Writing for a Living: HotHive tips – Helping you write, publish and market your book
9 August 2009
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Tip 3. Starting to write your book
So now you have your schedule and you have created your book structure. This is where the fun really starts – you are ready to get writing.
Don’t feel you have to start at the beginning. Take the piece you are itching to write and start there. Do the easy bit first so you get in the flow and create some confidence in the process.
As you write you are likely to find gaps in your information that you will need to research to fill. How you manage this is very much up to your personal preference. You may find you need to stop writing and do the research, or it may be easier to keep the flow going and leave the gap. Mark your manuscript to show any gaps so that you can easily identify them. Make a list so that during your research session you know exactly what you need to gather.
When I’m writing I find that I naturally find myself wandering down new paths that present themselves to me as I proceed. This is where your structure becomes invaluable. Keep referring to your plan and make sure that what you are writing fits. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t add to it. But make sure that any additions you make are still in line with your purpose for the book and will meet your reader’s needs. If you find you’ve spent a couple of hours going down a blind alley, don’t beat yourself up! You can always use it somewhere else, like your blog or an article for a magazine. Or save it for the next book! No writing that you do ever needs to be wasted. By thinking like this you may prevent yourself from shoehorning material into your book that really shouldn’t be there.
Finally, I find it helpful not to try and write and edit at the same time. For most writers it’s better to let the creative process happen, warts and all, before you start to worry about perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation. Let it flow, enjoy it and tell the picky editor in you that their job will come later!
In the next tip we will look at reviewing your first draft.
