Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Writing
  • Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Home
About Dale Hurst
Writing
Podcast – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
Dale Hurst – Author - Novelist news and other titbits
  • Home
  • About Dale Hurst
  • Blog
  • Writing
    • Lust & Liberty
    • Sin & Secrecy
    • You Can Hear Chopin
    • Short Fiction
      • Ballad of a Godless Man
    • Poetry
  • Podcast
    • Season 1
    • Season 2
  • Get in touch
Browsing Category
Archive
Blog Writing

Writing a Book – Top Tips for Knowing How to Start

February 27, 2023 No Comments

It’s not really a secret that writing a book is a difficult process. But knowing where and how to start – this makes up a hefty portion of the battle. Read on for some top tips…

A friend recently said to me, “I wouldn’t even know how to start writing a book…” or words to that effect. And at the time, I was at a loss as to how to explain it. First thing to know is that it isn’t easy at all. It’s a lifestyle choice, if you’re taking it seriously. If you’re writing something just for yourself, that need otherwise never see the light of day, then fair enough. Plug away at it at your leisure. But if you have your mind on wider distribution, publication, etcetera, then yes, it’s a battle of self-discipline, self-doubt, and dedication.

But all of those points only factor in if you’ve worked out how and where to start. For many, this is half the battle. Either they don’t know what to write about or where to look for inspiration. So, here’s a few points that may be worth considering when you’re toying with the idea of writing a book.

1. Be aware of your surroundings

Sounds like I’m starting a privacy awareness course or something… And actually, in a sense, you kinda do have to invade people’s privacy a bit when looking for inspiration for a story. That’s not to say get up in people’s faces and ask a load of personal questions. But if you’re in a public place, for example — you could be in a park, in the gym, on a train — whatever and wherever, if you have the opportunity and something takes your interest, use the time to look and to listen. You might find the characters and events bring themselves to you, and with them, the core for your story. I recently wrote a short story based on a spark of inspiration I had on a bus and I love the end result.

2. Make sure it interests you

There’s no point in writing a book about a subject that means zilch to you. Research can be one of the most fun and interesting parts of a project. But if you’re not interested in the subject to start with, you won’t want to research it. No research leads to no book. A matter of psychology, really. You’re more likely to be motivated towards writing something you’re passionate about. If you have a story about football, write about football. If you’re passionate about the Battle of Watling Street then by all means, crack out a book about that!

I’m not a fan of the phrase, “Write what you know,” but if you don’t know about your subject, make sure you want to know about it.

3. Know your character(s) and/or your setting

You can’t have a story without characters or setting. Characters drive the story, after all. I refer back to Points 1 and 2 of this post if you’re struggling to envisage them. Look to your environment, the sort of people that are around you. What do they look like, what can you tell about their personality? Who do they engage with, and how do they engage with them? A few words of conversation can be enough to spark a story. Like going through a Sainsbury’s car park one day and hearing a woman demand a divorce her husband in front of all their fellow shoppers (true story). There’s another whole blog post on things you should know about your main characters for you to read.

Setting is something you can maybe afford to have less defined. But again, if you’re struggling on characters, your setting can help inform some of your decisions and situations. If your story is set in a hospital, it stands to reason there will be doctors, nurses, orderlies and so on. A story set in a school will have a diverse cast of students and staff. And here, again, writing what you know or what you’re interested in will help out a lot.

4. Make a plan (but don’t OVER-plan)

The planning of a book is divisive in the writing community. Some authors depend on their plans and stick to them like a barnacle to a whale’s face. Others don’t bother with them at all and let the story just come to them as they go. Lately, I’ve found with my current work-in-progress that there is such a thing as over-planning. To the point where I almost started the book from scratch and chucked the plan away. It certainly helps to know your general direction for when you start typing those first paragraphs. At the very least, know your character’s starting point (Point A) and ending point (Point B).

5. Get your brain in gear

In other words, practice. Try a little free writing to get you started. Just write about whatever comes to mind, see what your creative voice sounds like. If you don’t like it, don’t keep it. But if you do… even better. Keep a sticky note in your phone and write down any words, phrases or lines that come to mind that you like. Once your brain is used to the idea of telling a story, or knowing what to look out for to get inspiration, it’ll be more prepared for the main task!

6. Work little and often

Okay, so you’ve got your idea now. You know your characters well and there’s a direction for them. Maybe you’ve tapped out a few sentences already. You’re over the starting hurdle, but how do you keep going? My answer: don’t feel obligated to write 1,500 words a day like some people would recommend. For some people, that works fine and fair play to them. For me, I can’t always commit to that, and you might feel the same. So I advise instead to write little and often. Manageable chunks; maybe 500 words at a time or even fewer, or just find an hour a couple of times a week and see how you do. Remember — lifestyle choice. But that doesn’t mean it has to take over your whole life!

Thank you for reading. Want to know more? Get in touch via my Facebook and Instagram pages. Also, read further posts out more about my latest novel, and stay up to date with my podcast.

Continue reading
Reading time: 5 min
Written by: Dale Hurst

Newsletter

About me

This is Dale Hurst here. Novelist and journalist. Subscribe above to receive all updates.

Popular Posts

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Book in Progress

November 15, 2018

No Time Like the Present…

July 1, 2018

“To Err is Human…”

August 4, 2018

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic: A Brief Overview

January 24, 2019

Categories

  • Ballad of a Godless Man
  • Blog
  • Characters
  • Food Writing
  • Journalism
  • Lifestyle
  • Lust & Liberty
  • Podcast
  • Poetry
  • Short Fiction
  • Sin & Secrecy
  • Travels
  • Writing
  • You Can Hear Chopin

dalehurst_author

The Berylford Scandals (1. Lust & Liberty, 2. Sin & Secrecy) 📚
Podcaster | The Dale Hurst Writing Show🎙️

Dale Hurst | Author
Another frequently asked question from friends and Another frequently asked question from friends and family - where exactly do I get my ideas for my stories? New blog post explores a few of my usual places of inspiration, plus some hints about the ideas on the back burner! Link in comments 📚📖📝🖊️✍️
.
#writingwisdom #writerinspiration #mondaymotivation #authormotivation #writingcommunity #ignovelist #authorsofinstagram #writersofig #creativewriting #amwritinghistfic
Why do a lot of aspiring authors gravitate to the Why do a lot of aspiring authors gravitate to the fantasy genre? One of the few topics discussed with @dpride_877 on that first episode of the podcast 🎙️📚📖🧌🧜‍♀️🧙‍♂️🗡️🛡️
.
#writersofinsta #podcastaddict #writingpodcast #podcastsofinstagram #thedalehurstwritingshow #listennow #amwritingfantasy #fantasywriting #writingcommunity
It's a podcast post! But not my own for a change. It's a podcast post! But not my own for a change. I had the pleasure of joining the Seven Questions segment on this week's edition of the @twoindieauthors podcast, getting to talk about my experiences – good and bad – of being an indie author 😁😁😁 I appear at around 41:00 but it's well worth listening to the whole thing! Link's in the comments 📖📚📝🎙️
.
#indieauthor #podcastsofinstagram #igpodcast #writingwisdom #writersofinsta #writingcommunity #writinglife #podcastaddict #selfpublishedauthor #authornetwork
As this love/hate relationship with my new book co As this love/hate relationship with my new book continues, I've come to a few conclusions about the story that I'll probably need to address in the redrafting process, plus one point that a follower raised for me! For catharsis, I've noted a few down in this latest blog post on my website (link in comments 🔥) ✍️📝📚📖
.
#amwritinghistfic #historicalnovelist #historicalfiction #writinglife #creativewriting #novelist #newblogpost #youcanhearchopinfromtheattic #writingcommunity #authorsofinstagram #authornetwork
The fantasy genre seems to be a go-to for a lot of The fantasy genre seems to be a go-to for a lot of new and aspiring authors. And many of the stories draw inspirations from ancient mythologies, legends and cultures. 
.
If you think you might have a fantasy novel in you but want a little inspiration, try looking into some of the suggestions in this post... 🧜‍♂️🧌🧙‍♂️🗡️🛡️
.
There's more on fantasy writing in Episode 1 of my podcast (link in comments)
.
#amwritingfantasy #fantasywriting #epicfantasy #highfantasy #mythsandlegends #writingwisdom #writingcommunity #authorsofinstagram #authornetwork #amreadingfantasy
Little advice post to end the week. 5 ways of insp Little advice post to end the week. 5 ways of inspiring your own #histfic efforts.
.
‼️ DON'T FORGET ‼️ I'm hosting a Genre Breakfast for Historical Fiction writers as part of #bournemouthwritingfestival on 23 April – looking forward to seeing some of you there 😉
.
#amwritinghistfic #historicalfiction #writingwisdom #bournemouthwriter #writersofig #writersofbournemouth #authornetwork #writingcommunity #historicalnovelist
A bit of journalistic work business took me to Bri A bit of journalistic work business took me to Bridport the other day - West Bay, specifically, which people may know as a place they filmed the series Broadchurch. Strange how nature can inspire... I couldn't resist taking a few shots of the coast, and a cheeky landslip at the end 😆... (I only look so uncomfortable in my portrait because I still had shingle in my shoes 😅)
.
Does nature inspire you to be creative? If so, how? 🌊⛱️📖📝
.
📸 Richard Tarr (portrait)
.
#mondayinspiration #amwriting #westbay #dorsetwriters #writersofinsta #coastphotography #bridport #authorsofinstagram #writersofig #writingcommunity
Happy World Book Day 📚🎉 What's everyone curr Happy World Book Day 📚🎉 What's everyone currently reading? I'm currently working through Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen 😀 
.
By the way, make an author's day and share their work around 😊
.
#bookday #worldbookday #booknerd #booklover #currentreads #amreadingcomedy #amreadingcrime #authorsofinstagram #writersofinsta #indieauthor
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Dale Hurst

  • About Dale Hurst
  • Get in touch

Recent Posts

  • Where do you get your ideas for books?
  • 5 Things I Already Know About My New Book
  • Writing a Book – Top Tips for Knowing How to Start
  • You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic – the Story So Far… 2023 edition
  • The Dale Hurst Writing Show – the Story So Far…

Dale Hurst

  • Email
    dale.hurst93@gmail.com
  • Address
    Poole, Dorset
© 2020 Copyright Dale Hurst // All rights reserved