Tag Archive for: How to Write A Book

Brain Storming – When It Rains It Pours…Hopefully

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By Sparkle Abbey

Welcome back to part three of So You Want to Write a Book!

If you’ve decided there’s a book in you, thanks for joining us on this wild journey! Over the last couple of months, we’ve asked you to dig deep, think about what you really want to write about, and assigned homework.

First, we asked you to define the type of book you want to write. Last month we asked you to read extensively in your genre. How did you do? Do you feel well-read?

We also asked you to keep a notebook and jot down all your ideas. If you don’t have the notebook handy, go ahead and grab it. We’ll wait.

You’re back? Great! Let’s get started.

Step three is where we want you to take every idea and thought you have for your book and put those in your notebook.

 

This would be a fun scene, a snippet of dialogue, a unique character, an odd trait or habit that you find interesting, etc. We’re not suggesting you outline, at least not yet. We are suggesting you fill that notebook with ideas. Remember, at this stage, there is no such thing as a bad idea.

If you need help, get together with some friends over coffee or wine and brainstorm. If you still need help getting started, here are some questions you can ask yourself.

For a fiction book:

  • Setting – Where will your story take place?
    • Time period – past, present, future
    • City, small town, urban, suburban
  • What season is it?
  • Who are your characters?
    • Main characters, secondary, protagonist, antagonist, villain, hero, heroin
    • What do they look like?
    • Where do they live?
    • What are their beliefs?
    • What’s important to them?
  • Whose point of view is the story told?
    • First-person, third-person, omniscient
    • Which character should the story be told from?
  • What is your main story idea?
  • What’s the subplot idea?
  • What problem will your main character face?
  • How will that problem intensify?
  • How will they overcome their problem?

Is that a lot to think about? It is! Maybe you can answer all of these or maybe just part of them. That’s okay. Right now, we just want you to jot down everything you can think of.

If you’re writing a non-fiction book here are some prompts for you:

  • What do you want to achieve with your book?
  • Who is this book for?
    • Hobbyist
    • History buffs
    • Self-help seekers
    • A general audience
    • A very niche group
  • Do your research
    • Online or the library
    • Interview people
  • How will you say it?
    • Is it a narrative – you’re telling a story
      • Autobiography
      • Memoir
      • Biography
    • Expository – you’re showing the story by explaining your topic
      • Self-help
      • How-to
      • Cookbook

Are the ideas flowing? Is there a story starting to unfold? We encourage you to write everything down, even if it sounds like a crazy idea. You’ll be surprised what you’ll use later as you’re hammering out your story and need that perfect twist.

We’ll check back in with you next month with the next step. Until then, if you have questions, feel free to ask us.

 

Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.)

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website

So You Want to Write a Book

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By Sparkle Abbey

Part 2: Old School Research

Welcome back to So You Want to Write a Book!


There’s a book in everyone, right? If you’ve decided that there’s a book in you and you’re ready to embark on that journey, we’re excited for you!

Last month we talked about where to start when writing a
book for the first time. We asked you a lot of questions, such as:

  • Are you passionate about a particular
    storyline?
  • What type of book are you interested in writing?
  • What idea is constantly on your mind?

You may remember there was also an assignment. We hope you
took our suggestion to write down ALL your ideas. If so, pull out that notebook
where you jotted down them down, and let’s talk about what you wrote. (If you
didn’t take that step, there’s still time. Just take that step today.)

By now you should have decided what you’re passionate about
and what type of book you’re going to write. You should know if you’re writing
fiction or non-fiction. A thriller or a memoir. Romance or a self-help book.  

Okay, are you ready for step two? Step two is what we call Old
School Research. And we’re the first to admit, that not everyone agrees on this.
We believe to write well in any genre or subject, you need to be well-read in
that area. What is currently being written? What type of plot resonates with you?
What characters speak to you? How do the best-selling stories unfold? What can
you LEARN from books you love as well as books you put down after a few pages?



Back when we first started writing we read over 100 books in
our genre. While we aren’t telling you to read 100 books before you start
writing, we are telling you to read extensively in the genre or subject in
which you’re going to write. There are some who disagree with this approach for
various reasons. They may worry about copying another author’s work. Probably
not. After 100 books, one thing you’ll notice is there’s really no new plot. And
how you write your story is all about what you uniquely bring to the table.
However, by reading deeply in your selected subject, you’ll have a better
understanding of how to make your book stand out from the crowd. You’ll also
begin to understand the importance of reader expectations. (More on that down
the road!)

Well, what do you think? Are you onboard to read, read,
read for the next few weeks while you’re thinking about your book? As you read,
keep your notebook handy. Take notes on what you learn, how you’ll be
different, what works, and what doesn’t.

If you’d like, share in the comments what you’ve decided to
write and what you’ve learned from reading extensively in your subject, and how
you’ll use that to write a book that stands out from the crowd. And as always,
if you have questions, feel free to ask us.

Next month we’ll talk about knowing where you’re headed.
Sound intriguing? 


Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website


So You Want to Write a Book

/in /by

By Sparkle Abbey

Part 1: Where to Start

All of the wonderful authors in this group have written books. Some have written many books, but we all started somewhere. 

Is there a book in you? If you believe there is, you’re not alone. 

There’s a statistic floating around the internet from a USA Today survey that took place almost twenty years ago that says 81% of Americans feel they have a book in them. We can only assume that percentage is closer to 90% now with many people taking stock of their life goals. Maybe more than 90%.

The first question is: Just because you want to write a book, should you? And the answer is: Maybe.

Writing definitely stretches your creativity and enhances your life. It also can impact the lives of other people. Which is a great reason to write that book!

However, here’s the reality — while anyone can write a book, not everyone will. Why is that? Mostly it’s because writing is hard. And writing, well, is even harder. In the words of Dorothy Parker, “I hate writing, but I love having written.” 

But though it is hard to write well, the truth is that writing is like a muscle. The more you exercise, the stronger you become. The more you write, the more you learn and the stronger your writing becomes. For many, setting aside the time to do that work is the hardest part.

For all of you who have said you’d like to write a book, but don’t really know where to start, we want to help you get moving. No more just thinking about it, we want to help you take action. In the next few months, we’re going to talk about the steps you need to take to write a book. So, let’s get started! 

You’re ready to put in the work.  Where do you begin?

Well, first you need to have something to say. Are you passionate about a story idea that you’d love to read, but no one has written? Do you have a message or belief you’d like to share with others? What idea is constantly on your mind? What is your story worth telling?


Here’s your homework. Pull out a notebook and jot down ideas. Right now, all ideas are good ideas. Don’t overthink it. While you’re recording your thoughts also think about what type of

book you’re going to write. Fiction, non-fiction, self-help, memoir, cookbook. 

If you’d like, please feel free to share in the comments what you might want to write a book about. And if you have questions, feel free to ask. 

Next month we’ll talk about what happens once you’ve settled on your idea!

Sparkle Abbey’s latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you’ve not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website