How to write your own book, do you have experiences?
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Zynoba
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Now it's happened to me too, I replied without being logged in 
Now I also realize why so many people answer anonymously here. The post above is from me. |
MayBug
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@Zynoba: I can imagine, too, that this is the reason for so many replies from anonymous users. However, I think that some people enjoy posting on this forum because they don't need to register. Anyway, I will share your tips with my dad. The idea of rereading the books sounds worthwhile. Then, he can take notes. On one hand, it's a pity that your mother doesn’t have enough time to concentrate on writing. But on the other hand, I applaud her for her efforts to help other people.
To the other anonymous user: I understand the idea of just sitting down and writing. But is it reliably possible to get a good manuscript on the second, third, or fourth attempt? And how does he then know that a version is adequate? Can he reliably judge this himself? |
Zynoba
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Yes, but it makes it difficult to reply to someone in particular. Also, you can't see if you're being quoted or if someone is referring to you. That could be changed so that you stay logged in. That's her job. She likes doing it and wants to help young people. Many of them don't realise how important it would be to read more. Even though I rarely read a book myself as a child, it's still very useful. If you don't come into contact with literature from time to time at that age, you probably won't read or even think of writing something yourself later on. Practice certainly helps. But you need new stimuli, otherwise not much will change. Of course, reading other books also helps. But especially if you want to improve in certain areas, you will probably also have to do tasks in this area. If you get feedback as an author, you also concentrate on various things that need to be improved. Even if it's just that you pay more attention to these points when reading and then try to implement them yourself. |
Anonymous
| A former coworker self-published her novel through Amazon, I believe. It’s for sale on there and everything. |
Anonymous
Reliably possible? No - most people are not good writers. Most people are not disciplined enough to write a first draft, let alone go through multiple rounds of revisions. But for the people who do write good books - yes, that is how they do it. They have an idea for a book. They sit down and write it. Then they go back and revise. How can he know if it's good or what needs changing? Well, a couple of ways. One is that most writers have an internal sense of what is working and what isn't. But some people have awfully grandiose ideas of the quality of their work, and everyone misses some things, so that's not always the best gauge. If you have trusted readers, you can ask them to read and give their opinion. But it's really asking a lot for someone to read and comment on your unpublished manuscript. Even asking them to read a published book isn't nothing. But that's one route. You can also join a critique group - or pay a developmental editor or writing coach - to get feedback. But really, you are getting ahead of yourself. You have to sit down and write the first draft. You can worry about the next steps after that. I can't tell you how many people want to talk about book publishing - and they get very interested in how you get an agent and how you get your advance and all that. But they never get around to writing the book! Write the book. That's the trick to writing a book. |
MayBug
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@Zynoba: I almost made the same mistake again, but this time I realised it just in time. I absolutely agree with you about the disadvantages of posting without a login. It's probably one of the reasons why the vast majority of platforms and communities require registration. I understand that this is your mother's job, but not everyone works to help other people. We definitely think it makes sense to be goal-oriented. However, there is also the question of how easy/likely it is to get adequate feedback.
To the first anonymous user: We know about the self-publishing option on Amazon. Did the former employee take care of the various steps herself, or did she contact others? To the other anonymous user: It is difficult for us to judge whether most people are actually not good writers. If that's the case, it's probably often due to a lack of self-discipline, but it's certainly also related to the time available. If everyday work or other commitments take up too much of your time, this will also affect your determination. As far as feedback is concerned, we prefer to get it from a writing coach. We've looked at some specialised discussion forums, and new writers don't seem to be particularly welcome. Or do you mean something different with the critique group? |
Zynoba
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@Anonymus 1 - Yes, of course you can do that. And how often was the book sold? Offering a book for sale online is one thing, but without good marketing it will be lost in the masses. Simply because it's easier than ever to publish a book today.
@Anonymus 2 - You can also work on the quality of your writing. There are exercises and courses for this. You can also take lessons from other authors. You'll get better over time. I also assume that if you write yourself, you will also read a lot. That also helps a lot, of course. No master has yet fallen from the sky. It takes a lot to write a good book. It's the exception rather than the rule that you sit down and write a bestseller on your first attempt
@MayBug But there are people whose goal/task is to help other people in this situation. Just take a look at YouTube, there are enough videos with help for this situation. Publishers also offer help. Whether these are courses such as those offered by novum publishing, for example, or just help in blogs. Then there are also literary agents or other authors who help you to improve. I don't see it as your job to make all this possible for your mum. But of course you can support her as much as you can. |
MayBug
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You're absolutely right. It is heart-warming to see how many resources exist for aspiring writers. I will surely check out the YouTube channels and publishing blogs you mentioned. Has your mum had a closer look at this, or do you know someone who has? Apart from that... maybe at some point it could be helpful to get in touch with a literary agent or other experienced writers.
I comprehend that it is not solely my responsibility to fulfil my father's aspirations. However, I'm delighted to provide him with any assistance I can. It is inspiring to see his dedication and I believe he has a story which is worth being told. I will continue to encourage him and help him through the writing and hopefully publishing process. After all, every great journey begins with a single step, and in my opinion, he has already taken the first one. |
Anonymous
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Serious suggestion -- tell him to start doing The Artists Way. I published my first book two years after finishing TAW. It's incredible.
One tip from there is to write 3 stream of consciousness pages every morning. He should start there. |
Anonymous
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Tutorial videos are very popular on YouTube. Even students use them to learn. Teachers have already set up their own channels and give extra tuition there. Of course there will be better videos and worse channels, or one teacher may be more to your liking than another. But I'm sure you'll find some help there. If it's not enough and you need personal contact, you have to get tutoring in real life.
It's far more common with children and if they don't know what to do, they don't ask their parents but look for answers on the internet. If you can judge the information correctly and use several different sources, I don't think it's bad. I think you can help him the most if you look for all the information and then pass it on to him. You may have an advantage because you know your way around online. I'm also with ‘Anonymous’ - you'll have to start at some point. You just have to have the courage. I don't think you can be 100% prepared for everything. If only because you don't know what you're going to face. But you just have to jump in at the deep end and take the plunge. |
Anonymous
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To the first anonymous user: Thank you for the tip! I had to google The Artist Way, but I think I'll recommend it to him. Then, I think it depends on the person, but I'm glad it helped you and that you shared this tip with us.
To the second anonymous user: I’ve got the impression that you forgot to log in again.  And yes, for younger people, browsing YouTube videos is obviously easier, but my father already found a few that appealed to him. However, alongside this, he began to make personal contact. Regarding the jump into the deep end, I agree with you... We'll see how it runs in the coming weeks, but judging by how he's expressing himself right now, I'm optimistic that he'll make attempts in the coming weeks.
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Zynoba
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Yes, I forgot to log in again, maybe someone from the moderation team could change that. This makes me really angry. If it happens again, I'll just post the same post again as logged in.
You also don't get any messages when someone has replied, which also makes the discussion more difficult. I don't check the forum that often. You just have to search a bit and watch a few videos. Once you've found a good channel, there are several videos. Even if you're not on YouTube that much, you'll manage. I can understand that it's not a personal contact. But with some videos it hardly matters. Some videos are really well made and I wish they had been around when I was still at school. I would certainly have understood one or two things better
What has he done in the meantime? |
Anonymous
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Let's see if I remember to log in this time... If not, you'll know I'm MayBug, and that's the most important thing. Will I ever get used to posting here without logging in? I can't imagine the moderation team are too worried about that — they probably have their reasons. Although in times like these, it doesn't seem very practical. Anyway... Yes, a lot has happened here in that respect. While I've been completely swamped, my dad has devoured two books and several YouTube videos on the subject. He's even attending a sort of private course.
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MayBug
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Let's see if I remember to log in this time... If not, you'll know I'm MayBug, and that's the most important thing. Will I ever get used to posting here without logging in? I can't imagine the moderation team are too worried about that — they probably have their reasons. Although in times like these, it doesn't seem very practical. Anyway... Yes, a lot has happened here in that respect. While I've been completely swamped, my dad has devoured two books and several YouTube videos on the subject. He's even attending a sort of private course.
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Zynoba
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Yes, it's really annoying, and I lose a little of the joy of exchanging ideas. You can't reply to the person who has just written.
Ok, that sounds good. I hope it helps and is fun. Are the private lessons about the writing itself or is that help for publishing? |