“I could write a book.”
I’ve heard it from just about everyone. And, truth be known, anyone can write a book. We all have stories to tell. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. Or that you’ll ever complete it. It doesn’t mean the book will attract readers. It doesn’t even guarantee the book will be good. But, if you have ever said, “I could write a book,” I encourage you to give it a try. “But…” you might immediately protest. “Where do I start?”
“Where do I start?”
Good question. And there’s no right answer, except to start writing. When I studied for my MFA, one of my instructors told me to just keep writing. And writing. And writing. I started calling it verbal puking. I had a lot of stuff up in my brain. Years of experiences and years of thinking about what it all meant. So, each time I owed pages for critique, I wrote whatever came to my brain and literally ran with it. Some students turned in 5-10 pages. Some turned in 15 or so. I always turned in somewhere between 20-25 pages. Verbal puking. Always done by deadline.
It’s kind of funny when I think about it. I thought, when I got accepted into the program, that it was two years long, so I should be able to write two draft manuscripts during that time. Unrealistic is too kind to describe my naivety.
I actually finished, well, I’d say, I was near completion, of my thesis. It was a big fat thing that kind of had a thread of a story. My advisor liked it. The other instructor, who read and critiqued it, liked it. But I knew it was not done. It felt like I mixed up cake batter, poured it into a pan, and then baked it for just half the recommended time. I knew there were some gems in there. One instructor had called one particular section “genius.” But I wasn’t even sure what made it so and if I could ever write something else that would qualify by my critics to receive that level of praise.
So, if your question is, where do I start? Just start writing.
I’ve been writing like crazy. Now what?
As you look over your many pages of writing, ask yourself if you can identify a main theme. I was just talking to someone who wants to write a memoir. We talked for a while, and I began to see a dominant theme coming out of the stories she told me as I asked her different questions to spur her on. By the end of the conversation, the theme was apparent. She didn’t have to open the book with the line “I was born on a cold and rainy day, and it was all downhill from there.” Our discussion revealed that, while she would incorporate flashbacks to her childhood, the book would center on a specific period of five years in her life. And the themes that came out of our discussion were forgiveness and reconciliation.
Structure is one of the hardest things to figure out, especially in that first book, but if you’ve figured out the frame on which the story will be supported and the theme(s) you want to explore, some of the structure will come organically. Trust yourself, explore, and don’t be afraid to revise and change things. Revision will be one of your most important tools.
Do research and seek help
If you are writing a nonfiction book, read nonfiction books that are similar to the book you hope to write. If you are writing a novel, read novels, especially those in the same or a similar genre to the book you are writing. This doesn’t mean that you should try to sound like another author, or use their specific style or structure in a given book, or use the vocabulary and syntax of an author you enjoy. Find your own voice, figure out your own structure, and let your personality and perspective shine. Use those other books for inspiration, not imitation.
Buy books about writing. There are so many out there, pick a few that draw your interest. And then read them, do the exercises, and take notes.
There are a lot of workshops online and in-person. Check your local library, community college, and YMCA schedules. Lots of authors love to encourage new authors and teach to make extra income (only a few authors get rich; all the rest of us don’t write for the income but for the joy of writing) and to share what they’ve learned in their journey.
Interested in an MFA? I got one, but I don’t recommend it for everyone. They cost a lot of money (I was fortunate. Mine was paid for by my employer.) and, as I mentioned above, those authors who make a full-time living from their writing are a minority. So, yes, I loved the experience, but I’d caution you to manage your expectations in what you hope to achieve from getting the degree. If you hope to teach, it’s a terminal degree, which will allow you to teach at the college level, but remember, those positions are rare, too. A lot of them are adjunct, and those positions are paid by the course. You won’t make a living wage, unless you are teaching at more than one school. If you hope to become a bestselling author, remember that the world of publishing is crowded and a lot of bestselling authors knew someone, or they were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Should you decide to take the leap, do it with an open mind.
Find a group of writers and form a critique group. Meet in-person or virtually. Participants should be encouraging and offer constructive criticism.
Make time to write
I hear people say they want to write, but they are too busy. But if you want to write, and you are committed, you will make the time. I wrote my first two books, my memoirs, while working full time. I did that by making time to write. Sure, life can get in the way, but if you are committed, you will find the time. Schedule it if you must, but stick with it, even if it is only 20-30 minutes a day. Think of it as your mental exercise. Say you write 1,000 words a day, in seventy days, you’d have 70,000 words, better known as a book. Now, it’s not that simple, but with a little discipline, you can and will get it done.
This is how I organize my ideas, plotting, characters, and research
I love a good notebook, and this one came by way of my daughter (and I have a second one just like it for when this one is full). It’s my writing bible. You may think it looks like chaos, but to me, it’s a mind map. Each book is a journey, and this notebook captures all of it, even the things that never made it into a book. What will your notebook (or computer folder) look like?
A page from my notes on Fallen Deer:
A page from my notes on The Eagle Speaks:
A page, including research, on Creature of Secret Sorrows to be published 5/2026:
Ready, Set, Write!
There’s no time like the present to start that book you’ve been thinking of writing. Find your process. It’s unique to you. And get writing!
And, please, stay away from AI. It doesn’t make your writing better. It is only as good as the information loaded into it, which means lots of errors. And it’s terrible at being human, because it isn’t. It’s a sterile program. Your words, and the way you use them to express your story ideas, are so much better.
Use the comments section to talk about your writing process, works-in-progress, or to ask me a question.
Shameless plug
If you haven’t read my memoirs or the books in A Cadence Mystery series, I’ve been told they are “master classes in tension, moral complexity, and keeping readers awake at 2 a.m., whispering, ‘I need to know what happens next.'” I hope that’s true. You can find them on Amazon and Audible in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and audiobook.
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