As an aspiring writer you might be wondering ”What are the 7 steps to writing a book? If this is the case then you’re in the right place. In this article, I would be sharing the 7 steps you can take right now to come up with a book.
These are the exact methods I applied while writing my third book, wannawrite? Without further ado let’s dive in….
What Are The 7 Steps To Writing A Book?
As you know writing is the act of pouring out your thoughts in an organized manner into the pages of your screen or papers. Thus the first approach to writing a book is…
1. Idea Nurturing:
This stage is where you think about the idea you want to write. At this point, you let your mind paint pictures of what you want to create. Idea nurturing is imagination. Imagination is the ability to form mental picture of your characters, including events.
In addition to this, to make your pictures clearer you can discuss your idea with a trusted friend. Doing this, will help you learn more about concepts that relate with your book idea.
The idea nurturing stage is very important because it builds the foundation of your fiction or non-fiction book and also helps you to plan how to write your book. Every author who succeeded in writing their book began their journey from this point.
How do you come up with an idea for a book?
You can come up with an idea for a book using the following methods:
- Discussion: Many writers were able to get idea for their books from discussions they had or engaged in. You can tap into this by paying attention to what is being discussed around you and the discussions you hold with people.
- Life experience: Experience is the best teacher, look into your experience, you would see an idea to write about.
- Skill set: A skill set is the collection of someone’s ability. You can write about what you are good at.
- Passion: Many writers write from the place of passion. What are you passionate about? You can write about it.
- Job: This is a very good factor to consider. We have writers who write books based on their job. You can write a book in line with your job.
2. Research:
During this phase, you dig deep to learn more about your idea, and at this phase, you get to find answers to the following:
- What: This is when you’re able to provide definitions of things that relate to your idea.
- Where: This is when you’re able to state locations where your idea took place.
- When: Refers to the time and date the idea you’ve nurtured occurred.
- Why: This points to the circumstances that surround your idea.
- How: This reveals how your idea should be framed.
Places You Can Carry Out Research
- Google/Google Scholar
- Quora
- Forums
- Facebook groups
- Answer the public
- YouTube
- Encyclopedia
- Atlas
3. Outline:
According to study.com, an outline helps an author gather their thoughts as they write a book. You need an outline to process your idea into a written form.
Think of an outline as the architectural blueprint for your book. Your outline includes; an introduction, chapters, and subchapters.
Having a well-organized outline minimizes the risk of writer’s block, keeps you focused and enables you to have a good grip on the structure of your book.
4. Set A Goal:
Writing is a daunting task however it’s fulfilling when you arrive at a finished work. Do you want to write a book? Then set a goal. A goal spells out how often you want to write, materials you want to write with and where you want to carry out your writing.
5. Write:
After coming up with your outline then it is time to write those pretty chapters into existence. For effective writing you’ve to put the following into consideration:
- Your readers
- Crafting a strong hook to begin your book
- Being concise
- Reading other books
In addition creating a consistent routine and a dedicated writing space can further enhance your focus and productivity.
6. Editing:
It’s time to step back and begin the editing process. While this stage is very challenging for many aspiring authors, based on the financial commitment, there’re method you can apply.
You can make use of editing software like proofreader or Grammarly, however to get the best out of these software you need to subscribe to their premium versions.
In addition to this, while editing read out your words and look out for wrong statements. Trim down bulky sentence, the shorter the better.
You can do this as well; ask for feedback from friends, mentors, beta readers, etc. I believe they will give you valuable perspectives.
Lastly, always allow your work to sit for days, then get back to it, there you will see what you missed or what to include.
7. Publish:
Congratulations, your book is ready for publishing. I want to believe that you’ve made a decision to either go through self publishing or make use of traditional publishing homes.
Self-publishing involves publishing with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and their likes. These platforms are third parties and when you make a sale, they pay you a commission.
Traditional publishers are publish your purpose, Union square publishing, etc.
I have not made use of traditional publishing houses but I know some publishers are true to the game. All you need to do is to research about them if they happen to be your preference.
Be it self-publishing or traditional publishing, each path, has its pros and cons, so choose the one that aligns with your goals and aspirations.
Lastly, be prepared for the challenges of the publishing world, and don’t be discouraged by rejection and lack of sales. With persistence and resilience, you’re bound to excel.
Lets wrap up
Writing is a daunting task, the journey is not a day’s affair, however it comes with a great deal of fulfillment when embarked upon.
An idea is what leads to a book, if truly you want to write a book you need to have an idea.
And as you begin this transformative adventure, remember that writing is a personal and evolving process. To succeed, and achieve your goal, you must stay committed to your goals; let the spirit of creativity merge with passion fuel your spirit. Above all I wish you all the best.
