Had anyone here written a book before? If so, what pitfalls did you encounter or advice would you give?

[MrCommodore]

I'm interested to know if anyone here has ever written a book (fiction or other), regardless of whether it was published or not. Any advice you can share from the experience?

[Ed007]

From my experience having no fiction under the belt but several training manuals. I can say quite frankly the following.

Always carry a pocket note book in order to make notes, ideas come up always at the most unusual times.

Never base your research only on the Internet it will bite you sooner than later and as surely as you can imagine.

Set aside fixed time everyday to spend infront of your keyboard, even if just to digitally capture your notes.

I have tried my hand at fictional writing however never published anything although I got good reviews from people I respect, simply because I considered it the ramblings of a disturbed mind hahaha never experienced writers' block so I comment about that.

In terms of writing in general, it is my humble opinion that if you are not in the first place a reader you could never be a writer. Read read read. My last book I wrote on a subject very dear to my heart, I wrote in the form a novel although in fact a training manual. I bought and read, from across the world, dozens of books related to the topic.

With regards to getting published there is no simple answer, I have been publish, gone the self publishing route, online publishing and print on demand.

A problem today is we have smart phones but dumb people, they can't concentrate long enough to read a book nevermind a dissertation on a screen.

Lastly, I recommend that you you try your hand at contributing to Wikipedia. Read their contributors' advise, prescriptions and guidance. Pick a topic that you think you know and see if you can add to it.

Good luck but above all enjoy...

[MrCommodore]

Thanks for this advice, very interesting and relevant. I too have wrote a few training documents in the past 15 years plus a dissertation which required significant research.

I didn't really plan on writing on book, I had been researching an historical topic for the past few years and started to realise it would make a great story. Thank you for that information, it's very relevant, I do read a lot.

[coachTanthony]

I have written two books. My current book I wrote in google pages then had a dude on Fiverr turn it into a downloadable ebook (e-pub) for about 60 bucks. I did the cover myself on Canva. I sell it on Gumroad which is a great platform. They do all the work but they take a piece. Amazon is also a good place to go to sell but it can get lost in the billion books they have for sale.

[MrCommodore]

I'm some time away from the publishing stage, but thanks for that info, as I might explore that later this year if I complete a draft.

[coachTanthony]

Thanks for the MHO

[MrCommodore]

Really good advice, good insight into what I need to be looking at. Thank you.

[Rosexøxø]

I just have plots. Does that count?

My pitfall is coming up with the specific details and closing it off.

Sometimes I romanticize the plot, and just don’t want it to end. Just a nice idea lol

Other times I rush it because I want to hurry up and reread my whole story before me. When I DO reread the first like three pages of me trying to get to my plot part- I realize it’s absolute bull crap and a kindergartner could effectively express themselves better in a greeting card than I could for that last half hour burning the keys in my keyboard 🤣😂

So definitely I recommend

telling the whole story in some recording thing

and then typing it up following the line of it, and adding branches of detail as you go.

Follow

the line though because if you just go off of being in the moment, you can have writer's block, or lose feeling for the story.

That’s my only recommend if it counts.

No one ever said- “hey I can’t finish this story.” When they were at a campfire, right?

lol because we are natural-born, storytellers- not storywriters.

Being a story writer, is a longer process and the brain has to remember the details and has to imagine and reimagine in a controlled state for a duration of time.

Some may find this fulfilling?

I personally don’t. I like to get the story out ASAP 😂

[MrCommodore]

Yes of course plots count, just note the plot ideas some time and maybe see if some of those merge into something bigger.

I fully get what you mean about the difference between storytelling and writing 😁, writing a story is very different, like sometimes had to stop writing and actually check if the story sounded right verbally.

[Rosexøxø]

😆😄 yeah same for me.

Things read and sound way different, at times.

You seem experienced, so I’m hopeful for you and wish you the best in your ventures, and endeavors!

Best to you! ☝️😁

[MrCommodore]

Thank you. Its something new for me, like I have drafted papers and documents for my job and dissertations at University, but this is a different ball game.

[Rosexøxø]

But the games remain fun and the end goal is the same. It wouldn’t be a game if it were not possible!

You can WIN THIS THING MY FRIEND 💪

Enter that one quote about the pen being stronger than the sword!

YOU CANNNN DO ITTT

🖊 🤺

[MrCommodore]

🤣🤣 Loving that positivity, cheers 🍻, I'll definitely do it, it's just a matter of finding time to wrap it up quickly now, like between work and sports training and everything else.

[Rosexøxø]

😦

The hero we didn’t deserve 🙏

Already doing the year right, King.

Beat up ahead 😦🤜🤛

[Rosexøxø]

Omg best 😂😭

[MrCommodore]

You should my motivational coach 🙏

[Rosexøxø]

Lmaooo sure why not 😁 I can volunteer to be one of them. Like I said, I’m not much of a writer. Just speaking the hopeful truth 😁🤜🤛

[AmyHew1tt]

Read a lot. Write down ideas in a notebook, and try to play out scenes in your head. The book will be easiest to write if you have a full plot. Ask for advice, but preferably from people who read in your genre. Give critiques time to soak in. Don't accept or throw them out right away. Don't write to please the world. Discover if you're a pantser or a plotter. Decide if you want to go down the self or traditional (or neither) route.

Lots of writing advice really depends on the writer, though. What works for some doesn't work for everyone. Is there a particular part of the process you're seeking advice about?

[MrCommodore]

I do take regular notes, I was researching the topic for many years and only recently thought it might make a great book/story. I'm not really the typical writer/novelist type, so now I'm trying to figure out the required structure.

[AmyHew1tt]

Is it fiction or non-fiction? Writing a book is kind of the same either way, but the structure can vary if it's fiction or nonfiction.
Anyway, do read a lot of books in whichever genre it is. I guarantee that's one of the biggest pieces of advice any author will give.

[MrCommodore]

Its a fictional story, but its based on non-fiction events, so it's kind of a mix of both. It's still a work in progress, but feedback from a couple of people I asked to review it has been strongly positive.

Now I'm trying to figure out the expectations for number of pages/words and chapters. Another poster said 50,000 words as a rough estimate, with number of chapters being my choice.

[AmyHew1tt]

I'd say don't worry about numbers for a while. Just concentrate on getting the book out first.

[SeriouslyFunny00]

Read lots. Just continue writing. Don't stop just because you feel like the story won't go anywhere. If you thought about a good scene, take note of it so you can use that when you write later. Don't be afraid to revise, revise, and revise. 😊📚📝

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

The most I’ve published is fanfiction to be read online, it’s been met with positive reviews but I consider the two processes to be fairly similar. Publishing your own work just requires a little extra help in the form of marketing, editing, and getting fresh eyes on your manuscript meanwhile fanfiction is something done alone easily enough and isn’t held to that same high standard. I’ve never managed to finish writing any books of my own as I can never think of a good enough ending.

[MrCommodore]

Thats brilliant that you have the creative mind to attempt fan fiction, I'm a sci-fi fan, specially a Star Wars fanatic and enjoy some fanfiction work.

As for your trouble with thinking of good enough endings, one suggestion is to write down your own personal description of how several other stories ended and set a benchmark using those as examples.

[Revvl6pro]

No, but I told my dad I'm going to. It's going to be called : "Ten Thousand Reasons I Should be a Millionaire."

It's based on stupid people. Open the manual for your toaster. It tells you to not use it in the bathtub. Lord knows, there's been tons of times I've wanted to take a bubble bath and make toast at the same time. And why don't they make a floating TV?

[MrCommodore]

😂 Very good

[MCheetah]

Yes, several; one being an autobiography. None "officially" published, as online crap and Amazon deals doesn't count. Best thing I can say is "outlines help a lot." It gives you goals to work on, so the task doesn't seem so insurmountable. You also need a lot of patience as well, and should have (or pay) others to proof-read it for you, every now and then.

[OlderAndWiser]

I have not written a book but I write routinely as a part of my professional practice.

Proofread your work. "Had anyone here written a book before?" Had?

Write about a subject in which you have substantial knowledge and expertise.

Don't treat your first draft as a fnished product.

Be open to constructive criticism.

Always be mindful of your target audience and write in a way that will be well received by them.

[Wise4myage]

No I haven't, but if I ever did I could see myself being concerned about writers block.

[MrCommodore]

Writers block seems to occur when the process is forced, like when a writer has agreed to provide a book by next December and doesn't even have an outline of a story yet. I'm not a writer, just dabbling a little recently.

[alcorriher]

no lol. i wouldn't ever write a book. but kudos to those who do!

[jimmy2]

What do you need

[MrCommodore]

At the moment I'm trying to gauge how many chapters and number of pages per chapter is acceptable for a standalone fictional book, more so if seeking to publish this in future.

I checked online for this information and seen a range of feedback, suggesting there is no one answer.

[jimmy2]

It does not matter how many pages or chapters a book around 50,000 words more