So You Want To Write?

Many say it.

"I want to write a book."

Writing a book (though I've never actually finished one. Working on it.), is difficult. But it's fun and you will definitely learn something from it. I know I've learned a lot from it!

Why should you? In the words of Jeff Goins: "Because it's hard."

Everyone should have to do at least one hard thing in their lives.

So writing a book. What do you need?

Well you have to have an idea for a story of some kind. Novel, novella, short story. It doesn't matter. You'll be writing and that's enough.

Finding ideas can be easy too, you just have to know where to look.

Did you have a dream about rabid monkeys invading an ice cream shop and stealing all the cones from the poor nerdy girl who works there? Hmm. Sounds interesting!

Do you see fairies and goblins in the gardens and forests outside your house? Bam! Story idea! (Or mental illness. Get yourself checked out, then proceed with the story writing process.)

There are stories all around us. I was reading a blog a couple weeks ago written by a girl who had just published a novel set in the aftermath of the Japanese Tsunami. She knew where to look for a story, our world. (www.siennanorth.com for anyone curious)

So now, you have a story idea. What next?

Now you'll want to add your main character.

She/he might have come pre-packaged with the idea (I.e. nerdy girl who works in ice cream shop), or you may have to create your own main character (I.e. fairies and goblins are all well and good but you probably want a main character to interact with them).

Next, side characters.

You don't have to come up with them all now. Just one or two sidekicks and/or a love interest. 

You'll want characters who can be charming, 3D, and believable. And by that I mean, the sidekicks need to be pretty in depth people. We shouldn't be able to see that you threw them in for added humor or to kill later. (Guilty...) They need to be developable. Three dimensional. And they need to be relatable. Or they'll fall flat.

They need goals and motive just as much as your MC.

Dustfinger. Will Turner. Annabeth Chase. Murtagh. Halt. 

The sidekicks. The ones the MC can't live without. (Or maybe they'll have to! *evil laugh*)

You need a world to put them in. Are they going to live in Texas present day? During the reign of Queen Elizabeth? In the land of Cacklmaginklefas? Whatever you want! But if the place is real, make sure you do your homework. It would be pretty embarrassing to set them in Romania but not know that Romanians drive at alarming speeds all the time and the country is still recovering from a communist rule. Those are pretty big things! Do your research!

You'll need a plot as well. You can either sit down and just start writing, (the Pantser method), or you can map your way first (the planner/plotter). Find the right fit for you and go with it! I find it easier to do a little bit of both honestly.

So what's stopping you? Anyone can write a book if they really try to. It'll be fun! You comin?

Go, live your dream. -Ruffian, Tangled