If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either interested in writing an ebook or have already started down that path. Congrats!
Inevitably, once you’ve had a taste of ebook writing, you’ll want to dive in and write that next epic masterpiece. But before you do, it’s important to lay down the basic concepts and techniques you need to know to write an ebook. Otherwise, you’ll surely end up in the trenches with countless errors and a complete mess on your hands. That’s not what I want to lead you down. That’s why I’m writing this guide. To help you navigate the unknown with more confidence. To ensure you hit the ground running when you do finally sit down and type that precious first word “Chapter One.”
Choose A Genre
A genre is simply a group of similar books. For example, let’s say you’ve decided to write a fantasy novel. All of a sudden, you’ve got a wide array of similar books to choose from. When it comes down to creating an outline, you’ll want to pick a handful of authors within your chosen genre and analyse their common traits. This way, you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned to your own work and avoid any embarrassing mistakes. Most importantly, it’s a great way to get inspired.
Plan Your Outline
An outline is a plan of sorts. It’ll serve as your road map to write the book. In the same way a map is essential for any road trip, so too is an outline. It provides you with a visual representation of your book. Essentially, it’ll help you see your work from a different perspective and ensure you stay on track towards the end product.
Start With The Hook
It’s important to start each chapter with a hook. A hook is the first sentence of a paragraph. For example, let’s say you’re writing a murder mystery. Your chapter one would start with something like “It was a dark and stormy night…” This way, you immediately draw the reader into the story. It also helps establish the tension right from the start. In the above example, we have the choice of either suspense or romance. If we were writing a Romantic Comedy, our first sentence might become “Mr Darcy decided he would propose to Elizabeth Bennet…”
Make It The Decisive Factor
If the above example is a bit too obvious, let’s say you’re writing a historical novel and you decide to start your outline with the Reign of King George III. Perfect! You’ve got a title and a big fat hook. The only problem is that you’ve also chosen an unpopular topic. Your plan won’t stand a chance of being noticed by the general public. To really grab people’s attention, you need something different. Something unique. If you want to write a timeless classic, you need to find the relevance of your topic in today’s world. Otherwise, you’ll end up like so many other authors who’ve gone before you. Lost in the woods with nothing to show for your efforts.
Break It Down
Once you’ve got your hook, it’s time to start breaking down the rest of the chapter. Take your chosen topic, chop it into manageable bits and start forming a list of topics that’ll eventually form your chapter. For example, let’s say you’ve decided to write about the American Revolution. You might chop that topic into smaller units such as “The American War for Independence,” “The Constitutional Convention,” and “The Revolutionary War.”
Reread What You Told Yourself
After you’ve got your list of topics, it’s time to revisit what you’ve written. This is important because it’ll help establish the hierarchy of information you need to present. The first few chapters are mainly for establishing the setting and atmosphere. After that, it’s all about the development of the main character and their journey to overcome the main conflict.
If you’ve written a synopsis for each chapter, you can follow a simple process of elimination to identify the most important information. This is the exact opposite of what you’d do if you were writing an outline for a traditional novel. In a traditional novel, the majority of the outline would be made up of synopses. There’d be very little character development and almost no plot. That’s because the goal of an outline in a traditional novel is to condense all the information into a single, succinct paragraph.
Rewrite It In A Word Document
Once you’ve got your synopsis down, it’s time to take it to the next level. You’re now going to rewrite it in a word document. It’s important to do this for a couple of reasons. First, it’ll help you see your work from a different perspective. Second, it’ll serve as a guide for editing.
When you rewrite your story in a word document, there’s a lot of room for mistakes. So, after you’ve had a chance to flesh it out, take the time to proofread it. Then, when you’re confident that none of the sentences are misconstrued, it’s time to edit. Make sure that everything is in present tense. Cut out any adverbs or filler words. Then, it’s time to re-read what you’ve written. One last time before you start the final push to publication.
At this point, you’re finally going to sit back and relax. Take a deep breath and enjoy that feeling of accomplishment. You’ve written an entire chapter! Even if it’s been a while since you’ve written a word, you’ll feel proud that you’ve actually managed to put something together. Then, when you’ve finished rereading, it’s time to edit one more time. Then, it’s time to push that final copy to print. At least, that’s how I do it.
If you’ve decided to write an ebook, the above steps should get you heading in the right direction. Most importantly, they’ll keep you motivated. More importantly still, they’ll give you the confidence to write the book you truly want to write.