Q&A for How to Begin Writing a Book

Combine two sentences together. For example, you can turn "She ran home. Right after, she jumped onto the patio." to "She ran home and jumped up onto the patio while her heart drummed in her chest heavily." Add a bit more, and it won't be so choppy.

This happens to a lot of writers, and it can be very disheartening. Try to view the person's insults constructively. If they won't help your work at all, then just ignore them; the person could just be a jealous bully. Remember, there will be at least one person out there who supports your work. Never give up on something you love to do because of one bad criticism.

Good books—books that lots of people want to read—are typically written and re-written through several editing stages. If your goal is to have your book published, and you're new to writing, you may do well to write your first draft by hand. There are several valid reasons for doing this: Your brain slows down when you write by hand, giving real creativity more room to show up. It's easier to stay focused without pings and social media alert pop-ups of a computer. It's harder to edit as you go. The goal with the first draft is to get the story written, ugly as it may be. Once you've written that first draft, then switch to your computer and start editing!

A description instead of a question would be best, but all in all, either will hook your reader if you write it right. Try writing multiple intros, then see how each one would branch off into your chapter/story. A good example of a question starter is "Have you ever seen a color so vast and mesmerizing, you couldn't snap your gaze away from it? Such a deep and compelling color you were instantly sucked into its beauty. That's how I felt when I first lay my eyes on Maggie Robinson." This is a good starter because it instantly sucks you into the story, also introducing a character that you might want to know more about.

You'll get a feel for how/when to break up the chapters, some may be only a page or two, some quite a bit longer than that, it just depends on what is happening and the structure of your book. I would try not to have any chapters longer than 20 pages, but again, there are no definite rules.

Reading other books or stories, watching movies or shows, listening to music, people-watching, or just thinking about your own interests and letting your mind wander can all help you find inspiration.

Change names and make particular events similar but not the same. Use allegory to convey some messages in a more hidden way. Try changing family roles too -- for example, make grandpa into a cousin, an uncle into an aunt or a mother into a sister, and so forth, so that it makes it harder for people to see themselves in the tale. Mix things up too.

Don't just tell your reader what you are talking about, show them. For example, instead of saying, "We went outside, and it was cold." say, "Once we went into the outdoors we were greeted by an icy blast of wind, consequently giving me chills all over my body."

Think about what makes them unique. What separates them from everyone else? Do they have powers? Are they a hero? Ask yourself these questions.

You can write it wherever and using any media you like.

Use programs, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word. When you're done, either download it as a PDF and send it to a publisher, or print it out as a physical manuscript to show to the publisher.

You should start with the plot first so that your cover can reflect the plot. You could use a lined notebook and a pen or pencil.

There are several programs available via the internet. I always use Microsoft Word when writing papers for college -- it is pretty good at catching all of my mistakes. Another one I have used before is Google Docs.

Illustrate it yourself or work with an artist.

Periodically reread what you have written. Edit anything that seems wordy or redundant. While you're writing, look back and ask if this information will be useful to the reader. Think about what will make them want to read more, to make sure they don’t lose interest. Keep the reader, and information/context of your story in mind.

Expand the little idea, and make it interesting to draw readers in.

It can literally be anything. If you see a red chair in a garden, empty, with a book upside-down on a table and a pitcher of lemon juice. Boom - inspiration hits: who's reading, why did the person leave, what's the book like? Anything you see, feel, think, read, hear, encounter, etc. can be a concept, so write what you know. Look around, allow your mind to fly off on an impulse, see where things lead. Try out a few different concepts until you find one you like.

Who cares if no one likes it? You're not writing to please readers, you write because you cannot fathom how the world could possibly keep on spinning without this story being written, and you sacrifice your time, your energy, your everything, to get this story crafted. Even if once it's done and no one reads it, or those who read it don't like it, it doesn't matter - at least it exists. Or, look at it differently: If all your stories are boring and no one likes them, write better stories.

If someone still holds copyright to the original work, you cannot publish fanfiction as a book for money, but you can make it freely available online. However, if the original work is in the creative commons (such as older works like Pride & Prejudice), you could sell your fanfiction.

See How to Publish a Book for a few ways.

Think of someone whose opinions you respect. Ask that person to read your first chapters. If the reader is enthusiastic about what you've written, that may motivate you to continue writing. If the person is less enthusiastic, ask for suggestions on how to improve your book.

You need permission from the artist any time you are going to use art that isn't yours.

No. Your publisher may be able to help connect you with an illustrator, but it's not the publisher's job. His/her job is to publish your finished book.

With practice you'll become a better, faster writer. Read lots of books, magazines and newspapers for examples of good writing.

Watch movies and read other books. Also, plot ideas come when you least expect them to. Your dreams may be a key to a plot, or you could just think in your spare time and let your imagination run totally wild.

Use your imagination, and any story can be your own. Unless you are deliberately stealing people's published ideas, you can't get into to legal issues. Otherwise, just let your imagination run wild.

You can use as many or as few as you want. However, make sure they all flow together evenly, smoothly, and transition very nicely. Also, make sure that the literary devices are manageable and not excessive, because this can confuse a reader and hurt your book.

It varies from one writer to the next depending on his/her dedication and time constraints as well as the length of the book.

It's not a great idea unless it can be expressed to other people. Think of words that tangibly describe your idea. Let your imagination lead you into a full development of the story. Don't be afraid to make early mistakes. They can be corrected.

If you ask good writers how they think of the words they write, they will tell you that it's usually a matter of "inspiration": the words occur spontaneously, almost randomly, sometimes unbidden and unexpected. Keep thinking about what you want to write. At some point the words will probably just show up in your mind. It may be a subconscious process.