How to Improve Book Writing
- 1). Pay attention to the environment in which you are the most productive writer. Take note of whether you work best in quiet, with music, in a coffee shop, behind a closed and locked door, while snacking, etc. Be brutally honest with yourself---some people might claim they work best while watching television, but it could be just one more excuse to avoid writing.
- 2). Block out a specific time of day exclusively for writing. Setting a firm schedule will help establish the "work day" mentality and the discipline needed to tackle a large writing project. Perform any rituals necessary to put yourself in the right state of mind, such as making coffee, getting dressed or putting on a specific piece of music.
- 3). Create a "bible" of characters and settings. You don't have to strictly outline your book (why lock out the potential to surprise yourself with new ideas and directions down the road?), but it can be helpful to at least jot down names and basic info for characters and places. That way you won't reintroduce a character from page 19 on page 319 and accidentally give him a different name.
- 4). Print out finished sections and lock them away in a sock drawer for a week. At the end of the week, bring the pages back out and read them with a red pen in hand. Carefully make notes and revisions. Don't be afraid to remove a passage you really enjoy if it is detracting from the flow of the prose.
- 5). Get another set of eyes on the book after you're finished. Ask friends and family to read the book and provide their own perspectives. Take note of their advice and make the final call on whether you want to incorporate that advice into the final draft. Neither compromise blindly or keep a closed mind---a fresh perspective can guide you when you've been too close to a project, but that perspective could potentially be entirely off-base.
