Where To Start
One of the hardest things I had to go through was learning to write a book. I was just out of high school when I attempted my first novel. I didn't get much farther than about 5,000 words. At the time I didn't have any idea on how to write a book, let alone have an idea that could take up as much space as a novel. When I had the occasion to look back at that first novel attempt and re-read what I wrote, I unashamedly admit the writing is quite awful. So I was left to do the next best thing: write a short story. I also got to re-read some of those old short stories that I wrote back then. I wasn't the least bit surprised that they were about as good as my first novel attempt. Oh, the writing wasn't completely horrible. At least not 100%. Some of them did have a little redeeming quality, albeit not much. What they lacked was the experience of writing. Like anything else, it would take years to develop the writing craft. It's been said that anyone can master a skill by putting in 10,000 hours. Writing is no different.
Start Small
So, you want to write a book, but you don't know where to get started. That's where a short story comes in. You can write a short story on just about anything. The story doesn't even have to have a point. What is most important is that you finish. You could start your story in the same way you woke up that morning. Only it's not you who woke up, it's your main character. What you really need is a prompt for that first story! There are dozens of story generators on the Internet - in fact, I've used some. But if you want to learn to be creative, the best bet is to think of someone having an ordinary day and then something extraordinary happens! Here are some examples:
- Your character finds a pair of shoes and money on the front porch after waking up.
- Your character becomes involved in a car accident and the other driver could be their twin!
- Your character realizes the poison they were going to feed their nemesis is now in their own stomach.
- Your character ends a relationship over how their spouse eats their toast.
- Your character decides to bring excitement into their life by doing something illegal.
- Your character inadvertently becomes involved in a bank robbery and ends up enjoying it.
- Your character and her best friend discover a "friend" of theirs is now a ghost who is trying to haunt them.
- Your character stars the morning to discover they have no coffee, and each subsequent moment throughout their day leads on a little adventure, all because of wanting a good cup of coffee.