How to write a book

I will start by giving you the most unhelpful advice you could want. What is the right way to write your book? Answer: Any way you chose.

It’s that simple.

Some people are plotters. Moodboards, excel sheets, the whole story plotted from A to Z before they put the first word on paper.

Others, like me, are going by «the feels». An idea of a characer, a scene, a larger plot, a world. Whatever comes to you first. Then I like to say the characters lead you were they want you to go.

For example, I see a photo of a cat and a dog doing silly things. I think «what if they were unlikely friends?» Poof, write that down and go from there, ideas will come to you.

My current work started with the desire to write a book about a dragon. But I’m not good at writing dragons. So I thought maybe the dragon could be a shifter. And the shifter is unable to shift into their dragon form. Hmmm why? Because she is cursed. Ok, so she might want to fix that curse. Who can have the cure? What is the story behind the curse? What happens if she doesn’t break it? What happens when/if she does?

The story keeps expanding as you add characters, fill plot holes, build your world.

Some writer will write from chapter 1 until the end in chronological order. Others (again, like me) write the scenes that come to them in the moment. One day it’s something in the middle, the end, the beginning, add to a previous chapter and so on until the chapters start meeting.

If you are the pre-plot person, or the «feels» person. The story is yours to tell how it feels right for you.

The important thing is to give yourself the chance. There is hardly a writer in the world who hasn’t at some point wondered if anyone will read their words, or if they should keep it inside. Somebody wants your story! Give it a start, see where it takes you.