or one chapter per week.
- Take a notepad with you wherever you go. If you are engrossed in the writing process, it’s likely that new ideas will come to you at random and unexpected times and you’ll want to jot them down.
2
Determine what writing tools work for you. Some people write best on a computer word processor, while others feel most comfortable drafting everything out by hand. Experiment around with different writing tools and decide what works best for you before you set out to write your book.
- You may find book writing programs, such as Scrivener FastPencil, to be helpful. Many of these programs offer features that allow you to organize multiple forms of information about your project within a single file.
3
Establish a bond with the reader. Try to imagine that you’re speaking with your reader and seeing their reaction. Focus on making your writing understandable and interesting from their perspective and keep this in mind throughout the writing process.^{[8]
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- It’s important to express your writing in your own unique voice. Your readers should feel like they know you personally after reading it.^{[9]
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4
Avoid verbosity. It may be tempting to describe characters, scenes, and events with excessively flowery language and ancillary details. With everything you describe in your writing, ask yourself how it furthers the reader’s understanding of the content and what information you’re trying to convey.^{[10]
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- Be especially careful to avoid using flowery descriptions as filler material to add more pages. If you’re finding yourself short on content, go back to your outline and see if you can develop the plot more instead.
5
Find a proofreader. Ask someone you trust to review your writing as often as possible. You shouldn’t feel as if you need to wait until you’re completely done with the book to get feedback but you should show them a completed chapter or section rather than just a few pages.^{[11]
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- If you don’t know someone who can proofread your book, try asking around in an online writing community.
- Try to find several readers who might have diverse perspectives. For example, find another person who often reads books in your genre and one who does not so you can get a comprehensive idea of how the book is experienced by readers.
6
Revise your work. Revision is an essential part of the writing process. Once you’ve completed a draft of your book and asked a proofreader to look at it, it’s time to polish your work. Read over your book carefully and incorporate any helpful feedback you’ve received from your readers. This is also a good time to trim out any filler or unnecessary material and fix any errors you and your readers previously overlooked.
- You may find it helpful to take a break from the book for a few days or even a couple weeks, so that you can come back to it with a fresh perspective.
- Try making a reverse outline of your book so that you can get a better understanding of its structure after you’ve done the bulk of the writing. You may discover ways to reorganize your material and improve the flow of the book.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Getting Your Book Published

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Research options before writing. Finding a publisher can take a long time, especially when you’re a novice writer. If you’re determined to get your book published, you’ll want to research what companies might be open to publishing a novice author in your particular genre.^{[12]
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- Send proposal letters to publishers outlining your idea. You can include a chapter or a few pages with this as a sample.
2
Include a marketing plan. When you apply for publication, you’ll need more than simply a finished book. Publishers are interested in how your book can make money for them and thus will want to understand who would buy it and how it would be marketed.
- The structure of a publishing marketing plan will vary significantly based on the kind of book you’re writing but you should start by researching what other publishing marketing proposals look like online.
- For a free guide to developing marketing materials and a publication plan, visit http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/02/20/award-winning-marketing-plan/.
- Creating a social media page and supporting graphic material is a great way to demonstrate your marketing strategy in your proposal and create some buzz around the publication before you make your proposal.^{[13]
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Consider e-publication. Websites like Amazon, Lulu, CreateSpace, and BookSurge offer e-publication options, some of which are free of charge. E-publication is ideal for first time authors because it will involve minimal overhead and marketing.^{[14]
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- E-publication will require special formatting of your manuscript. The formatting standards will depend on which platform you use so make sure you look for those requirements.
- Note that e-publication usually reaches a smaller audience, achieves lower sales, and will not afford your book the prestige of print publication. You also won’t have a publishing company to market your book.

Community Q&A

Question

How long can it take?

Community Answer

The time it takes to write a book will vary greatly depending on your writing pace and how much you want to write. Expect it to take at least a few weeks to plan, write, and edit the content.
Question

What are some ways to inspire writing?

Community Answer

Think of the world around you. If you want to do something involving nature, take a notepad and pencil to your favorite natural location and write down some of your observations. If you want to write a drama, try looking at some of your daily experiences for inspiration.
Question

I have started my book but I am loosing my interest in writing as I move on, how should I overcome this?

Community Answer

Take a break from writing and focus on planning out the content instead. This part is less tedious and will allow you to refocus on what you're trying to achieve with the content.