EDITING DONE WRITE
  • Home
  • About
  • SERVICES
    • Packages & Pricing
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Non-Disclosure Agreement
  • Premade Covers & Logos
  • Portfolio
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Blog

Written for Authors by a Former Author

GET AN ESTIMATE

Steps to Successfully Writing a Book

2/21/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
steps for successfully writing a book, successful writing, becoming a successful writer, writing, writer, author, books, publishing, writing process, step by step guide to writing, scheduling, planning, writing faster, editing, how to write a book, how to write, how to be a successful writer, write a book, celebrating books, celebrating authors, reading books, writing schedule
Writing a book is a complex and challenging process, but it all starts with the first draft where the foundation is laid, and the story begins to take shape and come to life. It’s an exciting and often daunting experience, but a little planning and preparation can turn it into a rewarding process. So how should you go about writing your first draft?
​
  1. Start with a plan

Before you start, it is essential to have a plan. It’s important to know the genre, target audience, and the general structure of the book. Unless you’re a pantser, create an outline with a rough idea of the plot, the characters, and the setting. This outline will act as a guide during the writing process and help you stay on track.

     2. Set a writing schedule

Writing a book takes time and discipline. Set a writing schedule that works for you and stick to it if possible. (As I covered previously, sometimes your schedule might change as life changes. It’s important to stay flexible.) Some authors prefer to write a certain number of words or pages each day, while others prefer to write for a set amount of time. The important thing is to make it a habit and stay consistent.

    3. Write fast, edit later

The first draft should be focused on getting the story down on paper. Don't worry about getting everything perfect or editing as you go. Just get the words out. You can always come back and edit later.

    4. Don't get stuck on details

Keep the big picture in mind. Focus on the overall story and the characters, and don't worry too much about the little things. You can always come back and fill in the gaps later.

    5. Keep moving forward

Writing will probably be one of the most challenging things you will ever do. There will be times when you feel stuck or frustrated. Keep writing. Don’t get discouraged! Remember, the first draft is just the beginning. You can always come back and revise and improve later.

    6. Take breaks

Writing can be mentally and emotionally exhausting, so it is essential to take time to recharge. Take a walk, do some exercise, or spend time with friends and family, watch a show or movie. Read a book! Giving your brain a break can help you come back to your writing with fresh eyes.

    7. Celebrate your progress

Writing a book is a big achievement. Not everyone can do it, so celebrate your progress along the way. Whether it's reaching a word count goal or completing a chapter, take the time to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. It will help you stay motivated and make the writing process more enjoyable.

At the end of the day, you’ll find that practicing these steps pays off. Imagine when that book is done how wonderful you’ll feel. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a good book. Step by step, one day you’ll type those amazing words: “The End.”
Good luck and happy writing!
0 Comments

Steps to Enhancing Your Image as an Author

2/14/2023

0 Comments

 
Picturesteps to enhancing your image as an author, editingdonewrite.com, editing, writing advice, writers, media, building your platform, books
As an author, your success depends on your ability to not only write a great book but also attract and engage readers. One way to achieve this is by enhancing your image and establishing a strong author brand. Here are some tips to help you get started:
  1. Develop a consistent brand: A consistent author brand will help readers recognize and remember you. This can include things like using the same author photo and tagline across all of your marketing materials and social media platforms.
  2. Create a professional website: Your website should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and provide information about you and your books. This is a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills and give readers a taste of what they can expect from your books.
  3. Build your social media presence: Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with readers and promoting your work. Choose the platforms that align with your target audience and focus on building an engaged following by sharing valuable content and interacting with your audience.
  4. Attend events: Attending book fairs, writing conferences, and other events is a great way to network with other authors and industry professionals, and to connect with potential readers.
  5. Offer value: By providing valuable content to your readers, such as blog posts or social media updates, you can build a loyal following and establish yourself as an authority in your genre.
  6. Invest in professional editing and design: Nothing turns off a reader faster than a poorly edited or designed book. Investing in professional editing and design services can make a huge difference in the overall quality of your book and help you stand out in a crowded market.
By following these tips, you can enhance your image and draw more readers to your books. Remember, building an author brand takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Happy writing!

0 Comments

​Improving Your Writing

2/2/2023

0 Comments

 

You’ve probably heard it all: Just write for you! Your readers will find you. Read more! Write more! Develop a schedule. Just do it!
 
In a way, they’re all right.
 
When I was writing, I found I derived most of my inspiration from reading. It didn’t have to be in the same genre that I wrote either. Just what I enjoyed. Believe it or not, even if you write strictly romance, you can gain invaluable knowledge and ideas from mystery and fantasy, etc. My go-to books tend to be urban romance with a twist of fantasy and suspense and…well, the list goes on. A couple of my favorite authors are L.A. Banks and J.R. Ward. Their writing is tops for me. The wording, the creativity, the flavor of it all opens my mind and gets me excited to write! And isn’t that what you’re looking for? I bet if you think about it, you’ll find there is an author who does the same for you. To be quite honest, if you’re a writer who says, “I don’t have time to read books!” then you’re not really doing your due diligence when it comes to honing your craft. Like any job (and that’s what this is, whether you want it to be or not), you should always be learning and expanding your knowledge.

Write! Yes, as we established before in a previous post, you have to write if you want to write. Many people will claim to be writers, but then they start and restart and restart and… well, you get the picture. You may even know someone who does this. They talk about writing and all of their ideas and they may even have a book started… But they’ve been working on that book for five years. Five years! They say it’s their life’s work, or that they just don’t have a lot of time between life’s obligations. Honestly, life is busy. Hectic, even. Time gets away from us all. But let me give you some truth. Writers write! They have worlds living inside of them that can’t and won’t be ignored. They simply have to write. So whether you’re nervous or unsure of where to start or whatever the reason, at the end of the day, you will never be a writer if you don’t sit down and actually do it. You can’t improve on nothing, right?

This is where the schedule comes in. It’s simple really. Find a method that works for you. Are you a morning person? Great! Get up an hour earlier and write. Night person? Stay up an hour later and write! Feel like you can’t do either? Write on your lunch break. Write after dinner or while dinner is in the oven. Heck, go crazy and do both! When I was writing, my schedule changed regularly. And I’m not talking about my daytime schedule. My internal clock of creativity is what changed. Sometimes, I could only get the creative juices flowing at the wee hours of the morning. And then it would switch off, and I would find that now evenings worked better. Then I would find that I had sparks of inspiration throughout the day, so I would leave my computer on and jump on to write a paragraph or a chapter at random times between cleaning and cooking and running errands. You just have to find what works for you.

Listen to music! Have you ever heard that it’s beneficial for babies to listen to classical music? Well, guess what? It’s good for us too! I read somewhere once that classical music lights up the creative part of the brain, so I tapped into that. I started listening to a few favorites, like Bach and Beethoven and a few others, those super-recognizable songs that pretty much everyone has heard at one time or another. And it worked. I tuned out the screaming and playing kids and wrote all the words. And then I branched out and listened to other music while I wrote, and guess what happened? It flavored my scenes, and it inspired even more scenes. It was a wonderful tool to make it all come together.
Write for you. First and foremost, yes, you must write what you want to write. What interests you. What you envision for your world and characters. Otherwise, what’s the point? You’re inviting readers into your world, the one you love, and introducing them to your brain children. If it doesn’t hold your interest, why the heck would it hold theirs? This is absolutely part of improving your writing, because it all comes back to being inspired. If you’re not into it, your readers will feel it and it just won’t resonate the way you envision.

Don’t worry! If you keep exercising your brain, that creative side of it, feeding it with books and movies and finding out what method works the best to get all of those ideas flowing like the mighty Mississippi, you’re going to have a near-constant supply of ideas ready to be released into the world. If you get really good at it, I bet you’ll even start to see the method authors and producers use in the books you read and the movies you watch, because yes, there is a method to the madness. But that’s an animal to discuss another day.

If you found this article helpful, or you have something you’d like to add, leave me a message in the comments! 
0 Comments

    Author

    This is a special place where authors can find helpful hints and tips that they can apply to their writing journey. If you have a topic you'd like me to write about, feel free to reach out and let me know!

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • SERVICES
    • Packages & Pricing
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Non-Disclosure Agreement
  • Premade Covers & Logos
  • Portfolio
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Blog