So... how do I START writing a book? (Several questions inside)

Quacktion · Apr 29, 2019

Hello. I always wanted to express myself creatively and tell the stories that I've been perfecting in my head for years, I have so many ideas I want to realize in some shape or form, but... I suck. I cant draw, I cant program, I guess I could try to direct people but obviously they wont just follow a random Joe Shmoe. So, Im left with books, which I think I can do, but I have a few problems in my way that I need some insight in before getting started.

- Language: My biggest current hurdle, weirdly enough. So, I live in Poland, but I find myself much more comfortable writing in English. Which language should I go with if I want to publish my work here, and with hopes of reaching as many people as possible?

- Publishing: How do you do this? Do I find a publisher locally, do I do this myself, if so how, some website, my own website? How do I even contact a person about this, do I send them like a chapter and they decide if they wanna go with it, the whole thing once its done? I'm clueless here.

- Experience: I have written some small stories when I was like 15, and I also spent a lot of time refining my style on RPG forums, and done some private thinking about how to write to get the effect I want. Im pretty confident in my imagination, my ideas and how I want to write... but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself. Any recommendations to gain some experience from?

- Tools: What exactly should I write ON? Do I do it on the laptop and if so in what program, Word or something else? Is it better to get some sort of tablet or other device so I can write on the go? Obviously I could do it on paper but then I would have to write it all again anyway on PC and that sounds like its gonna take a long time (plus my handwriting sucks), and again being able to edit stuff on the spot will be very helpful.

- Feedback: I heard about beta readers and obviously could ask a few friends for feedback, just wondering what is the best way to acquire feedback on writing?

- Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that wont be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

- Other: If you have any other general advice, please share it, I'm trying to gather as much info I can before I go in.

Thank you all in advance!

TheCthultist · Apr 29, 2019

The biggest and best piece of advice is probably also the most obvious: Write!

Just write and write and write. You'll need all the practice you can get, especially if you're still facing some trouble with language. You can worry about the details later. For now, just start writing it and see where that takes you.

Try not to get too deep into your own head or let that dread or doubt sink in. Everyone goes through it.
Also I would advise using someone who's not a close personal friend or family member when it comes to looking for beta readers. They're convenient, but often times won't give you the criticism you really need.

Revenger · Apr 29, 2019

You're doing what every aspiring writer does....procrastinating on the actual process of writing.

Deleted member 3208 · Apr 29, 2019

All I can say is write. Write, write, write. Practice will give you the experience to become a better writer.

Also, needless to say, read books. Especially books related to what you want to write.

You can also check the ERA Writers Hangout thread. Link is this: https://www.resetera.com/threads/writersera-ot-publish-before-you-die.369/

Chestbridge · Apr 29, 2019

Quacktion said:
but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself

You won't be able to write if you don't read.

Quacktion said:
Obviously I could do it on paper but then I would have to write it all again anyway on PC and that sounds like its gonna take a long time

Honestly, it seems more that you like the idea of being a writer than actually being a writer. If you are going to take writing seriously, you will be rewriting your books several times, anyhow. Becoming a writer, actually getting good at the craft, is a job of work.

Quacktion said:
Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that wont be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

No one is going to steal your idea. Ideas are cheap as chips. Everyone has their big idea for the next big hit, but its all in the execution.

jph139 · Apr 29, 2019

Writing the book should be your first concern. Even if it's amazing and original and brilliant - let's be 100% honest, it's probably not going to be that successful. Treat fame and profit and all that as a possible bonus and make the actual writing - creating a coherent, complete novel/story/what have you - your goal.

But yeah, if you don't have any experience with the actual form you're going to be working with, I would recommend reading some books before anything. What genres do you like?

Mediking · Apr 29, 2019

Reading and writing are essential. Dont procrastinate!!!

Laser Man · Apr 29, 2019

Write on paper and then write it up again on your laptop, reason why is there is a time delay to how you look at what you have written. The bigger the time delay the better. Don't write something and move on to the next, give it a rest and rediscover your own writing again, it's like a free second draft (+ you get very good at typing on a k-board)

patientzero · Apr 29, 2019

Quacktion said:
Im pretty confident in my imagination, my ideas and how I want to write... but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself. Any recommendations to gain some experience from?

Yo, what!?

You cannot write well without being an avid reader. And reading numerous forms to gain experience in numerous areas - look at essay construction, read nonfiction to learn how to present exposition engagingly, thrillers for their pacing, literary fiction for character arcs, etc.

carlsojo · Apr 29, 2019

Quacktion said:
Hello. I always wanted to express myself creatively and tell the stories that I've been perfecting in my head for years, I have so many ideas I want to realize in some shape or form, but... I suck. I cant draw, I cant program, I guess I could try to direct people but obviously they wont just follow a random Joe Shmoe. So, Im left with books, which I think I can do, but I have a few problems in my way that I need some insight in before getting started.

- Language: My biggest current hurdle, weirdly enough. So, I live in Poland, but I find myself much more comfortable writing in English. Which language should I go with if I want to publish my work here, and with hopes of reaching as many people as possible?

- Publishing: How do you do this? Do I find a publisher locally, do I do this myself, if so how, some website, my own website? How do I even contact a person about this, do I send them like a chapter and they decide if they wanna go with it, the whole thing once its done? I'm clueless here.

- Experience: I have written some small stories when I was like 15, and I also spent a lot of time refining my style on RPG forums, and done some private thinking about how to write to get the effect I want. Im pretty confident in my imagination, my ideas and how I want to write... but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself. Any recommendations to gain some experience from?

- Tools: What exactly should I write ON? Do I do it on the laptop and if so in what program, Word or something else? Is it better to get some sort of tablet or other device so I can write on the go? Obviously I could do it on paper but then I would have to write it all again anyway on PC and that sounds like its gonna take a long time (plus my handwriting sucks), and again being able to edit stuff on the spot will be very helpful.

- Feedback: I heard about beta readers and obviously could ask a few friends for feedback, just wondering what is the best way to acquire feedback on writing?

- Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that wont be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

- Other: If you have any other general advice, please share it, I'm trying to gather as much info I can before I go in.

Thank you all in advance!

Take it from someone who has finished one 50k word draft in his entire life -

- Write in what language you're comfortable with. The most important thing is to just start writing.

- You can self-publish now, I've self-pubbed some short stories on Amazon.

- You haven't read... any book from start to finish? Ever? Pick a genre you like, and read a book. Finish it. Repeat.

- Whatever you're comfortable with. The most important thing is to write. You can write in a notebook and re-type later (I find this helps me get through rough drafts at times). I like Scrivener for software, it's great for organization.

- I haven't tried beta readers yet.

- Just write! Just write! Just write! Just write! Set a time every day to write, and do it consistently. It has to be a habit.

Quacktion · Apr 29, 2019

patientzero said:
Yo, what!?

You cannot write well without being an avid reader. And reading numerous forms to gain experience in numerous areas - look at essay construction, read nonfiction to learn how to present exposition engagingly, thrillersfor their pacing, literary fiction for character arcs, etc.

Can you drop me any recommendations? Mostly interested in fantasy but again I want to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

corasaur · Apr 29, 2019

Write in whatever language you want.

Brainstorm less and write instead. Planning ambitious things is fun as hell but ambitious things often have problems you won't notice until you're in the middle of executing them

Edit: hit post too early lol.continuing.

Start reading. If you don't like books enough to finish some, then writing, learning, and editing is gonna be hard. Also reading cool things and having ideas in response to them is a fun process. Your best idea of your life might be inspired by a book you haven't heard of yet. Also you'll presumably have some kind of target audience in mind and you'll probably want to know what other works informed their expectations.

You can self-publish online. Traditional genre fic publishers sometimes have a "slush pile" for unsolicited submissions but most traditional publishing happens by finding an agent first andvarious agencies have their own submission guidelines.

Thinking about making money off writing before you've tried finishing works of fiction is jumping the gun a bit.

Books · Apr 29, 2019

Don't tell people you're writing a book until you're finished.

TheCthultist · Apr 29, 2019

Quacktion said:
Can you drop me any recommendations? Mostly interested in fantasy but again I want to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series and "Eyes of the Dragon" are my go-to recommendations for fantasy fans. That said, there are TONS of directions you can go with fantasy.

Also maybe follow some big name authors on twitter. People like Stephen King often shoutout authors whose works they are currently reading and that can be a great way to discover new things to read.

Squarehard · Apr 29, 2019

Start jotting down notes, and things that just pop into your head.

In the end, that's what editing is for.

sphagnum · Apr 29, 2019

Books said:
Don't tell people you're writing a book until you're finished.

This guy would know, just look at his name.

Chivalry · Apr 29, 2019

Start by reading a lot about how stories actually work (stuff like Truby's Anatomy of Story, etc.). Then read a lot of good books and analyze how they were written and try to find out how you can do the same but better. Make notes. Don't be afraid to copy and steal everything (paraphrasing, of course), so catalogue everything you find interesting for later use. Rewriting whole books is an effective practice.
If you're planning on writing in another language, start with mastering the language first. That includes not only reading thick grammar books, but also consuming as much high-level lit as possible. Harry Potter is nice and all, but if you need to challenge yourself if you want to expand your vocabulary.
It's a skill like any other and can be learned through pain and sweat. With a several years of diligent study, you'll be able to write anything your heart desires. Don't expect success, money, or recognition. Do it only if you absolutely can't find a better use for your time.

Scrivener is a great software, but it's not free. I highly recommend it, though.
You can get feedback on various discord servers and forums.
Nobody gives a shit about your ideas because everyone else also thinks themself a genius.

Stinkles · Apr 29, 2019

You have three choices of starting block OP:

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect

riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.

I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror. Damn my hair – it just won't behave, and damn Katherine Kavanagh for being ill and subjecting me to this ordeal.

AtmaPhoenix · Apr 29, 2019

Write first, worry about all the other details later. Do it in whatever language you're most comfortable writing in.

Notaskwid · Apr 29, 2019

Id love to read a book by someone who never read a bool. You already have one sale here OP.

chirt · Apr 29, 2019

Notaskwid said:
Id love to read a book by someone who never read a bool. You already have one sale here OP.

This is so intriguing to me. I can't even imagine what it could be!

TheLucasLite · Apr 29, 2019

Write like 2-3. Throw them away. Write one more. Try pitching that one to an agent.

Quacktion said:
Can you drop me any recommendations? Mostly interested in fantasy but again I want to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Well, if you want some good fantasy, try these authors:

Gene Wolfe (Book of the New Sun)
China Mieville (Perdido Street Station, The Scar)
Guy Gavriel Kay (Tigana, Under Heaven)
Ursula K. Le Guin (Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed)
N.K Jemisin (The Fifth Season)
Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) <-- My favorite book of all time.

Shoeless · Apr 29, 2019

Damn, these are a LOT of complex questions with no short answers, but here goes...

Quacktion said:
- Language: My biggest current hurdle, weirdly enough. So, I live in Poland, but I find myself much more comfortable writing in English. Which language should I go with if I want to publish my work here, and with hopes of reaching as many people as possible?

Depends on what your goal is. If you want the widest distribution possible for your book, you write in English, and let a publisher or literary agent--if you get one--worry about handling foreign rights and pushing translation over to publishers in different countries. If you want to just write Polish stories for Polish people, then write in Polish.

Quacktion said:
- Publishing: How do you do this? Do I find a publisher locally, do I do this myself, if so how, some website, my own website? How do I even contact a person about this, do I send them like a chapter and they decide if they wanna go with it, the whole thing once its done? I'm clueless here.

There are two ways to do this now. Trade publishing is the "traditional route." With this method, you write a book, then a publisher buys that book, you sign a contract, get paid an advance, work out royalties, work with an editor, get copy-edited, have someone design a cover, and have that publisher market your book.

The new way is to self-publisher. This means you do everything yourself, but you also keep 100% of the profits, though you're also likely to be spending money on editors, copy-editing services, and a cover artist, unless you're confident enough to handle all this yourself.

I can only speak about trade publishing in terms of the bigger North American and UK markets, but generally speaking, you CAN'T approach a publisher with a book anymore. A few publishers here and there do still have an open submissions policy, where they accept what are called "unsolicited manuscripts," the but the majority of publishers now only look at books submitted to them by a literary agent. So, if you're interested in trade publishing, at least on the world market you need to be represented by a literary agent. That's a whole other process entirely, however.

Quacktion said:
- Experience: I have written some small stories when I was like 15, and I also spent a lot of time refining my style on RPG forums, and done some private thinking about how to write to get the effect I want. Im pretty confident in my imagination, my ideas and how I want to write... but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself. Any recommendations to gain some experience from?

This is a big, BIG red flag. Trying to write a book without having read on is like trying to learn how to play the piano without ever having heard music. If you don't know what's out there, if you don't know what's available in the genre that you want to write in, you're unavoidably going to make a ton of rookie mistakes that could have been easily avoided if you were aware of the legacy of that genre. You could very well think you have a fantastic story about some little people who are chosen to get rid of an evil ring by throwing it into a volcano, and think this is the most original idea in the world with totally original races in it called Dwarves and Elves... until you find out later The Lord of the Rings exists, and everyone tells you this, and you had no idea this was a thing because you totally ignored the genre you were writing in.

You need to read what you want to write. There's really no way to get around that. Trying to write in a genre you're unfamiliar with is going to slow down your progress.

Quacktion said:
- Tools: What exactly should I write ON? Do I do it on the laptop and if so in what program, Word or something else? Is it better to get some sort of tablet or other device so I can write on the go? Obviously I could do it on paper but then I would have to write it all again anyway on PC and that sounds like its gonna take a long time (plus my handwriting sucks), and again being able to edit stuff on the spot will be very helpful.

This is 100% up to you. Neil Gaimain, one of the most revered writers in the world today, still likes to do some of his writing with an old fashioned ink pen, on notebooks, then types it up on computer later. Others just use novel writing software like Scrivener, while still others crank stuff out on MS Word.

Just keep in mind that if you do decide to write in English, and get trade published, the industry standard is still MS Word, so at some point, you'll be converting your files to that format, because that's what your editor will need.

Quacktion said:
- Feedback: I heard about beta readers and obviously could ask a few friends for feedback, just wondering what is the best way to acquire feedback on writing?

You heard correctly. Beta readers are one of the best ways to improve your writing, but you need the right beta readers. You're better off finding someone that writes AT your skill level, or even slightly above it, but not below you. You need people that can give you insights on how to improve your writing, not just say supportive--but ultimately useless--stuff like, "It was fun! I liked it!" Good beta readers are the secret weapon of every good writer today.

Quacktion said:
- Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that won't be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

The idea stolen fear is largely unfounded until you're a big hit. When you're just one small fry, among millions of other small fry, the odds are tiny that your idea will be specifically stolen and turned into a more successful book by someone else. Also, the odds are that your idea isn't actually that unique, and there are probably thousands of variations on it. What will sell the book is your unique voice, or spin on it, not the basic idea itself.

A book with an idea that is not well-received, preventing you from re-using it later is a bit more legitimate as a fear, but one easy way to avoid this is to simply wait until you're a better writer before tackling your favorite idea. The book I have coming out next year is one I waited on for years before finally writing, because I wanted to make sure I had improved as a writer before committing it to a novel. On the other hand, if the book is not well received, and not many people read it, it's not illegal to recycle that idea and use it again, though some eagle-eyed readers may call you out on it later. However, if the idea does better as Idea 2.0, rather than in your initial failed first attempt, it's the end result that matters, not how many people accuse you of "ripping yourself off" later.

Writing is tough, but it's not for everyone. You really need to cultivate your sense of delayed gratification if you want to not go crazy with it, same as any creative art.

B-Dubs · Apr 29, 2019

Read a lot and write a lot.

JeTmAn · Apr 29, 2019

I started writing a story recently that I think will end up novel length. It started because I had an idea for what seemed like an interesting tale, so I started with a general outline of what happens in the story, where the main character goes and why, and who she meets. And I've got an idea for a surprise ending. From there I just started to write scene by scene, trying to fill in the general outline of what I've got.

It's a first draft. It's ok for first drafts to be really bad, from what I understand. So rather than agonizing over each line, I'm taking an architectural approach and simply placing a beam here, a beam there. Trying to put in the things that connect each scene to the next. Trying to get my character from one major location to the next on her quest. If I ever manage to finish a full-length draft, or at least a decent-length draft, I'll go in and update what I've got. I'll fill in details and rewrite dialogue. Adding the drywall and the electrical conduits and lighting structures, if you will. I'll try to keep going until I've got something beautiful.

ilikesanta · Apr 29, 2019

Don't just read good books, read some crap. Learn why it's crap so you know to avoid those writer's mistakes.

whatsarobot · Apr 29, 2019

Great advice from everyone here. I've got my first book being published next summer and it's been a long time coming, but a few things I'd throw out there:

1) Just start writing. No excuses and don't worry if it's good. Read Anne Lammot talks about writing a shitty first draft. Just get something on the page, even if it sucks. You're goal is to beat resistance, not to write something good (yet). For more on resistance read Stephen Pressfields "The War of Art". I go over it every year. It's perfect.

2) Don't worry about publishing. You don't know what you are making yet and it will probably suck for now. That's ok, come back to publishing when you've finished a project or two, and some good and honest people around you think it's genuinely very good. Then get down the publishing route.

3) Don't write for any reason other than the fact that you have to. Don't do it for attention/approval/success/money (haha ya right)/ or any reason but "I have a desire to do so". Any expectations you put on the writing, at this point, will just get in the way.

4) Get some friends/a discord of people who ACTUALLY WRITE. Not people who like the idea of writing, but who will sit down and eat shit every day writing. Just like you do. Talk with one another about what you're working on, listen to them and cheer them on. Writing will always be solitary but it doesn't have to be lonely. Just don't get jealous or competitive. Any one of you having success is good for all of you.

Good luck. Now stop browsing the internet and start typing some shitty words down!

zulux21 · Apr 29, 2019

before worrying about publishing, before worrying about beta readers ect just write.
as for what language, just do whatever is easier. Logically you can always translate it later to which ever you feel would be a better fit (or release it in both)

as someone else said feel free to join the writers hangout https://www.resetera.com/threads/writersera-ot-publish-before-you-die.369/
we also have a discord we hang out in.

beyond that if you just want some experience under your belt think about joining some CWC
https://www.resetera.com/threads/creative-writing-challenge-32-submit.113177/

it's got a limit of 2-3k words most of the time, but in general you get feedback from a number of people which can be helpful.
You will also get to see other's stories and talk directly to the people who wrote them, so if you really like something you can pester that person for guidance.

also I want to directly address

- Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that wont be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

While this is an understandable fear, the simple fact is ideas are basically worthless. Your idea has already been done, likely hundreds if not thousands or millions of times. What matters is your own unique take on the idea, (aka it's fine to use cliches it just matters how you execute them). A phrase that I have heard before is "Bad writers steal ideas from one source, good writers steal ideas from many." and it's mostly true.

As for worrying about thing are received, well, if you want to get into writing to create stories don't worry about that to much, just write what you would like and hope their is an audience for that. As for reusing ideas, that happens all the time. heck some best sellers make a living just recycling the same few ideas over and over and over with a different coat of paint each time. If you are getting into writing because you want to make money... well it's possible, but very hard, and in general you would be better off spending your time building skills that would lead you to a higher paying job. A lot of bestsellers still have to at least work part time jobs because they don't make enough money to support themselves. There are some markets that favor profits a little better, Romance, especially the smut subgenre can be quite profitable, but you have to be able to push out a decently written novel every month or so to keep yourself up in the charts high enough to make good sales.

but again...
tl:dr: Just write what you would enjoy, and don't worry about anything else at this point. Try to improve your writing by entering contests like the CWC, or talking to other writers in places like the writing thread. And keep in mind, your first draft is garbage. It is. It's not done yet but I promise you it will be garbage. That's fine, it's what later drafts and editing is for. The important thing is that you create something in the first place.

Injustice45 · Apr 29, 2019

I'm a writer myself, so the best thing to do is write when you have an idea. Can't let that vision go away! For publishing, starting independent can do wonders. For one, you're in control, whether it's the manuscript, the cover art, the prices, etc. However, it's up to you to promote what you got. Kindle Direct Publishing is a gateway for independent writers. I think starting there can help a bit.

patientzero · Apr 29, 2019

Quacktion said:
Can you drop me any recommendations? Mostly interested in fantasy but again I want to absorb as much knowledge as possible.

Honestly, fantasy is one of my few blindspots when it comes to books, mainly out of lack of interest in the field.

But you need to think more nuts and bolts right now. Get these -

Stephen King - On Writing
John Truby - The Anatomy of Story
Lajos Egri - The Art of Dramatic Writing

Read those, alongside tons of books of many genres, and start dissecting how stories are written, how characters change, etc.

Notaskwid said:
Id love to read a book by someone who never read a bool. You already have one sale here OP.

Take a creative writing class. By my own experience, at least half of the people there will say they don't read. And it shows.

ilikesanta said:
Don't just read good books, read some crap. Learn why it's crap so you know to avoid those writer's mistakes.

Also good advice, and fits into the mantra of "read everything". Just like watching bad movies can help a director understand bad filmmaking, reading bad or mediocre books helps a writer understand shoddy storytelling.

Quacktion · Apr 29, 2019

Thanks guys, I am very grateful for all the advice in this thread, I think I have a good idea about how I wanna tackle this now. Doesnt mean I'l stop reading advice after this point, just wanted to thank you all for clearing some stuff out.

FlowersisBritish · Apr 29, 2019

A lesson I wished someone told me when I wrote my first novel was that it's okay for it to be bad and never use it. It would have been a lot less stress. Anyways I think the most important goal with any first book is to get it done. Once you've done that, the rest gets a little bit easier.

I see someone already floated a link to the Writing OT but I'll also float a link to the current running Creative Writing Challenge. We're a good way to get some quick feedback on your prose/ideas so you can figure out if things are worth the effort.

chirt said:
This is so intriguing to me. I can't even imagine what it could be!

There was actually a weird little experiment like this. A collective of artists strove to make art without ever actually seeing other arts (mostly the classics) and what happened as a result is they accidentally ended up recreating a lot of those classics they've never seen. Which is fine, but their goal was to create something different, something wholey unique, and they kind of failed at that. I think in terms of a book, that would mean it would just be a very tropey/cliched book at the end of the day. I mean, if you don't know what the cliches of a genre are, can you really have any hope of avoiding them?

Conkersbadfurday · Apr 29, 2019

Yo, let's see what I can do here. I've written four novels. Edited three, working on the fourth. Not published, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt.

Quacktion said:
- Language: My biggest current hurdle, weirdly enough. So, I live in Poland, but I find myself much more comfortable writing in English. Which language should I go with if I want to publish my work here, and with hopes of reaching as many people as possible?

My advice would be to write with what you're most comfortable writing in. Or barring that, what you typically read. I don't know how different Polish is to English, but if you read most of your novels in Polish, you might want to write in that language. You'll have a more intrinsic idea of what to do and what not to do in terms of language use. But YMMV. Do what sounds the most fun.

- Publishing: How do you do this? Do I find a publisher locally, do I do this myself, if so how, some website, my own website? How do I even contact a person about this, do I send them like a chapter and they decide if they wanna go with it, the whole thing once its done? I'm clueless here.

Getting way ahead of yourself here buddy. You need to write a book and edit it a handful of times before you should be thinking about this. But to answer your question:

Most publishing houses have slush piles and critera they demand when sending them samples. Typically it's a cover or query letter--basically a back-of-book blurb--and then the first few chapters. If they like, they'll ask for more. If they don't like, odds are you won't hear from them. "No answer means a pass" is very common.

- Experience: I have written some small stories when I was like 15, and I also spent a lot of time refining my style on RPG forums, and done some private thinking about how to write to get the effect I want. Im pretty confident in my imagination, my ideas and how I want to write... but I actually haven't read any book from start to finish myself. Any recommendations to gain some experience from?

So this to me is a huge red flag. You wouldn't try and build a car if you didn't know how one worked, right? You should be reading. It doesn't matter what really, but if you want to write, you need to read. Because I can 100% tell when reading storiesif the person writing is a reader or not.

If it helps, start with the genres you want to write in. Or just pick an author people seem to like and dive in. My personal go-to if I need some inspiration (or to kill a few afternoons) is Stephen King. Love him. But he's not for everyone.

- Tools: What exactly should I write ON? Do I do it on the laptop and if so in what program, Word or something else? Is it better to get some sort of tablet or other device so I can write on the go? Obviously I could do it on paper but then I would have to write it all again anyway on PC and that sounds like its gonna take a long time (plus my handwriting sucks), and again being able to edit stuff on the spot will be very helpful.

I write in MS Word. I cannot even fathom not using a keyboard, but I also type over 100 words a minute. My hands keep up with my thoughts, and that helps a lot when doing first drafts as I can do a lot of "vomit" paragraphs. Edit the mess later. Some people swear by programs like Scrivenor. I've never used any of them, but they do have nice features for notekeeping and the like.

If you think it'll help, go for it. But MS Word is pretty easy to get, and Google Docs is free. And on the cloud which is cool

- Feedback: I heard about beta readers and obviously could ask a few friends for feedback, just wondering what is the best way to acquire feedback on writing?

Writers groups, friends, family. To me it doesn't really matter as long as you somewhat know the person and respect them. I have a few family members I crutch on, but I also know they'll give it to me straight. I also know their general media habits--what they like and don't. Once again though, you're getting ahead of yourself.

- Paranoia: This one is interesting. So, I might have a "slight" fear of being backstabbed and having my ideas stolen, or having them be wasted on something that wont be as well received as I have hoped, preventing me from re-using them in something better. How do I deal with these thoughts? Are they actually warranted to any degree?

Had this until I finished my first novel. Shit is a lot of work, and most maniacs who write novels don't have time for other people's ideas. I got about a dozen books I"d like to write RIGHT NOW, each taking a year and a half if not more. Ain't got time for other ideas, and I figure most are in that position. Ideas are cheap, execution is a process.

- Other: If you have any other general advice, please share it, I'm trying to gather as much info I can before I go in.

Have fun. Seriously, it sounds stupid--and it's not always going to be fun--but try and have fun. There's nothing like your first book. The rest don't compare, because by then, you know how much work it is and have real reasons for stress :P

BanditoMac · Apr 29, 2019

if you're reading this and not a book then you are doing it wrong right now op

it already sounds like you're in the trap of overthinking. trying to find the 'optimal' way to start, but the problem is you think you need to. stop thinking about it.

you know those moments you may think you have a good idea? act! write down that thought or scene, even if there's no storyline, that can always come later.

just write. and read.

dalq · Apr 29, 2019

Sorry if this sounds mean, but if you have never finished a book in your life, what makes you think that what you write is any good?
The Venn diagram of good writers and avid readers is literally a circle.

Claude Augario · Apr 29, 2019

Get your shit down on paper. Characters, plots, outlines, even general ideas. Things in your head have a tendency to get stuck there. It doesn't matter if it looks or feels bad once it down, that's what revisions are for. You can't fix what doesn't exist.

And you really need to finish reading a book. I don't know how you expect to write a complete narrative if you can't finish reading one.

sph3re · Apr 29, 2019

Step 1: start writing.
Step 2: keep writing until you're finished.

Let me address your points here.

- Language: I imagine if you want to reach the widest audience, you would write in the most spoken language in your country. And you could certainly learn to write in Polish. In my writing group, we have a man whose first language is Chinese and who, despite writing a fairly nontraditional story, has some very interesting themes and concepts in it. It's really what you put onto the page.

- Publishing: I can't speak to this myself, but I would ask some authors what it's like trying to get published. I've spoken to a few authors myself and they say it's pretty hard. Basically, you've got to find a good agent.

- Experience: If you read a lot, whether it's books or just some writing prompts online, you're subconsciously improving your writing. Keep reading and you'll see what sounds good to you and what doesn't. But none of that will matter if you don't write.

- Tools: I've been thinking about getting a laptop myself. I use Google Docs so I can take my story anywhere, but that's pretty risky. A laptop, Google Docs synced to a folder on an external harddrive, with a copy of your work backed up on the harddrive sounds like the way to go. Also, get Libre Office if you can't afford/don't want to buy Microsoft Office.

- Feedback: I was lucky to find myself in a writing group after I took a creative writing class, and it's been immensely helpful. We submit something to our email chain once a month (thinking about doing twice a month, because once isn't enough time for our critiques) and comment on what everyone else has written. What worked, what we think could be improved, etc. Find a group of people you can trust not to be complete assholes to your work is what I'm basically saying, lol.

- Paranoia: This is the thing about ideas--everybody has them. An idea is worth dick unless you can actually do something with it. Take an idea, turn it into a story, and if it doesn't work, think of something else or re-work it. There's no such thing as "idea theft." It's all been done before. It's just a matter of who does it better. So be the guy who does it better.

- Other: You're not a writer unless you actually write something. So write something. Anything. Planning is fine and dandy, but at some point, those ideas got to make it to the page. Write first, think later. Never, ever consider yourself too good for advice on how to better your writing and be humble about everything you write.

...I dunno, that's all I got.

H.Protagonist · Apr 30, 2019

Everyone's pretty much covered everything except for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)! You can start planning out your story now, and come Nov you write. One month of pure writing. A tangible goal and a deadline. That's what worked for me.

sph3re · Apr 30, 2019

H.Protagonist said:
Everyone's pretty much covered everything except for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)! You can start planning out your story now, and come Nov you write. One month of pure writing. A tangible goal and a deadline. That's what worked for me.

Yeah, this helps. Having something to write for--for me, it was my writing class--really pushed me to write. NaNoWriMo could fill that niche for you, Quacktion

So... how do I START writing a book? (Several questions inside)

One Winged Slayer

Deleted member 3208

One Winged Slayer

Final Fantasy Best Boy (Grip)

Shinra Employee

One Winged Slayer

Alt account

Chicken Chaser

That's some catch, that catch-22

One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer