A question I often get asked by potential clients is: How do I write a book? Where do I start? Is there a formula to writing a book? What does ‘a book’ even look like?
All good questions.
A blank page can be overwhelming. Imposter syndrome clocks on. That stream of words that write themselves in your head at 2.00 a.m. instantly disappear at the expanse of white space.
My primary piece of advice is simple, but not always easy:
Put your backside on a chair and your fingers on the keyboard (or pen to paper). Write one word.
That’s how you start a book.
As Confucius put it:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
“What will that word be?” I hear you ask. “I don’t know where to begin.”
When I once asked a dear friend and writing buddy how her writing had gone that day, she responded, “Well, it was mostly throat clearing!”
I love that analogy. Sometimes we just have to get the fingers or pen moving. A lot of what we write ends up on the cutting room floor, so it doesn’t really matter what you write to begin with. Write anything—how you’re feeling, what the weather is doing, describe your surroundings. In this way, you can ease into what you really want to say.
Some more pointed prompts might be:
- Why do you want to write this book?
- Who will read this book?
- What outcome do you desire from this book?
- How will you feel after writing it?
- What do you want the reader to feel after reading it?
- Do you have a core message or premise?
- Do you have an outline?
These are not only ‘throat-clearing’ but valid questions that will bring you clarity.
In the writing journey, a book does not need to start at the beginning. If you have a scene burning in your brain, write it. If you know how the story will end, write that. If you’re writing memoir and a memory is vivid, get it down. Writing is rarely linear; it involves navigating backwards and forwards, adding, slashing, embellishing, editing. The structure may be chronological, but the writing process doesn’t have to be.
In practical terms, where and how will you write?
There are several writing platforms available.
Scrivener (around US$59.99) is one of the most popular. It’s a comprehensive, purpose-built tool for writers, with features to organise notes, research, images, and structure.
Atticus is both a writing and formatting program. I use it to format my own books and those of my clients. While it’s excellent for editing and formatting, I personally find it less intuitive for drafting from scratch.
Other options include:
- LivingWriter (subscription-based): a cloud-based app with strong outlining features and collaboration tools.
- Dabble (subscription): a streamlined alternative to Scrivener with a simpler interface.
- Storyist and Ulysses: Apple-exclusive writing tools.
- The Novel Writing Factory: focused more on story development than drafting.
- Campfire: useful for character and world-building.
And of course, there’s Google Docs, which is accessible and convenient, though it can become unwieldy with very large manuscripts.
Personally, I use Word. I tried to love Scrivener—I really did—but I found the features distracting. With the proper use of heading styles, Word is perfectly effective for navigating a manuscript.
Of course, there is good old-fashioned paper. Many well-known authors write with fountain pen on pads. I find this adds an extra layer of editing when transcribing, which can be surprisingly helpful.
At this stage, don’t worry about formatting. You might add page numbers for navigation, but the design of the book comes later, once the manuscript is complete and edited.
Even with all the tools in place and commitment and routine strong, most books take months or years to write—not weeks—and that’s completely normal.
Final Thoughts
Don’t overthink it.
You can’t make a teapot without a lump of clay. You can’t create a book from a blank page.
Pretend you’re telling the story to a close friend or simply writing in a journal.
Don’t aim for perfection in your first draft. Bird by Bird author Anne Lamott famously speaks about the “shitty first draft.” And Terry Pratchett reminds us that the first draft is simply you telling yourself the story.
The most important thing is to write the first word. Then the next. And the next.
One day, you’ll have a thousand words. Then a chapter. Then a full manuscript. Maybe not a happily ever after—but definitely a The End.
And when you have that first draft—shitty or otherwise—why not get in touch for a manuscript assessment?
