How To Write A Book

I have written one (1) book and several manuals (not counting articles). If you look at the wiki in this blog, I try to take you through the steps:

- Start with a concept or idea;
- Put everything you can think about the idea down on paper;
- Descramble into a coherent body of material that flows easily;
- Take it from here.

Check my blog for more information and also see this goarticles.com peice:

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=773077

Michael
http://thewritersguide.blogspot.com

What Makes A Good Story?

This is a tough question to answer. It really depends on your target audience and the purpose of the book. Is it to make money? Is it for recreational purposes.

A good story will have the following features:

• stir the interest and attention of the reader;
• attractive characters who are easily distinguishable;
• gripping storyline
  

Check out my blog for more options.

Michael:
http://thewritersguide.blogspot.com/

I Want To Write A Book But Have No Idea How To Begin.

Spend some time on introspection. There is something there in you life you can write about. What skills do you have? Something must be there that you can write about. Think hard, put your thoughts down on paper. Gather those thoughts into a coherent document. There you go, it is really easier than you think.

Michael:

http://thewritersguide.blogspot.com

Writing Your Book - Steps and Tips

How to Write a Book or Novel

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Millions of people are working on books, or believe that they could write a book, or are planning to write a book. Are you one of them? This wiki outlines simple steps to help you get started and to finish.

Steps

1. Begin with an idea or concept, not necessarily original but unique.
   
2. Determine your target audience.
   
3. An author's mindset can be acquired. Acquire it!
   
4. Be prepared to put in the time and effort to put your thoughts initially down on paper.
   
5. Develop these thoughts into a working title. Select a title that will engender a desire to read the book.
   
6. Spend the time required to convert these thoughts into a coherently structured body of material. Work the title into the book. Do not give up!
   
7. Do a thorough proof-reading. Get a friend to help.
   
8. Now you have a manuscript. Review it. Give it to a friend or family member to review it.
   
9. Format and reformat the chapters.
   
10. Now you are ready to publish. But that is for another wiki.
    

Tips

• Avoid being wordy, that is saying the same thing in several different ways. This is painful to the reader.
  
• The story-line is key. It must be of interest to the reader, not to you! Keep it flowing and I recommend that you keep paragraphs and chapters short. (The short chapters is one of the things that made reading "The "a Vinci Code" so enjoyable).
  
• Unless it is a real life story, do not clutter the book with too many characters. This bores and confuses the reader.
  
• Primarily for the fiction writer, avoid giving characters similar names. This confuses the reader.
  
• Your book will be attractive if it presents useful information, answers readers questions, is humorous and tells an impacting story.
  

Warnings

• Writing a book isn't fun. It is a serious venture and involves a lot of work.
  
• Write to make money. If you want to write for pleasure, write a blog, poetry or short stories.
  
• Most people who write lose money on their project.
  
• The people who make the money generally are not the authors, certainly not in their lifetime.
  
• Getting published is easier said than done. This is perhaps the most stressful part.
  

Sources and Citations

Blog: http://thewritersguide.blogspot.com/
Writing Software: http://www.snipurl.com/1xuak-0955/
Writing Resources: http://www.write-your-book.info/

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Book or Novel. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.