How to Write a Book Step by Step
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- How to write a book step by step: let's do it!
A lot of people ask me how I write my books.
I’ve perfected my writing process over the last 40+ books, so I know what works and what doesn’t.
In this video I’m going to walk you how to write a book step by step, with my process of how I conceive, plan, write, edit, and format my novels.
Grab my book, How to Write Your First Novel: www.authorlevelup.com/Yourfirstnovel
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY WRITING PROCESS BY WATCHING THIS PLAYLIST: • My Writing Process
Stuff Mentioned in This Video:
Evernote (Free): www.authorlevelup.com/evernote (Free to download, but this is an PAID Link if you buy Evernote Premium)
Any.do App: www.any.do (for calendar and to-do lists)
Great Books to Help You Research Almost Any Novel: [a.co/iehovez] (Amazon shopping list, PAID Link)
Be a Writing Machine: www.authorlevelup.com/beawriti...
Scrivener for Mac (Affiliate): www.authorlevelup.com/scrivene...
Scrivener for Windows (Affiliate): www.authorlevelup.com/scrivene...
Scrivener for iPhone: www.authorlevelup.com/scrivene...
ProWritingAid Spelling and Grammar Checker: www.authorlevelup.com/prowriti...
Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton (PAID Link, book on fonts): Amazon (paid link) geni.us/OCNW
McGraw-Hill Desk Reference for Editors, Writers and Proofreaders (PAID Link, good intro to how editors work): Amazon (paid link) geni.us/XmvwiDP
Vellum (book formatting for Mac, PAID Link): www.authorlevelup.com/vellum
Like my Videos? Subscribe for more!
/ authorlevelup
The writing book with all my secrets (Be a Writing Machine):
www.authorlevelup.com/beawriti...
The writing book for beginners (How to Write Your First Novel):
www.authorlevelup.com/yourfirs...
Listen to my new podcast (The Writer's Journey): www.authorlevelup.com/podcast
Support my Channel by Shopping on Amazon!
www.amazon.com/shop/authorlev...
My Writing App of Choice (Scrivener, PAID Links):
Scrivener for Mac: www.authorlevelup.com/scrivene...
Scrivener for Windows: www.authorlevelup.com/scrivene...
My CZcams & Podcasting Gear Setup (PAID Link)
www.authorlevelup.com/gear - Jak na to + styl
im 11 and writing my first book. thus helped alot thanks!
Hardest is consistency and getting to the end. Easiest is once I am in the flow I have fun.
Cool. Thank you for your comments!
Very informative you have helped with my writing so much. I am currently finishing my seventh book of my epic fantasy series and looking to package them. Even if they don't succeed I am happy I came across this channel and reached a personal milestone I set for myself 25 years ago.
Wow, awesome work. Good luck!!
My books, in the early stages, tend to suffer from the "Deus ex machina" problem, where the monster/villain is destroyed by an event that seems to come out of nowhere. My solution to this: go back to the beginning of the story, and plant clues early on, so that the solution to the problem seems logical. For example, in one of my Novellas, the serial killer is killed by a kid's treehouse falling on top of him. It seems kinda stupid at first, but I did the following: at the start of the story, the kid's father is telling the kid, they will have to get ris of the treehouse, because it looks like it's going to come down at any moment. All of a sudden, the method of taking down the killer, by pushing onto the tree and causing the treehouse to fall, makes perfect sense.
Nice✨👍🏾
I love doing that in my short stories. Glossing seemingly unimportant ideas only to call them back at the end. Your story wounds awesome.
@@CRU22 Yeah, it's an awesome method. It also allows one to write really fast, because you're not as worried about something being stupid (because you can just set it up earlier).
Dean Wesley Smith has a chapter in his book Writing into the Dark, about getting unstuck in time. Helped me out a lot.
I believe you’re referring to Chekhov’s Gun.
Going back now and doing something similar it’s overwhelming
He looks like the guy from the good place
He IS from the good place😊
First thought 😳
Some great advice there, thanks for sharing your writing process. Coming up with ideas is the easiest part of the the process for me. Finishing a novel is what I find hardest.
You're amazing dude, just binged 4 of your videos. I might actually buy that how to write your first novel. I've had an idea for about twenty years now and I think I'm at a right place in my head to start it.
Thank you. Good luck with your idea!
2 years later and I hope you did it.
I hope you started it
Do you think as a new writer we should start with short stories? Or novellas but trying a novel?
10:08 The way you teach makes fear seem so silly!
I always found the editing and publisher/agent part of writing books super boring to read. That’s why I like listening to videos like yours because I am visual and the conversation is usually more engaging than what’s on the page. Super helpful videos thank you
Hardest part. Dealing with self-criticism. Easiest part. Research, cover design, and creating those big (overall) ideas.
Sitting across from you at the 20books to 50k conference and smiling at seeing you invest in authors just the same there as you do here. Thank you for being you.
+Chautona Havig please do stop by and say hi!
Ooooh, hearing the number of books he's written, i wondered if he was part of the 20to50k community!
For research, it helps to write out a list of questions you need answered to focus it. If you are writing a book about gunfighters in the old west, you might want to know what kinds of guns were used in the year your story takes place? How do they work? What do they look like? What famous gunfights happened that year?
The hardest part is....getting started. My creative flow is and has been dry for quite some time. I need to get back to writing. It’s just getting started.
Your advice makes A LOT of sense to me and I’m finding myself doing previously some of the same prep items you mention. Wow, good to know I’m not the only who is cautious about doing too much research LOL. Even though I’m a newbie fiction writer, the thing I find easiest is simply writing about what I know and including small bits of myself into the story.
Your advice concerning research topics was very useful. Using books that simplify scientific concepts was something I had not thought of. Thanks man!
Thanks for another great video, Michael. I learned a lot and appreciate you sharing your process. I've always been an outliner but hearing your experience on writing in the dark in a previous video makes me want to try it. Thanks again.
This is great. Alot of others give these vague or too quirky explanations. Trying to sound eccentric for eccentricities sake lol
Thank you SO MUCH ! For making these videos! You're awesome! I gotta read your books now.
This was an awesome video. I'm so glad that you have a catalogue of these kinds of videos that we can use as a resource.
Great advice! Thank you:)
Great info! The hardest part of the process for me is to avoid overthinking. It's a challenge for me to silence my critical voice. The easiest part is creating characters with depth. Shine on!
So true! You'll get better at the overthinking with practice. A tip that helps is to do things you wouldn't normally due as a way to challenge your critical voice (ie. publish a story even though you hate it, just to see what happens.)
I think everyone should outline. The question is "Are you outlining before you start your book or after?" If you are a pantser, outlining after helps you look at key points in your story and helps clean up your story when it comes to editing.
That’s a great way of putting it.
Yeah, I Always start after. First I get all my ideas in place then I start writing. After I've do e a few chapters. Then I start outlining. Based on what was written before.
Awesome video, keep up the great work!
It is amazingly CLEAR!!😇 I admire you and your content. A super teacher you are!
Hi Michael, thanks for the greats advices. I'm loving your videos. Hugs from Brazil.
Great information!
Great information
I have had a desire to write for years.
This is helpful
Hello there. I want to thank you for your clear presentation of Scrivner. Learning Scrivner in twenty minutes. I thought, ok I am a pretty smart cookie but this guy has got to be a genius maybe I can learn from him.I think I have a book series in me. I am a voracious reader. I have been an RN for decades... 4 of them. Long story short I am earning enough to live but I see the day coming where I need to transition over to where I can make enough to live doing something that does not have the physical demands of nursing and perhaps a slightly lower stress level. I bought Scrivner ages ago was working through the tedious tutorial and was not making the progress through it that would bring me to where I could focus on more of the story. Overwhelm does not begin to describe it. I feel I was not taking it seriously enough... I had less of a motivation factor and could not handle the onslaught of new information that needed to be handled before the creation of the storyline could begin. To be fair to me I also had other stuff going on that I needed to focus on more urgently where I could effect change more quickly. Relationship things. Forming a relationship with my estranged at the time daughter. A new relationship of my own. Still working on the one with the daughter with a large measure of slow and steady success. The other did not work out and I find I need to focus on getting my life in order and looking to my future. I seem to have lost some of the creative drives for creating stories, but I feel as though if I apply myself I can learn to embrace Scrivner, and focus both on a story and on more practical offerings that daily as I still work full time, could help with earning enough to live on eventually. Without a vision, the people perish. You help to clarify the vision with the goal of becoming a writer. This is a long thank-you note. I appreciate the effort you put in helping people to help themselves. I need all the help I can get with this new career endeavor. I am driven to help others. My career as a nurse is more of a vocation. Nurses deal with stuff other people find intolerable. It takes drive and commitment and responsibility. I have focused that on other people for most of my life, at the nitty-gritty level. School of hard knocks indeed. I am learning I have to help myself by focusing on myself more and making it possible to be able to live not doing what I have been doing in several different formats for 4 decades. I have to do both for a while. I know it takes time. I have my schedule down to three 12 hour shifts a week so I have some time to learn as I transition. I have a house project to work on as well, but that can take a close back seat for a bit as I need to drill down focus on what needs to be done to live.
I plan to and have already started to learn from you with this video how to write a book and create multiple streams of income, whatever you can teach me to even get the basics down cold. I have to learn much more but you help to give a clearer vision of what is next with your focused presentation of quality material. I need that. I thank you.
I can learn Scrivner. Thank you, that you have given me a wider understanding of Scrivener in that you make an overview easier to understand even if you did go pretty fast and you started off your video with a setup that I do not see on my Scrivner and on a Mac and I have Windows 10. I am determined to learn. There was a glimmer of hope to be had in just learning Scrivner with that. (My Scrivner I am working on updating! The tutorial was straight-up overwhelming again when I took it out and looked at it again as it was bought years ago. You can see I am determined to make this as easy as I can on myself as I can without re-inventing the wheel.) I have been and still am a hard worker. Working at learning to work smarter rather than harder, is as close as I can get to describing my finding the drive to really live instead of merely surviving. Things could get pretty bleak otherwise.
Focus forward. I can learn from you and am hoping I can restore several channels of creativity by giving my creative yearning a format to work on. Learning how to write books is the skeleton that is needed to put both story and creative work on, it can then be sculpted as I learn more about how to create voices for characters and point of view management and learning to show and not tell and a host of other skills involved in editing into what other people think of as quality books. Eventually, I think I will derive a sense of pleasure from it as well. LOTS to learn. I wanted you to know that you could be saving people's lives by what you do in teaching videos and doing it so well. LOL Obviously, I need to be more succinct in getting my point across. LOL. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind words. You got this!
Clear and concise 👍
That's why I'm watching this video, I'm in the middle of writer's block.
Nice i just got more clus on how i can inprove on my writing thank for teaching
Lots of great info here. Keep it coming! :)
Will do! :)
I was looking up something about scrivener and found your videos. So far they are amazing and I look forward to watching more.
Welcome aboard!
"I don't always use beta readers but when I do I use them in a highly efficient way." Lol I see what you did there. Love your channel and how you break this down, keep it up
Have just started writing my first book quarter of it though I lack equipment but am sure I will come out with something good one day thanks for uploading bro love your videos because they have helped me alot
Another entertaining and useful video. Thanks!
Thanks Mark!
Great videos. Very informative. Would you consider doing a video on a Two Act Structure story?
I read your book today. It was to-the-point with no Pie in the Sky, and was very helpful.
Regarding a question I saw below about education for writing, the courses that helped most to form my writing style are critical thinking and political science. However, during my career as CEO for nonprofits, expository writing virtually killed my abilities with fiction. At 82, I have decided to try fiction writing again. I started a new novel that seems to be developing itself each night as I fall asleep. I will get right to the writing. The thing that worries my most is the expense of getting a book published. But, as Scarlet O'Hara said, "I'll think about that tomorrow." (or some such wording)
Hardest?........ Describing a story.......How to write a senreino .......The thought is in my head.....but so much trouble writing it down.
Easiest?....... Character creation
Awesome presentation Michael. By far, best info on how to get started and keep it going. Even though I wrote 11 books I am still new at this. So this was helpful. I am a pantser. I promised myself to try outlining to see if that will make writing easier.
Find whatever works for you. But I do think pantsing is the best way, long term. You won’t get bored or burned out that way.
Thanks!
Your content is awesome
Just now getting into this
Awesome video! Packed with great, extensive information. I'm on page 111 of my first fiction series and this video came at the perfect timing!
Great. Glad it helped you.
Storyist is awesome
This man has a very professional voice☝️
"Write that next sentence" ❤️
Looping sounds interesting, too
Wow!! Thank you! I thought I was the only one who mostly writes a novel on the phone. I use a writer's app called "Pure Writer"
I find that on the phone I can really focus in my writing. Plus I can listen to music and research anything on the go. In bed, Uni, work, park. I can always continue the story whenever and wherever.
When I tell people I write my novel on my phone, Most of the time I get weird looks from them 🤷🏾♂️ I just find it more comfortable and easier.
Hah, a comrade. I usually use Pure Writer and Google Docs as the former puts me into a suitable mood, while the latter supports collaboration with others. And is also easy to share.
@@GrassToucher988 📖😎👍🏾 That's a really great Combination. I should give Google Docs a try as well.✨ Thanks for the info. 💯
How can I make it
You clearly explain sir..
Looping... I need to try that
Great Video. Do you have any videos on how to market a book?
Putting together the ideas I have is what I find to be quite easy but finishing the novel is what I find to be the hardest thing. I’m currently working on my first sci fi book, I’m looking to learn whatever I can from other authors so that I can put together a strategic plan of how I’m going to put my story together.
5:34 I needed this tip last year lol 😆
im on a free novel writting course online, ive got my plot sorted and done the logline, chapter 1 is done but the thing im having a hard time with is how to pace my chapters
i dont want to drag things out only for it to become boring just to fill out chapters but i dont want to shove the entire story out in less than ten chapters
the course aims for 26 chapters at no more than 2500 words per chapter
i have a few ideas and have a bit of a description of them but they wont be added until a bit later in the book
Great video, good ideas. Once again you have given some great advice.
For formatting at the moment I go to D2D, there not good with options for formatting but they get the job done. Until I can get me a Mac and use vellum I will stick to D2D for my formatting needs.
Yes, D2D is fantastic.
Ty
Handy process. I'll definitely employ at least some of it.
The easiest part(s) of novel writing for me are the writing and revision process.
The most difficult is figuring out how to obtain a great cover without going broke.
Amen on that. Just shop around. There are always good affordable designers out there.
Maybe try commissioning artist on instagram? There are some great artist that have cheaper rates
You are very motivating. I just need your help with writing my first novel. How do I best teach you?
Step number 2 - plan logistics. You said how you do it (any.do) but not what that plan looks like. What logistics are you planning? what tasks are involved? This must be pretty involved since there has to be a plan and you mention it is stressful.
You should blink more often.
Oh, and great video, btw. You really give precious information in a condensed format on your channel.
Love to watch your guides.
Great
Can you do a video about writing on your phone? I am intrigued as i considered that before.
You bet.
I am right in the middle of watching this latest video and suddenly my cat picks up my pencil and wanders off. It must have felt inspired to write. I now feel outdone by a feline!
+Wolf 32 Best comment of the year. If your cat publishes a novel, let me know, as it would definitely be a NYT bestseller for the shock factor alone! :)
Thanks for your insights into experience level first writing, I do not have a mac computer so scrivener is my only hope. I am finding it too expensive for editing $2500 per book?
That is pretty expensive. I would do some searching in sites like Upwork or Reedsy to find someone to edit your book.
If you love writing, subscribe to this channel. Seriously. Michael La Ronn is gold for us.
I find I can't write on my phone without making a boatload of typos. I think too fast when I'm writing and having only one or two fingers to write with is a recipe for disaster lol.
Good advice, ... But, how long does it take to finish your book.
Wow dude been on Evernote free version for year's
I Need Help With A Book I Want To Be a writer
How do new authors go about finding good content editors and cover designers?
Great videos!
Start with The Alliance of Independent Authors Service Ratings Directory: www.selfpublishingadvice.org/ratings
The hardest thing is I am constantly overthinking my book. I want to develop great characters and want them to communicate realistically but always worry that it might sound cheesy or that people will think "who says that?" I stay up at night wondering if people will think my book is realistic or unbelievable because it is meant to be a truly realistic and science based novel. I don't want anything in my book that is not achievable with modern technology. The easiest thing for me is coming up with ideas about my ships, planets, tech etc.
Just try not to overthink it. Just write and let readers tell you what they think. Beta readers can help you with this as well. As long as you do your best, you hire a good cover designer and editor (if you can), you might be surprised at what they say (or don’t say). And any feedback they do give you, you’ll know what to work on! Best of luck with your book! :)
Hey thanks a lot! :) Appreciating your videos. Just found your channel today and have already watched about 8. Learning a lot! @@AuthorLevelUp
For me, writing my book, even if my fingers capture the thoughts of my mind on the computer keyboard, even if the printer prints the words on paper, the ink I use is the one that burns for so many years in my soul.
The situations that take place in this book, no matter how much it seems that I move them like puppets, in fact, are presented to me by the characters I chose to adorn it, the real people who went through my life, even them who are no longer alive. There are thousands of things someone can say about in his own book. At this point I would like to focus only on the beautiful personality of a character whom I adored as a person where someone reading him is unlikely to love him as much as I do, but, where I did not expect it at all, this person, his behavior was finally so ugly to me so that, where I did not intend it, his personality changed the same in the book. I believe that the most authentic, distinctive characters of a book are the people we met and if nothing else, maybe that's why we met them: so add to our book what we did not dare in our lives.
Forgive me for my, probably, wrong English, it's from translation. 15/5/21
I am confused, when talking about using an editor, if I heard you right, it seems that you type in word. If so, why have Scrivener?
What is a good Android alt to Scrivener?
Question: If I heard you right you use word and scrivener. This was mentioned on the editor part. I thought Scrivener had a spell check and I am confused why use both venues?
Scrivener’s spell check is not very good but can catch a few errors. Word’s is much better. But it’s ideal and doesn’t hurt to use both, in addition to Grammarly/ProWritingAid. Every typo you catch is one the reader will never see. Hope that helps.
@@AuthorLevelUp Do you type text in scrivener and then import it into word?
I have a weird question I am not sure you already talked but do you think it requiers a school certificate to be able to write books and novels. Or should I say. What does it add to somebody to complete a collegial writting course or even university course if the main goal is simply to write stories this person have in mind?
No, you don’t have to have to have a degree to write. An English degree had benefits for me but nothing that made me any more successful in retrospect.
What about writing to spread awareness? (Epilepsy)
How can I start write a book about myself? This is my first time writing.
Do you have a course?
Just in time for NANOWRIMO
You ever tried Dragon Speaks software? Do you have a video on it?
+Smokey Moment I have s video series on dictation. May or may not be what you’re looking for: How to Dictate Your Book (Series) czcams.com/play/PLxzJuXcviPo-sfcvjeELa_wg5SpsxpoxD.html
I keep a pad and two pencils next to my bed because there is a period when I am between sleep and being fully awake where I seem to be the most creative. If I don't write it down immediately I will lose the idea.
I have a lot of ideas on what to write, but how to begin the writing is my biggest problem.
I do not understand writer's block. There is an endless universe of things to write about.
Hi Michael Just came upon your videos today because I am really wanting to write my life story. Thank you btw. I was wondering however if there are laws against naming people who have done some horrible things. Do I have the right to mention the names or can I use terms like ex husband boyfriend etc. The thing is that the people who know me will know who I am talking about. Not looking to hurt anyone, however I am pretty sure my story could help others.
I would err on the side of caution. I’m not a lawyer but you can get into some trouble by naming people directly in your book. I would definitely look into defamation laws in your state to make sure you aren’t crossing the line in any way, even if you use a pen name and fictitious names or titles.
I am a kid but I want to write a book so can u pls do a visual
*JUSTIN DON LEVELS UP*
What? Oh, Man! What aout videos about Interactive Fiction? I came ending here because I was searching for Interactive Fiction Plot Structure, in first place.
Wow, you might be the only one here doing IF! :) I don’t have any videos on that at the moment. I do have a book on IF though: www.books2read.com/interactivefiction
@@AuthorLevelUp HI THIS IS DEANNA I NEED TO FIND A AUTHOR TO WRITE MY NOVEL I NEED TO HAVE A PERSONAL INTERVIEW AND A PUBLISHER SO THIS WILL BE A BIOGRAPHY .
I joke because no matter where I turn everyone is writing books. Even people I know. So I would tell myself hey what are you doing?. My problem aside from having mild cerebral palsy I was never the best at grammar. I was creative though. Poems regarding my disadvantages and short stories about cemeteries and spooky castles. Life(health) got in the way of pursuing a novel But here I am.
This will be my 1st book, but how much money r we talking about, 4 hiring a editor, a copier? I don't have any idea
I did a video on this exact topic: czcams.com/video/bTXb_G2-VCs/video.html
Can't see audible book 'How to write a first Novel' on Audible UK!
+Tony Dyer It will be available most likely by end of the month.
I experienced something that I need to write a book about. It involves both mental and physical health, murder, suicide, and an extreme amount of supernatural activity that no one would believe to be true, if I didn't have the evidence to back it up.
Can you share your 1000+ notes with us?
Did you say you write most of the time on your phone?
I write on my phone a lot, yes.
@@AuthorLevelUp That is really nice to know because I do that as well. I always though it was a bad idea though before you mention it.
Not a bad idea at all. It’s all going to get edited the same anyway.
Have you found any success with any of your books? Or is it just that hard to make a big hit with writing?
Hi, brother I'm not novelist writter
Waitwaitwaitwait, what?!?! You’ve never been in the Coast Guard? Huh, me neither. It’s like we could be twins separated at birth…
Can I be a good writer even English is my second language?
Read Joseph Conrad, and you will see.
Author Level up, I think you gave me a like on my comment. Could you answer my question Two Act Structure story?
I will consider doing a video on this, but honesty I don’t specialize in the two act structure.
@@AuthorLevelUp I think two act structure are very uncommon. There are multiple styles of the two act structures to write. When I was in a writing class, my instructor told me that one of them is two different stories are going on at the same time until it gets closer to the ending of the story and their connected somehow. I'm quoting what my instructor said.
Just in time for NaNoWriMo
:)