How to write a book

You sit down and write it.

I'm sorry, I know you were hoping I'd give you some sort of secret formula or recommend a website that would take your idea and turn it into a best-seller. The secret is, there is no secret.

Writing a book involves sitting down and writing. Having a brilliant idea is great. Plotting is useful. Character development is essential. Courses and workshops are helpful. Research provides depth and realism. But nothing counts until you sit down and put words on paper.

What about inspiration? Peter de Vries said it best: "I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning." People who wait for inspiration never finish writing a book. They frequently don't write more than one chapter. Real writers write every day, whether they are inspired or not.

Develop a writing routine. Set aside a certain amount of time every day for writing. Two hours is best, but an hour works. That time is for writing. Not e-mail, Facebook, blogging, editing, or making coffee. Turn off the phone, turn off the internet and write. The first twenty minutes or so is a lot like the warm-up in the gym, you feel that this is not going to work, but by the thirty minute mark, you'll usually find the words are flowing and your ideas are falling into place.

It doesn't matter if you write longhand or shorthand, type on a manual typewriter or a computer. What matters is that you do it, and you do it regularly. Think of it as strengthening your writing muscles. The more you exercise them, the stronger they will become.

It doesn't matter if you work in a sound-proofed study, complete with computer and wall-to-wall reference books, a corner of the kitchen table, or the local fast-food cafe. All that matters is getting the words written.

But what about writer's block? I don't believe in writer's block. As a professional writer for over twenty years, I've never had an attack of writer's block. It's as real as plumber's block, teacher's block or chef's block. I've had plenty of writer's-don't-want-to, but no writer's block. True, there are days when your writing is more pedestrian than others. Those are good days for writing link scenes or research-heavy scenes. However, it often happens that the days when you dread sitting down to write end up producing the best scenes.

What about editing? Writing and editing are different. "Write from the heart, edit with your brain." Many writers find that if they spend time going back and editing that they have already written, they never get to finish the book. Try to write the first draft quickly. Keep a notebook (or open computer file) beside you. If, when you are writing, you decide to change the heroine's name, or some other significant detail, make a note and keep going.

When you've written the entire first draft is the time to go back and do your editing.

And that's another day's work.

Author: Eileen Gormley