Writing a book is one of the most common desires that people have, but very few people actually have any idea how to start. The desire to write rarely turns into any action for most people, and the few who do take the first step quickly realize it is far more work than they imagined.
The good news is that, yes, you can write a book. Anyone can if you have the desire and, most importantly, the commitment. To increase your chance of success, create a plan and make sure to write regularly. It will take time, but with determination, you will become confident in your writing ability and ultimately finish your book.
Should I Write a Book?
So we have determined that you can write a book but ask yourself should I write a book?
This is a very important question because it can keep you from taking action when you have a dream to write but are not sure if you should.
Ask yourself if you have the commitment to create and follow through on this book. There will be many issues and roadblocks to overcome, so make sure you have the strength to see them through.
This is especially true if you are inexperienced because you may not have the necessary knowledge to achieve your dream when you first begin. The only way to get this knowledge is to keep writing every day, even if only for a few minutes.
Once you have decided your dream is still an achievable goal, you can then move on to the question of how do I write a book. Writing a book is hard work, but it is also gratifying and personally enriching.
Above all, make sure you have confidence in yourself to be a writer.
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Do This Before You Start Writing a Book
Before you write, it can be constructive to ask yourself a few questions to clarify your aims and ultimately help with motivation.
What genre do you plan to write your book in? Do you want to write for young readers, children, teenagers or adults?
Decide why you want to write a book? Write down your goals as this will help keep you motivated to push through the struggles that you will often encounter along the way.
Write down all the problems you will most likely run into when writing your book. Some obvious items are your skills that need developing as a new writer, but note things like lack of time to write, family commitments, and anything else that may prevent you from sitting down at your writing time.
Ask yourself what the final outcome will be. Maybe it is just a personal passion project. Are you hoping for it to be a self-published book or e-book or something published traditionally through a publishing house or distribution company?
Write a one-page summary of what you have planned to write. Then, take the time to write some notes about the topic or story and write down several larger ideas you want to cover in the book.
Just having some of these notes can inspire you to get past the writer’s block or stop you from starting off in the wrong direction.
Dispelling a Few Myths About Writing a Book
Although writing sounds like a beautiful dream, let’s dispel some myths first. Unfortunately, there are a lot of harmful myths so let’s just get rid of a few.
A Book Will Make Me Rich and Famous.
Many people feel that writing a book is appealing simply because of the amount of money they can make when they are successful.
You absolutely could write a book and become a very successful author, but the reality of that most people do not become successful enough to be rich or a well-known name. A great many writers who successfully finish a book and get it published still need other income, especially in the early days.
Just be realistic and plan accordingly.
You Have to Be Special to Write a Book.
It is a common thought that writing a book is some kind of a “gift” only some people could write.
Of course, writing a book takes a lot of work, talent, and creativity. But anyone with passion can make their dream become a reality.
The most important thing is to have an idea you are passionate about and then put in the effort to learn the craft of writing. Having an idea you love will help motivate you as you go through the learning process and develop into a skilled writer.
You Have to Be an Expert to Write a Book.
If you are writing a non-fiction book, then you may think you cannot write a book unless you are an “expert” in the subject matter with qualifications or are publicly recognized on the topic.
This is not necessarily true. For example, many people write books on a subject based on different kinds of expertise.
This “expert” knowledge can come from your personal experience rather than being a trained expert. Think about how you are going to write from your own experience. That can be good enough authority.
Readers will buy and enjoy a book from someone who clearly has a deep knowledge and love of a subject even if they are not a professional in the field.
Just make sure you have interesting and compelling writing, including your own story and experience. Then, the reader will still relate and be interested to read.
Benefits of Writing a Book
As a beginner writer, you obviously do not know if you will make any money from your book, but there are other benefits, too. When you find it hard to keep going, maybe these additional benefits may help inspire you to stick with it.
Authority, Prestige and Expert Status
There are a lot of experts in every field and if you want to become recognized as one of them, then writing a book will help you do so. Standing out can be difficult in a crowded profession, so writing a book can elevate your status and make you more of an authority.
Suppose you are trying to become a speaker about your field or consultant for example. In that case, this higher level of authority will help you become more visible and ultimately earn more money.
It doesn’t also matter whether you are the most experienced professional, people will still look to you as more of an expert in your field than they are if you write a book.
Impact on Others
Writing a book can significantly affect others who believe in your ideas and your field of expertise. When someone finds themselves in a position similar to you as covered in your book, they can be inspired that you have come so far and succeeded.
When you decide to write a book, you are not only building up your own credibility, but you will also be helping people you don’t even know. As you write, keep this in mind and aim to make a difference in the lives of those who will read your book.
Stress Relief
Writing a book gives you the ability to capture your thoughts in a written format. It is a form of creative expression and elicits “feelings” as you write. So writing can be done just for the purpose of it being therapeutic, and consequently, stress-relieving.
Just sitting down and writing about a subject can make you feel better. So the creative process itself can become the main benefit of writing a book.
Knowledge
Writing also gives you an opportunity to expand on your own knowledge and gain new understanding. No matter how well you think you know your subject, the writing process gives you a chance to grow and learn. You will come across things you would have never thought about otherwise.
Diving deeper into these will require some research that will further spark your own knowledge, even as you pass on your own knowledge to others.
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So you absolutely can write a book. You just invest time, energy, and resources into it. Commit to sit down and start writing and then keep writing regularly. It is the best way to find out if you have what it takes to reach your dream.