How To: Write A Book [DETAILED EDITION]

STEP ONE: It's Imagination Time

The start of any book is that little seed of an idea that gets planted in your head, usually at a very random time. The key is to write down every and any idea you get just in case it could become something more, because while the idea may sound stupid at the time you can make it into something so much more.

In my experience, the books I've enjoyed writing and that I've finished writing were the ideas that just wouldn't leave my head until I wrote them down. If you have that with a story idea, it's a sign that you should write that book because it means that your imagination has decided- it would like to commit all its capacity to writing that book.

Don't have an idea? Well that sucks. But obsessing over the fact that you don't have a story idea won't change anything, it will probably make things worse. You can't force your brain to come up with an idea, so unfortunately it is a matter of waiting.

A way to jolt your imagination back to life is to observe the world, which may sound slightly strange but let me explain. When you're alert and actually taking the time to look around at the world you're living in, you gain what I like to call 'texture'. The next time you see a man looking forlorn on a bench, don't just shake that image out of your head but concoct a story around it. That very concise story you create about a person you see in the street can manifest into something much bigger, and can form the premise for a book.

I naturally have a very hyperactive imagination so I am constantly creating scenarios about the things I see in life, and I have a whole bank of situations which I can incorporate into my books. It's one of the most natural ways to come up with an idea for a book, and can awaken any dormant imagination.

Another way to kick your imagination into working again is to watch movies and listen to music. These stimuli will give you all sorts of ideas, and I find that after watching a film or listening to a really good song my head goes wild with ideas. Especially with music, close your eyes and just brainstorm. So many ideas come from songs, and the minute you do get an idea for a book from a song jot down the song name and the idea.

The premise of a book is vital, and once you have that the rest is plain sailing.