How to Start Writing a Book
Like many who have gone before me, I chose to take on a new challenge: my first novel. But I had one question: How do you do it? How do you start writing a book?
I slogged my way through the confusion of how to begin, and now I’m here to help you do the same. I’m here to get you started on the ground level so that you can work your way up to something wonderful: A beautiful, completed book.
So step one. The idea. Important, yes?
You can’t start writing a book if you have no idea what you’re going to write about.
In this post, I’ve included the process I used to actually start writing my first book, along with 3 questions to help you figure out what you want to write about so that you can finally get started.
I had decided on a novel. A big project. A daunting task. But I knew I was up for it.
Only problem was, I didn’t have an idea.
For about a week I obsessed (this has actually proven to be the BEST tactic I could encourage - if you’re stuck on something, walk away and think about it, maybe for several days). I thought about all kinds of ideas and explored many different paths.
Here is what I did know:
I knew I wanted to write a fantasy story. I also knew I wanted my writing to be personal.
That was the question I began with.
What is most personal to me?
Without getting too far into it, the answer was undoubtedly my faith. I played around with that a bit. How could I tell a story that honored my faith without explicitly discussing it?
This led me down several rabbit holes, but it finally hit me.
I wanted to talk about gifts. I believe we are all blessed with spiritual gifts. So a story that amplified those spiritual gifts in a fantasy-type setting sounded perfect.
Nothing breakthrough or untold. There are plenty of superhero stories and tales of magic. But I knew as long as I focused on making it personal, that wouldn’t matter. This would be my story.
And that’s exactly what I landed on. My story would follow a young, 13-year-old girl as she discovers her own gift and uncovers secrets, magic, and truths in a world where most don’t believe such things exist.
It felt exciting and big and wonderful.
(Tip: This is a good sign. Excitement = good storytelling!)
But back to you. If you’re struggling to find your story, here are the 3 BEST beginning questions I pondered (sometimes for several days, but the answers ALWAYS came, so trust the process) that I highly encourage you to consider asking yourself.
3 Questions to Start Writing a Book
1. What is MOST important and personal to me in my life? Family? Faith? Love? Try to get as specific as possible.
For example:
In Harry Potter, Rowling captures a deep message of love, spreading it from the first chapter of the very first book until the last page in the series.
2. What BIG questions do I most often find myself contemplating? Death? Loss? Eternity?
Think of specific ideas, thoughts, or questions you have repeatedly returned to throughout your life.
For example:
Again, in Harry Potter, we encounter many instances of loss, loneliness, and death throughout the series. These themes bring depth and complexity in wonderful and moving ways.
3. What kind of world would I LOVE to live in?
This was an important question for me to consider.
As I started obsessively brainstorming about all the things I wanted my book to be, I asked myself what made me fall in love with other stories. The answer? (Well, one of the answers.) I fell in love with the world the story took place in.
For example:
In Ocean’s Eleven, Las Vegas transforms into the perfect setting for a story.
If you’ve ever visited Vegas, you know it has many cons along with the pros, but we don’t much encounter those in the movie. For this particular story world, the setting is glamorous, mysterious, chaotic, and the perfect cover for our characters’ mischief.
The point being, your story does not have to exist in a fantasy world for it to sweep readers off their feet. But you do have to be in love with the world you create.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
