Alright, I have decided to do it. I’m going to write a book. I’ve written lots of short stories and the like, but my life-long dream has been to write a book. Now, this is quite an undertaking, at least to me, and I want to know if anyone has any pointers as far as set-up, how to formulate plot twists, etc. Any advice will be welcome. I know it seems very vague, so feel free to give any minor little tidbit. Thanks.
Helps if you can spell! Just kidding. Dictionary, style manual, paper and pencil. Start with short stories. Write every day. Write whatever comes to mind. Write, write, write.
You might begin by learning how to spell fledgling.
Typing fast helps, too…
Obligatory smart-ass reply:
The first step, and I can’t emphasize this enough, is to proofread your title.
But it seems to me that just about every book or article on the process of writing that I’ve ever read, describes a different technique for how the author goes about it. Some use outlines, some make it up as they go along. Some do extensive research. Some write it all longhand. I have to wonder if there’s any set formula you can follow or standard operating procedure, other than be persistent (as in, actually write instead of just thinking about it), and to read other people’s stuff as much as possible.
You could try reading On Writing by Stephen King. Based on your opinion of Mr. King’s work, you could use it as a guide for what to do or what not to do.
Don’t know if you really want my advice, for come this summer it’ll be 10 years since I started writing my book and I’m not quite finished yet (!) but I’m getting there.
I’ll echo DPWhite: Write every day.
Even if you think what you’ve written is crap, don’t immediately discard it. It could come in useful some day. Keep a notebook handy at all times for when great ideas spring to mind unbidden. Of course, that’s the same advice I’d give anyone writing anything. Hm, book-specific advice …
Go back and re-read books you really liked. Think about what it was about those books that made you like them so much. There’s where you can learn a lot about technique. That’s probably the best advice I’ve ever gotten on book writing.
Some people outline every little detail before they write. Some people just jot down a few brainstorming notes. Only you can decide what way is best for you. But don’t be afraid to depart from the plan if you are struck with a great idea. If it doesn’t pan out, you can always go back to the plan later.
What’s your story about? If you had to sum up your entire story in one sentence, what would that sentence be? It can be something like: “Taydile the wizard must learn to come to terms with his own secrets when he is hired to rescue a child from an old enemy.” Formulating this one sentence can be useful if, like me, you tend to meander in your writing. 
Good luck!
Originally posted by gitfiddle:
“I know it seems very vague, so feel free to give any minor little tidbit. Thanks.”
Make sure you have a good story to tell. There’s so much effort involved in writing a book, you won’t want to waste that effort on a weak story/subject.
Good luck.
SolGrundy said:
If I hadn’t been beaten to the punch by pretty much everybody, I was going to point this out, too.
But on a serious note, it really is true. I write book reviews for the local paper and my website (www.nonfictionreviews.com). The paper’s editor asked me to review a self-published book by a local author (it was published by IUniverse, for the record). As soon as I picked up the book, I knew I was in trouble. The title was, “By the Dawns Early Light.” See a problem there? There should be an apostrophe in “Dawns” – what’s worse is that this was apparently not his first book and he did the same thing in the title of a previous one! Looking at the back cover provided more grammatical errors, and I was only able to finish about seven pages before I had to call my editor and plead with him to not make me review this book.
You have to figure out what works best for you. I do find that if you start out by having someone do something strange and mysterious, and you continue to add strange touches, you eventually will come up with a plot.
Characters are essential. You need to introduce at least one interesting character on the first page. Once you have good characters, the plot merely consists of getting them to interact.
For advice, get a copy of “Techniques of the Selling Writer,” by Dwight V. Swain. It should still be in print, and it’s a great guide.
Make the setting interesting, but don’t make the mistake of trying to describe it all. Find some telling events that make it come alive.
I prefer not to outline – the more I know about how things are going, the deader my stories. If I don’t know how the hero’s going to get out of trouble, then the readers probably won’t guess, either. 