If you want to write a book for the first time here are top 3 questions to guide you through 

When it comes to writing a book for the first time, one common challenge that comes with this exercise is not knowing where to start from. This challenge usually comes from being overwhelmed by the idea that you must have everything pertaining to the book all figured out at once.  

Writing a book is like a journey. Every phase leads you to something that you probably don’t like, something that tickles your fancy, or something you didn’t plan before. It has twists, other times, the story appears straightforward, and the more you get into the journey, the more truths and ideas start unfolding. 

A person who is writing a book for the first time would often ask, “How do I start?” To be straight forward with you, the best way to start is to start anyway. Just start! 

A Chinese philosopher, Laozi once said that, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” 

Starting in this context would mean putting ink on paper to pen down your thoughts just as they are. No filtering. Just writing your thoughts as they are. 

What are the questions to consider when writing for the first time? 

There are three questions to guide you through this journey as a first timer. 

• Why? This identifies the purpose your book hopes to achieve, the reason or explanation for the masterpiece you’re writing. Yes, I called it a masterpiece because you are putting words together for people to engage. That’s worth commending. However, to make your masterpiece a reality you must be clear on what it wants to achieve. 

What is the reason you’re writing for? It is important to know your “why”. This is your reason for writing. When the reason or purpose of a thing is unknown, abuse is inevitable. Not knowing your “why” could make you end up being frustrated about the whole process. Your “why” would keep you going like a car with a full tank would keep you going on a path for a reasonably long time. Know why. Is it to make money, educate people, or drive sales?  

• How? According to Cambridge dictionary, it means in what way, or by what manner. 

It explains the manner of doing something. As someone who is writing a book for the first time, you must be able to identify your purpose for writing the book and to what end. You also need to identify how to achieve this purpose. Under this, you need to know how many pages, chapters, the layout, and other important information to serve as a guideline. This would also help you with rescheduling and answering the following questions on how to help yourself.  

Will I hire an assistant writer? Should I co-write with someone? Do I engage the services of a ghostwriter? Do I write with a pen on paper or type directly on laptop or my phone? Do I do a voice recording of my ideas and transcribe them? Where will my writing space be? What are my tools? 

• How long will I be writing for? It means what duration would the writing last for? Ninety days, 30 days, 14 days, 10 days. Knowing how long you’d be writing for will help you with scheduling and help you work within a time frame. It will help you set SMART goals. 

Recap 

• Why? –  To what end 
• How? –  What method 
• For how long? – Duration 

Dealing with writers block? 

Yes, this happens to the best of us. Writers block is defined this as wanting to write, but being unable to write. However, you can always navigate through writers block.  

• You can deal with this issue by taking your eyes off writing, do something entirely different, or do nothing, and get back to it after a while. By then, you’ll be able to connect to your flow of thoughts. 
• Write more than four titles to pick from.  
• You can read a book by an experienced author, especially one whose book aligns with the genre you’re writing. It will help you see what to do right. 

• Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t allow perfectionism ruin your chance to express yourself.  
• Remember you’re writing a book for the first time. Do what is expected of you in terms of preparation, but don’t compare yourself with experts who have gone ahead of you. It could get really unhealthy.  

Finally… 

Stay in the process and make the most of it. Enjoy the process and trust that you’ll do great. This is a good time to bring this back, According to Laozi, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” 

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