I Too Have Thought of Writing A Book

One of the comments I often hear is, “I have thought about writing a book, but I just don’t know where to start.”

I believe we all have great ideas bopping around in our heads. Sometimes we dismiss them. It might be because we are tired or don’t have time. Other times, it is because we don’t know where to go with the ideas. Often, it is because we don’t think the idea is worthy. We bury those little nuggets in the crevices of our minds—and they pop out from time to time to remind us it is still there.

All books start as ideas. Sometimes the story line is clear from the beginning to the end. Other times, the beginning or the end may be clear but what fits in the middle is mush. This is how the Road to Montana began. I wrote the beginning and the end before the middle was completed because more research was needed. However, I knew how it was going to end and wanted to get it down. Once I had the ending completed, our travels gave me the information I needed to complete the book. That is my only novel written that way. You will have to see if you can tell the difference!

Ideas are like the wind. They blow in and blow out. Sometimes they drop useful information as they pass. Other times they leave a trail of confusing debris. It is up to the storyteller to sort through all of that information and decipher what is worthy of being saved.

I believe you should write your ideas down. If they are random and all over the place, try to organize them. If you file them digitally, make sure you save them in a file you can find again! Creative names are forgotten and then the ideas are lost.

Even save your discarded beginnings. Sometimes what is not a great beginning for a book might be a great beginning for a different chapter. Or maybe, some of those incomplete starts can be combined to make a great beginning for a different book. Discarded book names can even become chapter names.

All of our brains work in different ways. Don’t be so concerned about doing things the “right” way that you lose the “you” in your story. Some people need outlines. Others do not. Some writers start with a title and develop their story from there. Others determine the name of their book as the story develops.

Don’t force yourself to be rigid if that is not how you work. Of course, for those who prefer outlines, they are a great way to develop ideas. Again, do what works for you, and don’t be concerned that what you are doing is right or wrong.

I don’t write outlines and I rarely know where the novel is going when I begin. The storyline develops as I write. The title is chosen once the book is completed.

Up the Western Trail, Point the Tongue North is the only book in which I knew what I wanted in the title when I began. I wanted “point the tongue north” because the cook pointed his wagon tongue north each evening before he stopped. That way, the cowboys knew which way to push the cattle the next morning in the event of rain or snow. I used that name on all of my drafts. However, by the time the book was finished, that phrase became the subtitle instead of the title. I did that because readers unfamiliar with trail drives wouldn’t have understood the significance of “point the tongue north.” Up the Western Trail clearly told them what the book was about while Point the Tongue North added a measure of interest.

Novels can ferment in my mind for a time. Once they are done fermenting though, I am rushing to begin. So far, my novels have taken anywhere from three weeks to a year to write. My Civil War series has definitely taken the longest.

Children’s books are completely different from writing novels. Once those ideas begin to percolate, I need to write them down immediately. If I don’t, I may lose parts of the story.

Read books you enjoy for ideas too. Do the main characters in your favorite stories ever die or are they more predictable? Do the chapters have names?

Did you know that Louis L’Amour didn’t label his chapters or kill off his main characters? I love his books. In fact, I own all of them. However, I didn’t notice either of those things until I started writing myself.

Another thing I enjoy is putting personal touches in each of my books. Some of the children’s books include pictures and names of grandchildren or favorite animals. My novels often include family surnames as well as people I loved as a child. Sometimes I share that information. Other times I do it just for my own pleasure. I have also started to add something related or talked about in the book at the front. Maybe it will be a recipe selection “written” by some of the characters or a map of the area traveled. In Beneath the Western Sky, I included the original version of “Home on the Range.” This popular cowboy song became the state song of Kansas.

Trivial history is so much fun. I love information that makes my readers sit up and say, “Wow! I didn’t know that!” Think about what you need to do to connect with the people who will read your books. This is the sales end of writing, and I love that part too.

The most important thing when writing is to have fun. Be structured or unstructured but let the words flow. Don’t try to force them. A forced book will be a contrived or stilted book. Take a break if you need to refresh your mind.

                                                                                         “If you can’t find what you want to read, write it.”