The definition of a good book might vary from one person’s perspective. For some, a good book might be a work of fiction that entertains them or teaches them something new about the world. For others, a good book is a comprehensive guide that teaches them about a certain topic or subject matter. Still others might view a good book as a combination of the two—it entertains them while also teaching them something new about the subject matter.
Regardless of what you might consider a good book, the writing process can be a challenging one. There are certain elements that you, as a writer, need to keep in mind if you want to produce a quality work that others will value and enjoy. If you want to ensure that your book will be judged alongside the best of its genre and will not be regarded as average, here are some tips on how to not write a good book.
1. Always Be Ready
Being ready means that you’ve prepared enough material so that you can quickly and effortlessly write the book. This might mean doing some research, or perhaps taking a few notes, or even having some ideas already written down. Having all of this at your fingertips will allow you to quickly become immersed in the world of your book and generate ideas as you go along. The more you put in, the more you will get back. This is especially important if you want to write a comprehensive guide because having all of that information at your fingertips will help you avoid needing to revisit any of it later. Additionally, being ready will help you to identify any gaps in your knowledge, which you can then plug with further research or reading. Being ready also means that you are organized enough to know where to find the research you need and how to present it in an accessible format. If you aren’t ready, it will be difficult to write the book because you won’t have all of the necessary material at your fingertips. You might find it difficult to keep track of what you are reading and won’t be able to generate ideas as you go along. This tip applies to both fiction and non-fiction books.
2. Have A Clear Vision
A clear vision is essential if you want to write a good book. This means that you must be able to answer the question, “Why are you writing this book?” With a clear vision in mind, you can then formulate a detailed plan for the book. Without a clear vision, it can be difficult to write the book because you will not be able to determine its purpose or structure, let alone know how it will turn out. With a clear vision in mind, every chapter, every scene, and every word will make sense and will serve a purpose. Without a clear vision, it is possible that you will write the book, but it will be more of a collection of disconnected ideas with no clear direction or purpose. A clear vision makes the entire writing process more productive because you will have a clear idea of what the book is and how you intend to write it. It will be much easier to work towards a common goal with a clear vision than it will be to write a book without one. This is especially important in non-fiction books because you will have to convince the reader that you know what you are talking about and that what you have to say is worth listening to. If you don’t already have a clear vision for the book, it might be a good idea to sit down and brainstorm with a notebook and a pen and make a list of all of the possible ideas for the book.
3. Use Only The Best Materials
The best materials will make up the best book. It is easy for a writer to get so lost in their craft that they forget about the actual book they are trying to create. After all, it’s not what you are writing that matters, it’s the writing that matters. However, using only the best materials will ensure that your book will be of the highest quality and that your writing will shine through. You are probably already aware of the importance of having good materials. The more you use, the better you will get. However, it is easy for a writer to get so involved in their craft that they forget about the actual book they are trying to create. Using the best materials will mean that you have access to the resources necessary to create a quality product, which in turn will make you a better writer. It is important to keep in mind that the best materials will not always be the most expensive ones. There are many times when the most expensive pen does not make up for shoddy writing, poor sentence structure, and a lack of proper grammar. Although this might be something that you would like to avoid, it is important to keep in mind that the most expensive pen does not always make up for poor writing.
4. Be Selective Of The Choices You Make
One of the most important things that you can do if you want to write a good book is to be selective of the choices you make. This means that you need to be careful about the decisions that you make while writing the book, especially if these decisions are not based on solid information or evidence. One of the worst things that you can do for your book is to make a decision based on assumptions or faulty information. If you want to write an informative book about the Civil War, for example, it might be a good idea to do some reading about the subject matter before making any specific and crucial decisions. Once you have made your selection, it will be easy to find the information you need and the decision you made will seem obvious. This will make your book much better because it will be based on fact rather than assumption. There are many cases where an author makes an assumption about a character’s behavior or the nature of a situation, and then finds out that his or her assumption was wrong. If the character actually behaves differently in the book than he or she did in the author’s head, it can make for a very chaotic reading experience because the reader is not prepared for this divergence in behavior. This can also make the whole book much less believable because the reader cannot relate to the character the way the author does. Being selective of the choices you make means that you have weighed the pros and cons of each option carefully and made a decision based on fact rather than fiction or your personal preferences. Being selective also prevents you from veering off course and going down a path that does not lead to success. If you are absolutely sure that a certain plot twist will result in a better book or if you are not sure at all but you want to keep the idea for future use, it is better to omit this particular twist rather than risk the possibility of failure.
5. Plan Ahead
It is important to plan ahead when writing a book. This means that you should set aside time periodically to go over the entire book and make changes as necessary. If you want to write a fast-paced action-adventure story, you might want to add more excitement to the book by shortening some of the descriptions and cutting out some of the dull or unimportant parts. If you want to write a more emotional story, you might want to add more depth to it by lengthening some of the passages and writing in a more descriptive fashion. One of the worst things that you can do for your book is to sit down and write it in one go, without proper planning or any sort of outline. The results might surprise you but you will not enjoy writing it this way. It is important to plan ahead when writing a book so that you can follow a certain structure and plan out each chapter, so that all of the pieces fit together nicely. If you want a book with a certain amount of conflict and drama, you might want to write it in such a way that the conflict is more central and the drama more prominent. If you want a book that is mostly informational, you might want to add some action to it to make it more entertaining. If you don’t already have an idea for a book, it might be a good idea to sit down and brainstorm with a notebook and a pen and make a list of all of the possible ideas for the book. Once you have a clear idea of what the book is about, you can divide your planning into smaller, more manageable tasks and set specific deadlines for each one. This will help you stay motivated and on track while simultaneously preventing you from getting distracted by other things.