How To Write A Better Book

How To Write A Better Book

Before you begin writing your book, you must research your idea and see if it is in-demand with readers. Who is going to read it? To whom are you trying to appeal with your words? You must have a general idea of who your intended audience will be. Check out other books. Is there a book already published that resembles your book? What will make your book unique from theirs? If there are similar books already out there, what is going to make your book different and make people want to buy it?

When you are ready to begin your book, decide on a schedule that is best for you, one that you can stick to. Your schedule should begin before your research and carry through to the completion of the book. Make a detailed outline with the main plot, events leading to that plot, and explicit detail about the characters. An outline is also a good reference point to double-check your timelines and details.

ONE IDEA IS NOT ENOUGH

Part of the reworking process is changing direction within the writing. Many beginning writers aspire to write a book. They have an idea and a vague plan to turn the idea into book. Picture a first grader telling you she wants to write a book about horses. Although you can collect a lot of information about horses to write several books, the vague idea is not enough for an adult writer to create a marketable book. To write a book, you need to start with a topic. You may or may not be an expert on the subject. After you have the first vague ideas, you need to start asking yourself questions to focus in on a specific, marketable topic. Answering those questions will lead you to more questions, and so on. Even if your original idea is unique and leads you to write new information that the world does not yet have access to, you will need to add to that original idea to create an intriguing finished product. If you are not an expert, or you have not created any new information, it will take more time and effort to produce a unique piece of writing. Fiction is the same as non-fiction. Many stories have been told before. If you want to become a published author, you need to come up with an engaging and new journey for your readers to take.

RECYCLING OLD IDEAS

There is always room in your book for old ideas. Your readers will need a familiar starting place within your writing. As you are putting together your ideas for a complete book, you will probably publish smaller pieces of work in magazines and newspapers. It is okay, as long as you cite yourself, to reuse some of that work. In that way, you can publish as you go along while still making progress towards your end goal in book publishing. After several months or even years, you will have poured out your effort and knowledge into a completed book.

You may want to turn off your editing software for your first draft. Mesh the plot, the characters, and everything together, without using your spellchecker. You can fix your grammar, spelling, and punctuation later. Most authors don't write their books from front to back. By writing different chapters or events, it may be easier for you to come back and connect them later. Sometimes having the words on paper makes it easier to fill in the blanks.

FIRST DRAFT

You have finished your first draft. Now is the time to read it. Reading the rough draft allows you to zero in on the timeline, link the plot with the characters, and ensure everything makes sense and flows together. Once you have accomplished these tasks, use your editing software. It is time to fix your grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Two widely used grammar programs for authors include WhiteSmoke Software (www.WhiteSmokeSoftware.com), and a book formatting software called WizardsForWord (www.WizardsForWord.com).

Now put you book aside. Let it sit for 7-10 days or so before you pick it up again. This will give your mind time to clear. Now read the book again. Does it still flow and make sense? Do you need to add something or change it? Now is the time.

Choose someone to proofread your book for you. If possible, hire a professional editor to do this or someone with a writing or English background. Besides editing your manuscript, a professional copyeditor can also offer you unbiased opinion and advice.

Lastly, create the final draft. The final draft should be error free. This is your last chance to change anything before it goes to the publisher. Now is when all that time you spent writing a book comes together to make its trip to publication.

Unlike other areas of expertise, book writing is a different process for everyone. As you set out to write a book, you can follow some basic guidelines, but getting your ideas from your head to the page is an invention of your own. Not only will you have to get the information onto the page, but also you will have to write in a way that thousands or even millions of readers can relate to and understand.

BONUS : How To Write A Better Memo

Size doesn’t matter. Such is the case with the memo. Isn’t it amazing how one relatively short document can be such a huge pain? Memos are an overlooked office document. We assume the least amount of words on a sheet of paper makes it least important. How wrong we are. Memos are as important as a ten-page business letter autographed by Brad Pitt. A poorly written memo can be irritating to readers (who really just want to get back to work) and damaging to the sender (who has no idea how he or she managed to come off sounding so careless). Learning to write concise and effective memos is a skill vital to any business person. The following tips show you how to construct a formidable, readable memo.

BE SHORT, BUT SWEET

The most common problem with memos is their length. Regardless of the topic, a memo should never be more than two pages; any longer and the memo begins to ramble on like a report. Unless you’re reprimanding every person in the department, there’s no reason to be aggressive or rude. Keep it short, be polite and get to the point as quickly as possible.

STAY AWAY FROM THE CLICHÉ

Overused phrases like “We’re sorry for the inconvenience...” and “Please don’t hesitate to contact us...” aren’t just cliché, they’re vaguely heartless. Using such trite phrases shows your readers that you simply don’t care enough to phrase it differently or be remotely personal. Try “We’re sorry about this...” or “Give me a call...” instead. Remember, you know these people -- act like it!

MAKE THE POINT IMMEDIATELY

Instead of discussing a problem at length before ending with a vague conclusion as to what you need from the reader, get to the point in the first sentence. Your readers will be more likely to keep reading if they already know what you’re asking of them.

FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE

Avoid using passive verbs; and avoid sentences that rarely include a pronoun. Keep your memo focused on both the reader and yourself by using I, you, we and our often. It’s far more direct and personal and makes the reader feel as if you’re with them, not preaching at them.

KEEP IT CONVERSATIONAL

Strive to write as you talk, or at least as closely as possible. Use short sentences, familiar words and contractions. Try reading your memo out loud after writing; does it sound like you? Would you actually say these things? If not, revise until you’ve got the closest approximation. Never distance yourself from the reader with wordy sentences.

MAKE YOUR NEEDS SPECIFIC

What do you need from the reader? When and how do you need it? Make sure to close your memo with a summary of the points, but also be as specific as possible about what exactly you want; never leave the reader guessing. If you need a response via email by 2pm, say just that. Be as polite as possible here; nothing turns off a reader more than being yelled at for a response.