The Book Whisperers is a community of people that helps writers of all kinds to self-publish their work. Future Patwhays has partnered with them on several occasions to help people with their writing.
Here, The Book Whisperer’s share with us their Top Three Tips for writing your first book.
1. Be clear about why you want to write a book.
Is it for money (book sales), for your friends or family (understanding), for other people with similar life experiences (to share what you learned along the way), or something else? Knowing what you want to achieve by writing your book will keep you thinking about the bigger picture. Also remember that a book does not need to be written for the public. Sometimes a book is written simply to tell the story and get it out of your head onto paper, even if you never show it to anyone. Writing can be cathartic just in itself.
2. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect.
Writing is a craft and a learned skill. No-one expects your first draft to come out fully formed. Have confidence in the story and allow it to come out on its own. Planning helps – such as creating a timeline and/or chapter headings to keep the whole story in mind. It allows you to know how far you have come and how much more there is to do. The editing process comes later so don’t worry too much about the details and just get the whole story out and into words.
3. Get support.
It is useful to have a writing coach who can help to set specific and measurable goals and deadlines. Working with an editor can help you polish and refine the story. You might also consider joining a writing community, as this can really help a lot. Having peers to talk to and support your writing journey can motivate you to keep going. This is what the Book Whisperers is all about!
Find out more about The Book Whisperers in our Meet the Partner feature.
