Flight To Success: The Joy of Writing...

Begins By Doing It!

Authors have all heard the statement, "I'm going to write a book one day." We smile, and offer words of encouragement. But it takes more than deciding to write, or having the vision of a book, it takes action. And once you take action, the words will fly.

Photo from 123rf.com

Lately numerous people have told me they are stepping into the writing business, and I have promised a blog on the subject for quite awhile.

Why have I been delayed in writing this?

Because, I have been writing... my fourth novel and the proposal for my dissertation. And, I've been slowly but surely reading and editing a friend's book. Thus, I've been glued to the computer.

So, you know how to get started?

Start writing!

The one book the helped me was Stephen King On Writing. He said, "Write for the garbage can." Don't get too wrapped around your writing. Get it on a page then you can perfect it.

Lessons learned from writing my first novel:

Don't edit along the way. You may find you've spent hours, weeks, a month editing chapters that don't end up in the book.
Write the story, and then edit for spelling and grammar.
Be flexible. I like to make an outline, but I'm super flexible. My characters begin talking on the pages, and they always take the story another direction. I have a plan, but I go where the story wants to take me.
Develop a thick skin. You can't make everyone happy, and you will get hate, love, you're awesome and I can't believe you wrote that, all from the same sentence.

More Books on Writing:

Reach out to the writing community.

Join writer's groups, sign up for a conference, and if you have a chance find a writing teacher. My mentor, William Bernhardt, taught me the craft, and then sent me on the way. Bill offers an online writing course too.

Nathan Everett is another great source! When your book is ready, he will help you edit, publish, or any combination there of. He's got some awesome books himself... check out Elder Road Books. Talk about creative genius!

My Friend, and best selling author, Heather McCorkle is an amazing source. She's also an avid blogger sharing writing tips, and she's another creative genius who can help you bring your book to life with her amazing covers.

Another great book was Noah Lukeman's The First Five Pages. He will teach you about hooks, tone, character development, and always... show don't tell. Not to be confused with show and tell.

Remember, writing is a skill that can and will be developed as you do it. How to keep motivated and make the book become a reality?

Read Flight To Success Be the Captain of Your Life. This book is filled with true stories, many of which include how I wrote my first book, lessons I learned along the way, and I provided contact information, in back of the book, with other authors and my favorite editor, that can help you find your way to writing.