How to Put Words in Your Book - 5 Tips to Actually Start Writing
There is a problem among a great many writers and aspiring authors: so many of us never actually put any words into a Word document. Some writers will spend years developing a story idea. Theyâll think of everything; the world-building, the characters, moving scenes, but never actually sit down to write the story.
Sometimes this comes from a lack of confidence. Writers think, âWhat if my story isnât good enough?â These writers need to realize that the only thing worse than a bad story is the story thatâs never written at all. For other writers, the reason why they canât seem to actually get anything written is because while they know where the story has to go, they donât know how to start. For still others, the problem is simply a matter of motivation.
Here are five tips to help you get your story rolling:
1 - Read the Opening of Someone Elseâs Novel.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know what sorts of details to introduce first in your story. Do you start with a physical description of the character? A quote? A scene with characters in peril? Seeing how other authors started off their books can be helpful in this regard. Iâd recommend reading the opening of a novel in a different genre from the one youâre writing. That way, you arenât tempted to borrow too heavily, and can focus on putting out your own material.
2 - Listen to Music.
My wife and I developed this game that we sometimes play that utilizes her skills as a musician and mine as an author. Iâll sit or lie down on the couch with my eyes closed, and sheâll start playing an original, improvised piece of music on the piano. As I listen to the tune, Iâll start to describe a scene that the music brings to mind and tell a short story. Similarly, whenever I sit down to write one of my books, I listen to instrumental music thatâs appropriate to the story Iâm working on. I recommend that if you choose to use music to inspire your writing, you make sure it has no lyrics, as your writing may start to reflect the words you hear. I also recommend not using music that you associate with a particular scene. For example, when I tried writing while listening to âThe Barber of Seville,â all I could see when I closed my eyes was Bugs Bunny shaving Elmer Fudd. You want music into which you can put your own meaning.
3 - If You are Spiritual, Pray or Meditate.
This piece of advice is pretty simple. If you are a spiritual or religious person, then before you write take a moment to stop and either pray or meditate. Thereâs a reason the Greeks thought goddesses called âmusesâ inspired art. The right side of the brain is associated with creativity, intuition, and spirituality. So, activate that side of your brain by doing something spiritual. Personally, when I was writing the first novel in my Third Genesis fantasy series, I prayed every time that âwords would flow from my fingers to the page.â Most days, I wrote around 3,000 words in that book.
4 - When Stuck, Get Up and Walk.
Youâd be surprised what even the tiniest amount of exercise can do for you. Do you have stairs in your home? Walk up and down a few times. Do you have a stationary bike? Ride it a little. Any form of exercise, however small, can get your mind going.
5 - Act Out the Scene.
Do you know your characters well enough to know how they speak to each other, what their goals are, and what they want out of life? Then play pretend for a bit, as you might well have done when you were a child. Improvise the scene, and pretend that you are all of the characters in the scene engaged in a discussion or struggle. You may find that youâre not good at improvising their dialogue, but thatâs alright. When you say it out loud, youâll get a better idea of whatâs natural conversation. Youâll also gain some insights into what the characters would or wouldnât do, based on what they want.
These are just a few things you could try to get the creative juices flowing. All of these have worked well for me. Good luck and happy writing!
