book writing experts

book writing experts

The Art of Writing: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Authors

1. Introduction to the Craft of Writing

Writing is, by its very nature, solitary and, to a large extent, self-taught. Anyone who can read and can gather the tools to focus musings on a small screen and white paper can write. But where does one gather the important gifts necessary to produce writing of merit? And when the writing is done, who will share the daily struggles, the tales that bind humanity into the particular group that calls itself “writers”? Truth be told, no one can teach you to write. Yet, as an author associate, we can offer our own experience, talents, and support, the tools, willing hands, and insights of other literary craftsmen and women, in the spirit of shared warmth and essential encouragement.

As an aspiring author, you are standing at the brink of a great adventure, a journey into the realms of imagination and creativity. Writing, to be sure, is both an art and a craft. There is work involved, but also pleasures and rewards that make the work more than worth the effort. The writer of merit is not born. He or she is self-made, disciplined, resourceful, dedicated to the shape and structure of beautiful sentences, to the evocative passage of characters, and to the story that may have been constructed from the arcana of a limited vocabulary, spins into an intricate blend of experience and knowledge. The first goal of a beginner should therefore be the development of the talent and skill for written expression that are essential to that lifelong dedication.

2. Foundations of Effective Writing

Follow as well as you can the style of the author; at the very least, represent the thoughts and information continually throughout your presentation in a manner consistent with the source. In fact, it may give your important work lasting value. Be sure, when you finish, to go back to the paper and check what you have said with what is actually written. It is very hard to say the same thing, express the same thoughts, exhibit the same value system in several ways, and inconsistencies are often undetected. With the help of a computer, you can detect inconsistencies when you first make your presentation.

Even the most inspired work will fall flat if you do not support it with an index. An index will certainly reveal the contribution of the analyst to the work, and there are few things more disappointing than working on a carefully prepared presentation for some time, then counting on your fingers the audience that has bothered to turn up.

So, how do you begin? To be an effective writer means being able to express yourself clearly and vividly, but as with so much of creativity, there is very little that can be explained formally about how to improve writing. You must know how to organize the material that is uniquely your own, which is a very personal and sometimes painful labor. You must study and re-study, comparing one style with another and deeply considering the method of groups of authors.

3. Crafting Engaging Characters and Plots

No protagonist is more interesting than the problems he solves. Bumbling through life bored by the repetitiveness of normal days, all your hero wants is to achieve normal. Unfortunately, it’s those very troubles that reveal most about his character. In the end, normal won’t satisfy your readers. They want your protagonist to obtain some variation of a happy ending. But if all the best tales involve suffering, wouldn’t it be better to just have heroes inflict misery on your characters and allow the protagonists to suffer? As much as we love to see the execution of torturously brilliant but barmy plans, even the greatest superpowers of the world work hard to avoid conflict. Even they prefer to escape before starting fights.

Characters are the lifeblood of your story. They are the ones who will connect you to your audience, and they can make or break a tale. So it’s essential to give your protagonists and villains some thought before cracking open your word processor, to make sure they’re who you need before you invest too much energy in words. Well-drawn, deep and either relatable or compelling characters are the prime ingredient in most successful novels. Even when the rest of your book is just okay, good characters can hold readers in their thrall. We want all our readers to be so involved with the story that they become oblivious to everything else.

4. Mastering Different Writing Styles and Genres

The mystery genre is far-reaching. It divides itself into three fundamental categories: the crime novel, detective story, and the psychological suspense novel. These categories can, in turn, be further divided into any number of sub-categories. The following are some of the more popular types. The detective story proper was begun in the 1840s by Edgar Allan Poe. Its foundation is the same as the crime novel’s: to solve mysterious crime, usually murder. Following Poe came an astonishing number of novelists who, although not groundbreaking, were steadily productive chaps and, over the next fifty years, were acquiring an appreciative reading audience. Litters of two hundred to three hundred pages flowed from their typewriters. A glut of these flat-footed gumshoes filled Vimpel with books stoked with gross credulity.

As a genre, mystery is here to lead the way. This fact is supported by two further facts: one, that mystery is the No. 1 selling genre, and two, that good readers invariably turn to books that are suspenseful and absorbing. This is what mysteries provide. Gracious reader, therefore, be encouraged to challenge your creative powers and skills in this popular literary field.

5. The Publishing Process: From Manuscript to Bookshelves

As a general rule, the terms are different for each genre, as are the author’s prospects of being able to place his or her manuscript with an established publisher. Authors of scientific nonfiction have the best chance of getting published by an established publisher, as university presses and many traditional publishers – especially those specializing in the sciences, which are discussed in separate publications in the Appendices – are always searching for academic works. In contrast, authors of works of adult fiction or children’s books usually find that the number of publishers interested in their manuscripts is relatively small – unless they have already made a name for themselves. While self-publishing has become a great alternative for all book genres, that is not the only factor that you have to take into consideration to determine the best option for your book: it is necessary to investigate the publishers that work with the genre you have in mind.

Once a manuscript has been completed, the question naturally arises: How do I get someone to publish my book? In today’s world, potential authors are left with a range of options, including traditional publishers, academic publishers, somewhat less established book publishers, and self-publishing. Each of these options has its merits and challenges, as well as its unique terms and conditions. This chapter aims to inform authors about the publishing process and how it usually works, provide lists of traditional publishers as well as academic and other book publishers, and review some of the many online book self-publishing options available, which are useful if readers decide to self-publish.