How To: Write A Book [DETAILED EDITION]

STEP TWO: Get Out The Whiteboard

Planning is the one step that cannot be missed regardless of circumstance. Got a train to catch? I'm sorry but this takes priority.

Planning is a slow process, and can make the most passionate writers tear out their hair. This is because when you have a great idea for a book the only thing you want to do is write it. Who wants to sit and plan out plot and characters when you want to start writing that fight scene that you've already envisioned in your head?!

But planning is crucial when writing any book, whether it be a Magcon Fanfiction or a world-class piece of satirical literature. It means that you have a strong and firm basis for your book, and are very aware of what is happening. It can give you an idea of pace, and of tone as well as allowing you to fully develop the world your book is set it.

Different writers plan in different ways. Some writers plan books for years, while others take only a few days. My personal preference when planning is to write out all the things I need to think about in the book and try to develop and add detail to all those aspects.

For me, the most important stage in planning is developing the plot line and structuring the story around the events within the book. I like to split the novel into the classic five-part structure: beginning, build-up, dilemma, resolution, and end. For me this gives me structure and allows me to understand what the book needs to entail. Of course this structure does not work for all books, some books may begin with a dilemma, and then build up to the resolution. Tailor your planning to the book you're writing.

Please never skip the planning stage, because I promise you that writing freely is not quite what you think it will be- especially when writing a book that you want to publish one day. While I'm sure some writers can write amazing books freely and without planning, most people need to plan in order to stop themselves moving the plot too fast or too slowly. It rules out the possibility of having inconsistency within the book, and means that you have something you can always look back on for reference.

You can plan on paper or on your device, and the extent to which you plan is up to you. I find the most useful part of a plan is actually making a chapter plan because it means that I know exactly what is happening exactly when within the book, and it rules out ever having writer's block.

So get your planning brain on, and probably something caffeinated, because it's time for some laborious planning.