Before the computer age took hold, writing any sort of book was a long and arduous process. Initially it was good old fashioned pencil and paper. Later, along came the typewriter; and now in all it’s glory we have the computer and numerous word processing software that is bundled with it. Spelling mistakes are a thing of the past - as long as you can understand how to operate the software correctly, of course.
To become a novel writer, the first golden rule is “You must write”. Sounds crazy you say, but many budding authors spend many hours and even days doing everything except writing. Even if you don’t know what you’re going to write about, sit at the computer or even a pen and pad and start jotting down ideas. You’ll be surprised what this can accomplish in a very short time. Next, reading is important. Read other novels of the genre you’re interested in and see what is out there and how it’s been written. You may find styles that you never realised existed and that will help you develop your own individual style. The author Piers Anthony for example, changes style completely between his ‘science fantasy’ and ‘science fiction’ series of novels. If you didn’t know better you would think it were two separate authors.
Another thing a budding writer could do is join a book club, listed below are online book clubs, that anyone interested in reading would love;
- joinbookclubs.co.uk - book club
- legendpress.co.uk - online book club
- jarrold.co.uk
- dearreader.com
Writing manuals (whether instructional, technical or both), require a completely different approach. By following rules and guidelines laid down, this type of book can be methodically composed and as a rule are easier to write than fiction and non-fictional novels. Getting published however, is probably the most difficult task of all, no matter what you are intending to write about.