I’m embarrassed to write this, but please help me find where to start!

[Notawriteryet]

I write. Teeny bit of support on a friend’s blog, teeny bits of opinion pieces on another friend’s publication, tiny bit of copywriting, bit of letter-drafting in advocacy, that sort of thing.

Apparently I am “good at it.” And keep hearing “you really should write a book.”

But where do I start? I don’t know what to write about so I don’t know how to get going! What’s the point of being brimming with amusing and engaging language if I am clueless what to do with it?

I know this smacks somewhat of boasting by stealth, kind of, but I can’t think what else to do but ask here! Or do I sack it off and confine myself to being pithy on social media?

Help me please! Go on!

Start by deciding who you’re writing for. What age range etc and then get all your ideas down on paper.

If you want to write a book then write a book. You start with a blank piece of paper and take it from there. It really is that simple.

If you're royal, you might hire a ghost writer. That would help a lot.

If you don't have an idea for a book then that could be a bit of a problem.

Perhaps you could join a local writing group, although these can sometimes be problematic if there's a bloke there who thinks he's the next Ernest Hemingway.

Happy writing!

I am not royal.

I think I can only write for myself, ie, a woman who lives my sort of life. Is that enough? How does anyone write about their own families without exposing them? Or shall I just pretend they will never read it?

Google 'writing prompts' - there are loads of them online. There's a sub on Reddit that has a prompt a day. Essentially they're a one or two line idea that's intended to spark your imagination, whether you stick to the prompt or not. A prompt could be the basis for a short story, a poem, a factual piece or even a novel.

How does anyone write about their own families without exposing them?

You can write under a pseudonym, changing identifiable details. Much as people often do on AIBU to avoid outing themselves .

Perhaps you could join a local writing group, although these can sometimes be problematic if there's a bloke there who thinks he's the next Ernest Hemingway.

There’s always a bloke there who thinks he’s the next Ernest Hemingway.

OP, to be a writer, all you have to do is write. I’m in a writing group and aside from the above, most people there are supportive and helpful and we set ourselves writing prompts and challenges, and share our work.

If you don’t fancy a RL group, there’s groups online. Or prompt generators etc. What genre do you fancy? What sort of things do you read and are familiar with? If you’ve got no ideas try prompts - that’s a good place to start.

Personally I started out writing fan fiction as the world and characters were already established and I could just play with them a bit. Then that’s where my ideas grew from.

What sort of thing are you writing on the blog and what are you thinking about writing a book about?

Because dh writes an excellent factual information short piece. Ask him to write something fictional and he wouldn't know where to start.

You might be brilliant on a blog writing a short article about something you know well, but can you figure out a plot that will keep your reader interested through 80k words?
Equally well, I read a short article from a writer I normally enjoy and realised that they were far better at the build up and holding your attention over many pages than being interesting in 500 words.

So think about it. Do you have an idea for a book? In which case-go ahead!

Forget what other people say about how you ‘should write a book’, OP. People have told me I ‘should do’ all kinds of mad things. The thing is, do you want to write a book, and is there a specific book you want to write?

I think (this is only my opinion) that before you write a book you need to read a lot in the genre that you want to write in. So contemporary fiction, up-lit, literary, whatever you enjoy reading. I would also recommend reading a couple of books about novel structure especially if you want to write commercial books. When I first started writing I didn't know anything about character arcs or structure of a book so consequently my first book was filed in a box under my bed!
Writing a book is a craft so it has to be learned even while you're writing just for the fun of it.

I second @FittedSheet.
Do you want to write a book?
If the answer is 'yes,' then the next step from there is so super simple it's crazy how hard it can be.
Write it.
Then go back over it, and edit it. Polish it. Build in those layers. Add sections, take chunks away.
But, whatever you do, write it.
IF YOU want to.

People who tell you to write a book are people who don't know any better - like people who tell a casually pretty girl that she should be a model, or people who urge a good home cook to open a restaurant.

Start with something small, not a book. Try an article, an essay, a short story. It will be easier for you to craft, and easier to try to get it published.

@LouisaMayAlcott

I think (this is only my opinion) that before you write a book you need to read a lot in the genre that you want to write in. So contemporary fiction, up-lit, literary, whatever you enjoy reading. I would also recommend reading a couple of books about novel structure especially if you want to write commercial books. When I first started writing I didn't know anything about character arcs or structure of a book so consequently my first book was filed in a box under my bed! Writing a book is a craft so it has to be learned even while you're writing just for the fun of it.

Absolutely this. If you don't have a story to tell, don't try to write a novel. There's nothing worse than ploughing through 300 pages about the trials and tribulations of middle-class family life, in which the writing is pleasingly light and witty, and yet NOTHING HAPPENS.

If you're looking for a book about story structure, John Yorke's Into the Woods is a good place to start.

My book (now completed but in need of a few tweaks before it’s agent-ready) started with a setting, then a few characters wandered into that setting and started doing things. That was all, for a couple of years. Gradually a plot emerged.

But don’t write a book unless you want to because it’s only fun if you think it’s fun.