How to Write a Book in 2024? A Step-by-Step Guide

How to write a book? Writing a book can be very challenging for a beginner. There’s so much to consider, so much to do, and so many questions to ask. When you read a complete book from start to finish, you’ll notice more than just words filling up the pages. There’s a plot. There’s structure. There’s a message. A cover. Characters. And much more.

The big question, however, is: How do you do that by yourself?

Don’t worry. We got you.

In this article, we are going to show you how to write a book in very easy steps you can follow as a beginner. So, stay with us and let’s dive in.

Establish your goals and ideas

Writing a book is no small project. Depending on the kind of book you’re writing, it is a massive task that could take years. Before getting into it, you have to at least know what the book is going to be about and what you want to achieve with it.

Ideas are unending, and they can be anything depending on what you want to achieve.

Your goal could be to establish yourself as an authority in your field, make a name for yourself and increase your rates, become a popular storyteller, or add a perspective to your people’s culture and way of living. The ideas for your book will come from whatever your goal is.

For example, you want people around the world to learn the indigenous folklore of the place you come from. You could end up writing a fantasy novel that takes in all the folklore from your culture, skillfully adding it to the plot and worldbuilding of your story.

What if you want to establish your name as an authority or you want to simply pass on your knowledge to future generations? Well, you have an easier job. Just write about what you do.

Write down your ideas

A proper brain dump is what you need.

The moment you write your ideas down on paper or in a notebook, they stop being a myth in your head and start to exist in the real world. This is when your writing process truly begins.

However, this process can be daunting. Your ideas are plenty. They’re scattered everywhere, and you don’t know where to start. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. You can get a book and write whatever comes to mind.

Write whatever your mind can think of in the first place. The opening line. The closing scene. The rising action. The falling action. The main character. The villain. Write to your heart’s content. It doesn’t have to happen in a day. You could take three days or more to put down your ideas. In fact, you could gain more as you write the book itself. The important thing is to write your ideas and inspirations somewhere so they never leave you.

Once you have everything you need down, you can start organizing them. You can pick the points you’ll use from the points you wouldn’t. From there, you can make an outline.

Create an outline

A lot of people can wing it. We know. But an outline makes the writing process a lot easier.

Creating an outline might be a bit daunting. It feels like a whole new task you’re not familiar with. In some cases, writers would bypass this process and dive straight into the book simply because they don’t want to go through the trouble or they don’t know how.

However, making an outline is easy. The first thing you need to do is to keep in mind that the outline is serving you and you alone. You’re not submitting it to anyone but yourself. And if you are going to show it to someone else, it is still serving you.

With that in mind, the next step is to write it as you see fit. Write it in any format that suits your eye. Some people are very detailed, while some are vague. You can be whatever you choose. If you did a brain dump before getting here, you’d have an easier time making the outline. All you have to do is rearrange your ideas in a way that makes sense.

Do your research

Research is just as important as any other step you take as you write a book. It’s a very necessary step that helps you know the resources you have at your fingertips and the information available to you to make an outstanding book.

Conducting proper research is never easy. A lot of writers would like to skip this part as well, but no matter what you’re writing, you’re not escaping this. It’s best to have a plan for it.

If you’re unsure how to conduct your research, just relax. The goal is not to overthink it. Google is your ally. Make a quick search and proceed from there.

Create space for the project

A project like this is a long one that takes commitment. On some days, you’ll feel motivated. On others, you just won’t feel it. But you have to write anyway.

That’s why you have to make space. Both physically and mentally.

Creating a space entails making a physical space where you can write comfortably and making time to be in that space every day. The goal is to make writing a routine, then a habit. Something you do without having to think about it. That way it becomes a part of you you can’t do without. Once you can do that, you can have a near seamless writing journey for the next few months.

Write your first draft

So, you’ve made all the necessary preparations, and you’re ready to go. This is the part where you actually start writing. This is the fun part. Or it could be the boring part.

You’ll have to invest hours and hours into your project while making use of your research and your outline. It’s a tough and boring process that triggers the imposter syndrome in many writers. At many points, you’ll feel the setup and your writing isn’t making sense, and you’ll want to quit. Or at least burn it all and start over.

But don’t.

When you start to feel like you’re doing a terrible job, always remember: the best writers weren’t the ones born gifted. They were the ones who didn’t stop writing. Hardly anyone was born great; greatness is just a result of the work they did. This is you putting in the work, so don’t stop.

Write a second draft

Once you’re done with the first, you can move to the second.

The first draft will obviously be chaotic and far from where you want it to be. After all, you focused on just finishing a book. However, it is still too much to edit. So, instead of editing, the best thing to do is to rewrite it.

This part is easier than the first. You don’t have to think too much, and you don’t have to plan as much. You already know what the book looks like. Now you just have to make it as close to what you want as possible.

Edit the draft

A proper book is not finished until it’s edited.

During the writing process, a lot of mistakes are made, and a lot of important things will be missed. We are only humans. However, letting these things get past you and making people pay for it will give you a very bad image. It will make you look like an amateur, and it can permanently damage your writing career. Which is why you have to edit.

Editing can come in different types and stages. You have developmental editing, structural editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading. It is advisable to carry out all kinds of editing on your book before it is published. However, if you’re sure of what the book needs, you can do just that and move to the next step.

If you’re unsure and you need help, we got you as well.

Create a cover

This is one of the most important parts of writing a book. Surprisingly.

People judge a book by its cover, which is why it is very important to make a cover that accurately captures the essence of your book. One that gives people an idea of what to expect from the book while catching their eye. You don’t want a cover that doesn’t do enough justice to your book.

A great cover will improve sales and will attract the eye of publishers and agents. But keep in mind, you’ll have to get the help of a professional to make a good one.

Lucky for you, we can get you a professional if you follow this link.