How Do I Write A Book?

Answer:
Writing a book is something of a paradox. It

will supply you with your greatest pleasure, as well as your biggest frustrations. Writing fiction is not unlike pregnancy, as you are creating a virtual life and protecting it from harm.

The first thing to do is ignore best seller list and basing your subject matter on what sells. That will only lead to frustration and an unfinished work. You are going to spend weeks, months, and possibly years on this, so you need to enjoy the subject more than your readers will. Forget marketing. If you like cowboys, write westerns. If you like aliens, write science fiction. The list goes on and on.

There are two main schools of thought on the way to write a fiction book. Some believe that you need to have a fully outlined plot, where others will simply write a few notes on ideas, then start to write and let the story flow where it will. Personally, I am in the second school of thought. I don’t care for the scripted restrictions that an outline gives me too many limitations. I prefer to start with an idea, and let the story flow where it will. Louis L’Amour was once asked why he spent so much time in his office writing, and he replied, “I want to see what happens next!”

After you have completed the manuscript, it is time to find a publisher, and there are many options for this.