Capture the Essence of Your Book Idea

There are many wannabe authors out there with interesting ideas for a story, but they have no idea how to begin. Some will mull their idea over for months or years, others will start a draft then stop because when you don’t know enough about how to draft a book, writing can be hard as f@#k. Most will stop before they even begin, overwhelmed by their perception of the process. Don’t be afraid, Wordy is here to help you leap off the launch pad and turn that kernel of an idea into a novel or short story.

The remedy to overcoming the scary notion of becoming a published author is sometimes simple baby steps. Begin with a title, opening line, sentence, paragraph, scene, or chapter. Create a character, envision an appropriate setting, jot down plot points. Research book must-haves and the publishing industry to gather confidence for your endeavor. Reading and writing go hand in hand. The more you read the better you will write. Pay attention to how an author establishes their book’s premise, observe how they introduce the setting, characters, and plot.

Decide on a genre that bests suits your idea.

These are all worthwhile ways to begin, my darlings, but I have another trick up my sleeve for your consideration.

Generate a list of words, phrases, and descriptions that encapsulate the essence of your book project. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A simple hand written list or outline will suffice. Kick it up a notch, if you like, by creating a Word document or vision board.

The advice below, though separated into genres, can apply to anyone with a story idea regardless of specific genre. Grab whatever strikes your fancy.

For a fantasy novel you may have notions about setting, characters with supernatural abilities, realms you wish to include, or possible lingo and jargon you’ve been chewing over. Dragons, and fae, and centaurs, oh my. What creatures will you include? Where will they come from? How will they communicate? Ponder these questions and proceed to the next level by throwing your answers on paper and making the theme of your book real.

The goals here are words, phrases, descriptions, but there are no hard and fast rules. If something more complicated hits your radar feel free to include it. You may find that assembling a list of ten or twelve theme-related content for your story will lead to a flurry of ideas to build upon. That may lead to paragraphs and scenes that you can organize into a book.

A suggestion for science fiction aspiring authors is to construct a list of all the futuristic technologies that have been spinning around in your head. Identify which ones nail the particulars of the story you’re meant to write. Let them steer you into a scene. It doesn’t have to be an opening scene but get it on paper. Nothing goes to waste. Drop, down-the-road story scenes into a save-for-later file.

Romance novels of any kind, historical, contemporary, romantasy, etc. begin with the two main characters or lovers. Build separate lists for each. What do they look like? How do they dress? What are their goals and dreams? How do they speak? What is their backstory? Envisioning your main characters can help you sort out the rest of your story when you buckle down and get typing.

For writers of mysteries, thrillers, or suspense, record your thoughts about the rollercoaster ride you intend to deliver to readers. What adventures have you imagined? What gut wrenching or heart pounding suspenseful moments have you conceived to keep readers turning pages? What scenes do you have in mind to invoke tension or fear and cause readers to experience what your characters are feeling? Remember, this isn’t an exact list it’s a summary of themes and possibilities removed from your thoughts and plunked down on paper to capture the essence of your book and aid you in the writing process.

Once you have completed this exercise to capture the essence of your book idea, dip a toe into writing by using the concrete concepts associated with your book premise. Shift the words, phrases, and descriptions to the next level by creating sentences, paragraphs, and scenes around them.

Categorize them into the three basic building blocks of any novel - beginning, middle, and end. Truth bomb coming at you - you DO NOT need to draft a novel in order. Start in a place that suits you. If an amazing ending tickles your writing bone, compose it first. Even if you don't use that exact ending as the last hurrah, it's there for the tweaking and reimagining.

There is no set time frame for any of this. Take your time or forge ahead. It's up to you. Progress is in the eye of the writer!

You may be surprised how quickly a chapter comes together. Before long you’ll have another and more. That book idea that was only in your head will be on its way to becoming reality.

YOU CAN DO IT!