Three Thoughts about Writing a Book

Three Thoughts about Writing a Book

Brad R. Cook

Everyone has a story to tell. Those of us that write them down earn the moniker – Writer. Those that persevere through the publishing process become known as Authors. Here’s the secret, anyone can write a story. As a people, we have told stories since the dawn of time. People go into work on Monday mornings and tell stories of their weekends. We tell children stories to get them to go to sleep. The trick, and why some authors get paid the big bucks, is to make it a good story.

Ernest Hemingway said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

Octavia Butler said, “First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”

They said it best, but here are my three thoughts on writing a book…

1 – Be a storyteller

Writers are wordsmiths, gods of our own universes, grammar Nazis, and more, but beyond all of these we are storytellers. Learn the three act structure, the bell curve of story arcs, and writing in an active voice. These are important but what matters most is that a writer be an excellent storyteller. Everything else is fixable in edits.

2 – Write Regularly

Octavia Butler and Stephen King both emphasized this, why, because it is paramount to being an author. The only difference between wanting to be a writer and being a writer is putting words on the page. I try to write every day, when I have a deadline I will write several times a day. However, if you can only write once a week that is fine. Maybe a couple of hours every weekend is all you can manage. I promise if you stick with the writing eventually you’ll write The End, and there is no greater feeling than hitting that last period.

Guard this time like a dire wolf… everyone and everything will try and chip away at that time. The trick is to make it routine, then your muse, your body, and your mind will be ready to write when the time comes.

3 – Read

Read books in your genre, books by your favorite authors, even books on how to write. Read a variety of things, in different styles, different genres, and be certain to read for fun. Seeing how sentences are structured will improve your writing. Seeing what others are doing will let you know what are the tropes of your genre, the clichés, and what you can do that will stand out from the others.

I am a fan of authors rules, I read everyone I can get my hands on. I like to see what other writers think is important, but I also read books on writing. Like Stephen King’s On Writing, the Emotional Thesaurus, and Punctuation for Writers. But there are so many more. Remember, reading is fundamental…

So write. Revise. Write some more. Then Submit.

I leave you with this,

Brad R. Cook’s advice on writing – “The magic is in the rewriting.”

Do you have any advice for writers, a favorite book, or quote? Let us know in the comments.

Brad R. Cook, author of the YA steampunk series, The Iron Chronicles. Iron Horsemen - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Horsemen-The-Chronicles/dp/0989207951 and Iron Zulu - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Zulu-Book-Two-Chronicles/dp/0989207978.  A member of SCBWI, he currently serves as Historian of St. Louis Writers Guild after three and half years as its President. Learn more at www.bradrcook.com, on Twitter @bradrcook https://twitter.com/bradrcook, or on his blog Thoughts from Midnight on tumblr http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/

Writing is Like a Marathon, but I Wouldn't Know.

Writing is Like a Marathon, but I Wouldn’t Know.

By Brad Cook

This week I hit the last period on my latest manuscript. It’s a wonderful feeling and anyone who has finished a novel can tell you there is nothing like sitting back and looking at everything you’ve accomplished. I imagine it’s the same for marathon runners after they finish a race, but I wouldn’t know – I could never survive a marathon.

Writing/Running Everyday

Marathon runners have to train everyday to build up their bodies for the race. Writers have to work every day as well. Books don’t write themselves, so sit down every day and put words on the page. If you write nothing more than a page a day in a year you’ll have a novel.

Slow steady progress – not like those sprinters, the poets

You can’t sprint for 26.2 miles and you can’t write a book in a night. Novels take time. Weeks, months, or even years can be spent pouring over the words. So, just like the guy running full tilt at the start of a marathon, the guy trying to write a book in a week probably won’t finish. Writers need to understand that it is steady progress that gets a books finished. Unless you’re a poet, they can crank those out in no time. Poets are the sprinters of the writing world.

Years of training to be the best

You can’t just wake and decide to run a marathon that day, just like you can’t wake up and write a best-seller. Writers constantly hone their craft through workshops, writing classes, webinars, and conferences. They keep us sharp and our writing improves with every new lesson.

Creeping doubts of quitting that must be overcome

Having never run a marathon, I don’t know how often it happens in a day. I bet it varies, though, probably happens at every race. Doubt is the mind-killer. For marathon runners doubt springs up with every ache and pain, with every quiver of muscle. For a writer, doubt comes with every awkward sentence, every new draft, or article on publishing that is read. Doubt can cripple the muse, but overcoming these emotions not only makes a stronger writer/runner, but is essential to finishing.

So write like a marathon runner:

Write everyday or most days.

Keep training and improving your craft.

Keep hydrated – but maybe just drink some water, you don’t need to splash it all over your laptop.

Keep your focus on the finish line.

And never give up!

Just remember what John Steinbeck used to say – “Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.”

So if writing a novel is like running a marathon – what is publishing like? Entering an Ironman triathlon! Good luck!

What is writing like to you? Let us know in the comments.

Brad R. Cook is a historical fantasy author and President of St. Louis Writers Guild. Please visit www.bradrcook.com , follow me on Twitter @bradrcook  https://twitter.com/bradrcook , or my tumblr page Thoughts from Midnight http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/

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