deepstash
Beta
If You've Always Wanted To Write A Book, Here's How
There's no one "right" way to write
Some people plan ahead their and outline their novels, others just jump in a wing it.Experiment, start with something and see what works for you.
Try to show up for your characters. It's not important how you do it, as long as you do it.
240 SAVES
This is a professional note extracted from an online article.
Read more efficiently
Save what inspires you
Remember anything
IDEA EXTRACTED FROM:
6
Key Ideas
Create the conditions to write
- Make the time for writing. We all have those absent-minded moments in our day when we're not doing anything. If we use that time to write, we can actually get a lot done.
- Lower the bar of writing. To overcome perfectionism, set a a goal and a deadline; this will help you get your words out without the need to have them perfect from the beginning.
Find your people
When you feel a bit stuck, and walking the dog or organizing the closet doesn't help, speak to a friend with a different way of thinking. Or talk to a friend who's writing a book.aaa
You don't just have to stick to friends. Reach out to other writers who can talk through any issue you're having with your book.
Read to refine your voice
Reading helps you find out what you like and enables you to refine your own voice.
Reading will influence you, but your voice will always be your own.
Learn to accept criticism with grace and humility
Having an accountability partner can be helpful to provide a different perspective and tell you when you've gotten something wrong.
Maybe your prose is clunky, or perhaps your characters are stereotypical. If you're writing outside of your experience, you should know why you're doing it. Even if you do the research, discussion, bringing other people into your work, you might still get something wrong.
The Real Writer mindset
If you write, you're a real writer. Whether you write poetry, fanfiction, letters to yourself, a description of experience - if you tell a story, you are the real deal.
Just write, and you'll find yourself writing a book.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
2
Key Ideas
Writing down our memories
There is a difference between seeing - which is passive - and writing down something you have seen, something you have heard, something you have experienced. Writing it down captures the me...
Writing to bear witness
- Brainstorm and jot it down: Start with the prompt, "The time when..." List at least ten things.
- Narrow it down and focus: Go back to your list of ten and pick three things that are really bothering you, and you feel strongly about. Take 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to write. Focus on the details, the order of events, and especially how they made you feel.
- Pick one and tell your story: You don't have to write a memoir or be a creative writer. You can also write it from someone else's perspective. Writing it down is to say that this thing did happen.
4
Key Ideas
Rewards Are The End Goal Of Habits
Your cue leads to your craving, which leads to a response, that leads to your reward.
These rewards can take any form, and as your habit gets more ingrained you develop a craving for the rewa...
Focus On Writing
Writers ought to have only one response to their cues and cravings: writing!
Being a writer requires diverse activities, like promoting your list or pitching agents, but writing is still the most important of all.
Cravings Drive Every Habit
Ask yourself what change of state are you seeking from writing. What you crave is not the habit itself but a change, which for a writer is often the sense of accomplishment from being a writer working toward a long-sought-after goal.
one more idea
6
Key Ideas
Writing And Priorities
If you feel too overwhelmed for writing, list your goals in order of importance. Maybe writing is not your top goal and you are wasting energy thinking you should do it because you haven’t r...
Write For Just Fifteen Minutes
Professional writers rarely write for more than five or so hours a day because writing is mentally exhausting. This means you can get a lot done in a short amount of time.
You might not have five hours to write, but almost everyone has fifteen minutes. To keep yourself focused as you write, consider writing with a timer.
Stop Checking Email
Many use email as a to-do list, which leaves them reacting to life instead of living it according to goals.
It’s difficult to write when you’re checking email every five minutes. Don’t check emails during your daily writing time.
3 more ideas