The lockdown has left many people with far more free time then they expected, and as a result, many have turned their thoughts to writing a book, but how do you begin? Rutger Bruining, the Founder of the Biography writing service Storyteller, has made the process a whole lot simpler.
This year, we’ve witnessed a resurgence in demand for books with millions of people forgoing their screens and phones to enjoy the pleasures of words on paper. But, it’s not only our love of reading that’s increased.
Throughout the country, many publishers have reported a surge in the number of manuscripts they’ve received. This has been confirmed by a recent survey which found that 61% of people are writing more since the lockdown began.
It’s not only book publishers who’ve seen a dramatic increase in people embracing writing. Here at Luxurious Magazine, we’ve been flooded with people wanting to write articles for us; it truly seems that the passion for writing is well and truly back.
Among this raft of writers are those planning on penning their first-ever book. However, desire is frequently not enough, and many will be struggling with where to start, or how to avoid the dreaded writer’s block.
With this in mind, Rutger Bruining, Founder and CEO of StoryTerrace has kindly shared his top tips to help budding writers turn an idea into their first, fully-fledged book:
Write with passion, or not at all
This is the first tip and by far the most important. You can plan out every chapter and paragraph in your book, but if you don’t care about what you are writing, you’ll find it extremely difficult to get anywhere.
There are very few people who know exactly what they want to write when they begin. Writers should expect the theme, plot and content to evolve as they move forward. You’ve probably heard the phrase “writer’s passion”, this a key aspect and should be drawn upon to keep the ideas both fresh and unique and it will help you through the entire writing process.
If you’re stuck for somewhere to start, drawing on your own life story of those of your family can help. Thousands of writers start this way and have used their life experiences to construct a great story.
A good book is built on solid foundations
Okay, so you have a topic you’re passionate about, and you know what you want your book to be about. The next step is to put together a rough outline or structure to help guide your writing.
Your book is likely to fluctuate, transform and evolve as you write, but it is very difficult to finish an entire book with no idea of where you’re going. Devising a solid foundation and structure will help you fill in the gaps and help you to progress when you hit the inevitable writer’s block.
Divide and conquer
The idea of sitting down to write hundreds of pages in a few sittings is not only unrealistic but takes the joy out of writing. If you expect to write dozens of pages every time you sit at your desk, you will be sorely disappointed and quickly discouraged.
Your book is a huge collection of sentences, paragraphs and chapters – write in small chunks and set yourself little, achievable goals. Before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of pages drafted – slow and steady does win the race.
Keep to a schedule!
This is my final tip and is the key to making sure you stay on task and ultimately reach the finish line.
It is easy to write when you feel like writing, but it is far more important to write with consistency, even if you don’t feel like it. You won’t always be feeling energised and inspired to write, but even if you only manage a single paragraph or some editing in your allotted time, this is still progress. Stick to the schedule, and you’ll have a much greater chance of finishing your book.
Rutger says: “The idea of writing an entire book, while very exciting, represents a daunting task which many who have the desire to write a book do not believe they can overcome, and therefore never start.
I think this is a great shame – if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time with StoryTerrace, it’s that every single one of us has an incredible story to tell. This has never been more apparent than now – since lockdown, we’ve personally seen a major increase in the number of people who are writing their biographies with our professional ghostwriters.
The act of writing – whether it’s a thousand-page novel, an autobiography, or even a small personal journal – can be so beneficial in many ways. Exercising our creativity, allowing our minds to find inspiration, and communicating these thoughts and ideas onto the page can have a hugely positive effect on our mental wellbeing. The top tips we share here today will hopefully go great lengths to inspire people to start the book they’ve always wanted to write or to finally finish something they’ve been working on for years.”
Read more lifestyle articles in our dedicated section here.