It doesn’t matter how well you write, or how organized you are, or how many words you can put down on the page at a single sitting (sitting after sitting) if you don’t have this single concept down you’re book isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s probably the biggest problem writers have with writing their book, fiction or non fiction.
The problem is they simply don’t have a plan for their book. They don’t know where it starts, what it’s going to cover and how it will end up. And that’s true whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction.
Despite what you might like to think, and despite what many people on the internet and other places will tell you, you can’t just sit down and start writing, expecting that when you finish you’ll have a great novel, or a great non-fiction ready to head for the publisher. It just doesn’t work that way.
During my seminars, a joke to audiences that there are many authors who will tell you that they simply start writing and the book just writes itself.
If that were true, or even nearly true, I’d leave a stack of paper on the desk, a supply of pens and then take a vacation for a few weeks. When I got back, I’d expect that the manuscript elves had completed their task and left me with the inspired work they had produced.
It just doesn’t happen that way. And if you’ve ever tried to just start writing and keep going, you’ll be lucky to get past the first page before you’ve completely exhausted your mine.
Time for a little unabashed, self promotion: If you haven’t asked for my Free CD, “How to Write a Book On Anything in 14 Days Guaranteed!” then you’re just plain nuts! It’s free, no charge, but you can bet this $100 CD will be carrying that price tag very shortly. How do you get it? Just email me at Free CD, Please, or CD_please@writeabooknow.com and make sure you include your name, your mailing address and your telephone number in the email. Now, back to the article…
Whatever kind of book you’re writing, you must create an outline before you start the writing. These are two different thought processes, writing the outline and writing the book. The first is very sweeping and general, the second deals with all the minute details. That’s why it’s very difficult to focus on them both at the same time.
You should also know that the more detailed you can make your outline, the easier the writing of the book will.
As I tell my students, you must know what will happen on every page of your book, before you start the writing process. And if that seems a bit cumbersome, it’s not nearly as frustrating as being stuck forever on page 1 because you really don’t know what happens next.
If you’re writing a non-fiction book, you’ll get a lot of information from the article I’ve just produced call Writing a Book For Your Business
If you’re writing fiction, my next article will be Creating a Best-Selling Plot.
I’ll be giving you many of the details I’ve included in my best-selling writing system, How Top Writing a Book. The details you’ll find there will give you a breathtakingly effective strategy for plot creation, but there’s still more about creating a plot I want to cover right hear.
Most authors will tell you that they create an outline for a book, by using some variation on the expansion method. You can start with a very simple premise, a single sentence, dog bites man, and then you expand the premise from there by constantly and repeatedly asking the question, “And then what happened?”
Okay, dog bites man, then the man acquires dog-like virtues, talents, skills and abilities. Then he uses them with police to track down a serial killer. Throw in lots of obstacles and challenges and, pretty soon, you have the makings of an outline.
A pretty sloppy outline, really, (a dog’s breakfast, sorry). That’s why the strategy in href="http://www.WriteABookNow.com/plotcreation.html"> Creating a Best-Selling Plot makes is so much easier.
But if you want to struggle, go ahead.
Just remember that, fiction or non-fiction, the outline is probably the most important element of the book-writing process. Make it a good one and you’ve got a good book. The time you spend there will more than pay for itself 10 times over when it comes time to write the book.
While we're on the topic of strategies, and if you haven't already done so, feel free to
subscribe to my FREE on-line course, "How To Write A Book On
Anything in 14 Days... or Less" it's packed with tips, techniques
and tactics for writing your book faster than you ever thought possible! But
ONLY if you're SERIOUS about writing a book NOW!
Wait a minute! You mean you still don't have your writing program, "How to Write A Book On Anything in 14 Days Or Less... Guaranteed!"? Well click How to Write A Book!
Like this article? Link to it from your web site or blog -- just copy/paste this HTML:
Want more ideas for getting your book published free? Take a look at this page for all the answers you'll ever need.
All the Answers You Need for Writing and Publishing Your Book
Cheers,
Steve Manning
© Steve Manning, WriteABookNow.com How To Write A Book