You Have a Book Inside You—But Where Do You Begin?
Do you have a dream…
There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with knowing you want to write a book but having no idea how to begin that book.
If you are like me you may have carried a book idea for years. It’s an idea that you know would make a great book, one that you dream about writing, one that your friends or family keep telling you that you should write.
Maybe you have notes scattered through journals, pieces saved on your computer, thoughts recorded on your phone, or even a few chapters you started and abandoned along the way.
You know there is something you want to say. You have been holding it in your heart for years or maybe even have an instruction from the Lord to write a book. Yet nothing has become of it. You just don’t know how to turn all of those thoughts into a book.
If that’s where you are, here’s something important to understand. You don’t need to know the entire book before you begin writing it. You simply need enough clarity to take the first step.
Start With the Heart of the Book…
Before you worry about chapter titles, word counts, publishing, or cover designs, ask yourself one question. What do I really want this book to say?
Try finishing this sentence.
If someone reads my book and remembers only one thing, I want them to remember __________.
That answer can become the heartbeat of your book. When you know the central message, it becomes much easier to decide what belongs in the book—and what doesn’t.
Know Who You’re Writing To…
One of the biggest mistakes I see new writers make is trying to write for everyone. You are writing for the One. God your Father first of all and then the one or millions of ones who read your book.
Picture one person. Write the book for them for that one person. Write from the heart the words you would want them to know. Think about who needs the book. What is happening in that person’s life? What are they struggling with, wondering about, hoping for, or trying to understand?
Write to that person.
Your writing will become warmer, clearer, and more personal when you’re no longer speaking to an imaginary crowd.
Don’t Start With Twenty Chapters…
Remember when you start out writing that you don’t need a perfect table of contents before you write your first word. Start by making a list.
Write down everything you think might belong in the book—stories, lessons, experiences, questions, Scriptures, research, memories, ideas. Let your heart open to the possibilities and ideas. Don’t organize anything yet. This is the first phase of just ideas on the paper. It’s a time to get it all out of your head.
Once you can see your ideas on paper, patterns will begin to emerge. Those patterns can eventually become sections and chapters.
This is a good starting point for a beginner.
Give Yourself Permission to Write Badly…
Your first draft isn’t supposed to be beautiful. It’s a first draft. Do not edit it at all. Just write.
It’s supposed to exist. Editing something you’ve written is possible. But editing a blank page isn’t. So stop trying to write the final version while you’re still creating the first one. You will go through several drafts before you finish.
So, write the messy sentences. Just get them out on paper. Tell the story imperfectly. Leave yourself a note that says, “Fix this later.” But keep going.
Your Book Begins With One Page…
Starting a book can feel enormous when you’re standing at the beginning. That blank page is daunting to some. But books aren’t written all at once.
They’re written one paragraph, one page, one chapter, and one ordinary writing session at a time.
You don’t have to become an author today. You just need to write and begin again another day.
And someday, all those pages may become the book you’ve been carrying inside you for years. Someone needs your story. Someone needs your words.
Your story is worth writing.