Hey All,
Well, ive done this post a LONGGG time ago, but im serious, i want to write a book.. i just don't no where to begin.. and is it hard to get it published? i mean there r millions of books in Barnes & Nobel, so i dont no if it can be that difficult but im sure it is..

Anyways, if you guys can give me any insight or steps to do first id appreciate it thank you soo much!!!

First of all, what sort of book do you want to write?

To get published you need to work extremely hard, impossibly hard unless writing is your full time job. You need a very high talent for words, with impeccable grammar and spelling. You need to be new and innovative, not using ideas or even a writing style that has previously been used.
And if you had that, then you also need a hell of alot of luck, probably some contacts in the business would help, and stubborness in the face of years of trying and failing to get even a page of your writing to be read by a publisher. Money would help alot too.

There's two roads you can choose.
1) In it for the money. Pick a standard plot and subject and just tear the thing off. Find something hot for the subject, like hidden codes in ancient writings and research the subject then pump out a 800 words per chapter page turner of dubious quality and originality and wait for the royalty checks.
2) Write about what you want to write about, and do it your way; fulfill your spirit. Starvation, frustration and the mockery of the artistically insipid but filthy rich (see choice #1) lie down this path.
As far as the steps... Practice, practice, practice. Write so much and so often that it becomes second nature to you, as necessary as breathing, then tackle the book.
Start with a detailed outline that defines each section of your book, and work from it. Set aside time each day, and shoot for a target word count each day (1600 is a good round number) and bang out the rough draft, then edit, rewrite, revise, curse, drink, get depressed, then hopeful again, then, once you have something you want to show somebody, give a draft to a few choice friends and family to read and comment on. Listen to what they have to say, then repeat the rewrite process. After you are done, and can live with the book (learn quickly that satisfaction will never happen), hope you have an agent to shop the book around to a publisher.
Not nearly as easy as it seems.

cool guys thanx, keep the ideas comming!

Has anyon ehere written and gotten a book published, if so let me no pleasee thanks all!

Lucid, don't waste your time; You will not get a book published in my lifetime...and I will live a lot longer than you.

An admirable rigor in manner.

An admirable rigor in honesty.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm currently working on two...peices of literature. Feel free to rip apart my ambitions, but - let's be honest - with my masterful command of the English language, it's a lot more likely than Lucids.

Tell me Lucid, what is your 'book' about? An encyclopedia? Perhaps a novel?

Masterful command?

Anyway I agree that your ambition is admirable, LucidElement, and would also say that what others have written here about persistence and keeping at it every day would be the way to go.

Good luck!! I think all of us who love English or language would like to see our names in print.

I've got a novel shopping for agents right now.
What type of book do you want to write?

My 2 big tips: read a lot and write a lot.

Writing a novel is not difficult if you know what you want to write about, you research it and have the patience to spend two months or more writing and rewriting until you get it right. Where the difficult part comes in is actually getting it published. Sure you can send it off to Xlibris or other POD type publishers, but your book doesn't really get 'out there' where readers will read it unless you're excellent at promoting it. If you don't feel like taking that route, then you submit your manscript to either agents or traditional publishers (I suggest submitting to an agent, because they'll know right away if they can find a market for the book). I have several manuscripts that I'm trying to sell right now, but my problem is that the subjects I write about are so way 'out there' that a lot of agents aren't sure they will sell. I recently completed a more 'mainstream' novel that one agent is interested in and I'm waiting to hear back on it even now as I write this message. Not just anyone can sit down and write a novel - most people don't feel up to sitting down every night for nights on end and writing until they can't see anymore and fall asleep with their head on the keyboard. I write sometimes from midnight until 5:00AM (because everyone's asleep & the house is quiet) and then I take a 'power nap' and go to work at 9:00AM. Writing a novel sounds easy, but only those who want to see it through all the way to the bitter end ever see publication.

best of luck, let us know how your book goes.

- Jillian

Don't be so negative. Lucid can publish a book, but he/she must write it first. Granted, a brush-up on spelling and grammar might be called for in Lucid's case, but it's not out of the realm of possibility - I've seen stranger things happen. I've already published and been paid for several short stories and some poetry, and I'm three times older than you are - and I only started getting serious with writing four years ago. My novel(s) will be published, I'm sure of it. Will I make any money at it? That's the question.

Only time will tell...

Two months? Wow, I'm impressed. My first novel - inspiring dream to final rewrite - took about 2 years. Then I hammered out the sequel's first draft in 3 exhausting weeks.

Alrighty, fine; I apologise for being so negative. I take it back and what not.

Lucid - Whats your book about?

Two months is how long it took me to write my first draft, and I edit as I go. Add about four weeks to that to do a final edit & submit, let's say three months altogether, tops. But then again, I write 4,000 words a day regardless of circumstance. I certainly have dedication, if nothing else.

- Jillian

Masterful command? I believe you’ve lost an apostrophe off the end of Lucid, there...
Oh, and you spelt pieces wrong.

Spelling matters very little, gives editors something to do, makes 'em feel useful. Lots of published, widely-read writers couldn't spell to save their lives.

You're completely mistaken if you think it's spelling and punctuation which makes a book a book; what do you think it is that editors do? What you need is creativity and originality, assuming it's fictional.

Yep, but if someone is claiming a ‘masterful command’ of a language they should probably make sure their spelling’s up to scratch!

use a programe like new noverlist i use that.

I've tried those - they're really just organizers. I like Dramatica Pro, though, for an organizer it's top-notch.

Oh gosh... I tried some free trial writer's software once. All it did for me was waste time.

I suggest writing a book for specific people. I am currently working on a story for christians that seem to catch the interest of others.

A story for Christians that catch the interests of others? Other whats?

Doubt I'd read a story written for Christians

I just honestly didn’t understand the post..!

C'mon most everybody has read a piece of the Bible!
And I probably wouldn't read something for Christians either. I enjoy at least a touch of reality in my reading material i.e a few good curse words, some nudity, 'adult' situations.

you all make christian writing sound like it's bad. whats not to like about christian novels? especially dark christian novels. But if this is how you all are gonna treat me i'll just leave for now.











P.S. most every christian novel has adult material in them. My christian novel is dark, disturbing, and very gory (wich i might soon regret). So dont see them all the same. Oh, by the way I would happily read a christian novel. If the Passion of the Christ made over 10 million dollars from theater viewers, then anyone would make a descent amount of money by writing a christian novel. It seems like people in the UM forums are trying to take advantage of my short temper. not gonna work, just letting you know right now.

No, just stating our opinions. If you take things personally enough to get mad at them, that's on you, not us.
What's not to like about Christian novels? One word answer here: Christianity.
It just doesn't sit well with some people. To label your novel as a Christian novel is to immediately alienate a good chunk of your potential readers. You might want to rethink things if you're going to label your novel such.
Not trying to get under your skin, just giving you a heads up.

Don’t jump on your high horse, mate. If you read your initial post it didn’t even make sense – that’s all I was pointing out. If you can’t construct a sentence I have no desire to read your book – Christian or otherwise.

What didn't make sense about it?

He is writing a story about Christians who catch the interest of other people?
He is writing a story for Christians which is also interesting to non-Christians?
How would he know is he hasn’t written it yet?

General puzzled-ness ensues…

Oh come come, why post something if you don't want to hear our opinions?

Because, like many ‘writers’ who post online, he doesn’t actually want to hear anything that isn’t drooling and hero worship at his amazing talent…

Ja - amazing how many 'writers' there are out there....

So Vavelva - what do you mean a dark Christian story???

Saint – you can read Vavelva’s story a few posts down in this forum.

Lucid if you get tired of publishers' rejections you can always self publish. Check the web for companies that can do it. I have 3 book-length manuscripts but haven't done anything due to poor health during the last couple years.

My dark christian story has been posted. chapters 1 and 2. The rest of the story has come to a complete halt. It's called Seedless Valley, and it's attracting more viewers than anything else i have written.







keep up with the forum threads dude... sheesh.

P.S. to avoid any insulations or harassments that are directed to me, i shall be leaving this thread for a very long time. Evidently, people must hate christians. there goes the Make-a-wish foundation.

LOL - truer words were never spoken. There are so many undiscovered geniuses out there in the cold, harsh, unforgiving world...

I liked your writing, Twitch98. Your sci-fi piece could use a little more backstory and more dialogue, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading your piece on pyramids. Very informative.

-Jillian

I’m pretty sure I’ve already pointed this out, but the Make a Wish foundation was started by a couple of hospital workers, not the Christian church.

Noone in this thread has said anything remotely offensive about Christians. All I said was that your initial post didn’t make any sense and asked you to clarify it further. Obviously, you’re right, that must mean I hate Christians.

I think you have got some very, very serious issues.