Writing your first book becomes a very intimidating process, especially for the self-published author, because you will soon find that it is MUCH more than simply putting ideas on paper. Let me break it down for you: You have an idea (usually a partial idea) in your head that you think needs to be shared with the world, great! Organizing that idea so it flows into a complete story is a challenge, then you need to revise that rough draft into a workable document, then it gets edited--which is a lengthy and strenuous process which will almost defeat you. After the editing process is complete, the book gets formatted, covers are created and formatted, then it is submitted for approval from the publisher to get printed (assuming you want physical copies of your book). eBooks aren't much different, they need formatting and covers as well. Once the book is available for purchase, you realize something even more frightening - 7.5 billion people on earth, and none of them knows my book exists. Why would anyone buy it?

Did I scare you away? Hopefully not. Because writing a book is one of the most rewarding things you can do, a real accomplishment. So let me share some tips that can help alleviate some of the more stressful moments of the writing process.

Tip #1: Verbalize your story. If you have a spouse, close friend, or family member (someone you don't have to worry about stealing your idea) - verbalize the idea to them. Talk it out, maybe get some suggestions and feedback. When you tell the story, it becomes more real, and it becomes easier to put on paper. If you are an outliner, then outline. If not, then I still recommend at least making notes or a small outline to keep your vision fresh.

Tip #2: Once you start, don't stop! I could have written a hundred books by now if I had followed this rule. Instead of trying to get your first draft to be perfect, JUST GET THE STORY ON PAPER. It will be sloppy, messy, and at some points just downright embarrassing, but nothing that a little revision can't fix. I recommend writing a set minimum every day, like no less than one page. Some days the creative juices are flowing and you exceed this, and some days you have no drive to write anything. Even on those tough days, get a page written. That's it, just a page. Personally, I found this to be the toughest part. I never exactly had a quiet writing space. Being a single dad who works and goes to college, often times my writing occurred on the couch while watching cartoons with my kids. Of course, I'd have to stop and pick up a stray dinosaur that bumped into my foot and chase my kids around the house for a while or go outside for a break. But I pushed to get that one-page minimum done, if not - I found it all too easy to get into a rut of not writing at all. 

Tip #3: Don't dive straight into revision. There is a concept in the business world called "Fresh Eyes", which essentially means when you look at something for the first time it is much more detailed. The more you read your story, the more difficult it will be to revise. So TAKE A BREAK. A good long one, maybe 6-8 weeks. During this time either don't write at all or work on a different piece. You might find it beneficial to read a lot during this time. You don't want to overload your story in your brain so it becomes exhausting and not fun anymore.

Tip #4: Revise it once on your own. I print my story out and read it; it has been a couple of months since I have read it so it seems relatively new. I find things I enjoy and things that make me say, "What was I thinking?" I make corrections mostly on content, not so much grammar and punctuation unless it is too awful to ignore. By the end of this process, I have a much more detailed core of the story - still a little short, and full of mistakes, but overall not bad.

Tip #5: Get an objective opinion. This is the part that is most exciting. I print the newly updated work and give it to my trusted individual to read. What I get back is a story covered in notes. "I love this" or "I'm not sure what you meant here" or "this is a good idea, expand on this." After I get it back, it is ready for my second revision. Again, I adjust the content, add in some new scenes or ideas I thought of, edit what was recommended, and correct some mistakes that were found. When this step is complete, you have a piece that is ready to be submitted to an editor.

I hope you enjoyed this short article on the writing process, and wish you luck on your next book!