by Patrika Vaughn

Created on: February 17, 2009

Preparing

To Write

Chapter 1 BEFORE YOU WRITE

Writing a book is a lot like getting married. It is intensely personal, it calls for a big commitment, and it requires a sustained effort. And like marriage, it carries no guarantee of success.

Books and marriages often fail for the same reasons. The most common reason is that the writer doesn't know enough about the four essential components of a successful book. It may surprise you to know that the first and most important of these components is the self.

1. the SELF Many writers get an idea and then jump into writing about it, never giving any conscious thought to what his or her motives are for wanting to write. As you'll see a little later, why you want to write should help determine what you write.

The second essential component is:

2. The SUBJECT How much do you know about your topic? Enough to convey to your readers how your (or your character's) experiences felt; how your readers can acquire proficiency: do you know enough to teach them what they want to know about the subject?

Now for another surprise. The third essential component is

3. The READERS Are you clear about who you are writing this book for? Do you know the profile of the ideal reader of this book?

The fourth component is, of course, the actual writing of the book. This includes the format, mechanics, style, tone, etc.

4. THE WRITING You may not yet know the writing methods that will create and sustain reader interest in your book. That's okay. You will know these by the time you finish this book. And if you have sufficient knowledge about your motives, your subject and your readers, you have already solved many of the most aggravating problems of writing.

Successful writing requires a harmonious blend of writer, subject and reader. When this is achieved, an alchemy takes place. This alchemy informs the writing process in a way that cuts through the common problems writers face. Once the alchemy is there, a writer can usually work swiftly and efficiently, avoiding many writing pitfalls and completing the book in less time than (s)he expected it to take. This is as true for seasoned professional writers as it is for beginners. Experienced writers tend to search out this information automatically, perhaps arriving at the information without giving the searching process any conscious energy. A beginner will probably have to go through the process more consciously in order to obtain workable answers.

Achieving this alchemy depends on knowing a number of

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>