Making the decision to write a book has opened up a huge can of worms. It may not actually be that bad, but it has meant opening myself up to large learning curve. It hasn’t made writing the book impossible; but because I never do anything by halves, I have given myself a lot to think about in the process.
Working on the layout and chapters was the first hurdle. I can have so many ideas going round in my head that it can be difficult to decide on what I want to write. The story I’m working on is rather simplistic in itself, so it needed it more body. This I decided to do with some historical context and background — that was the initial phase. Once I had that sorted, I could then organise the chapters accordingly.
Lesson Learned: Having a clear direction is key. Knowing exactly the story you want to tell helps you not make unnecessary deviations, or the structure of the book will confuse the reader and they will lose the point of what you want to say.
The next realisation was the depth I will need to go to complete the writing. As a non-fiction history topic, I’ve given myself plenty of research to do. I knew from the outset that it would encompass a lot of reading; but the more I look for books to buy, the more I seem to find. I’m expecting to have a huge pile by the time the writing is completed. I currently have a list of 20 or more books (on top of the dozen I already have), and this keeps increasing. Books are my vice, and feeding it is not difficult.
Lesson Nearly Learned: When researching, choose books that align with what you are writing about. There are masses of books out there, but choosing authors who have a good reputation in their knowledge field will help refine your book list. I’m still working on this one.
As I will be researching, I’m having to learn how to cite my sources. It will include primary and secondary sources. The Harvard system seems to be the one most used, and also recommended by the publishing company I contacted. I want my book to be credible and as professional as I can get it, and references are a good step in that direction.
Lesson Learned: Many universities in the UK recommend the book ‘Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide’ by Richard Pears and Graham Shields. It goes through every citation method. If you’re unsure about which one you should use, then ask your publisher.
I’m using Google Docs as my main writing app. It has a brilliantly simple indexing system to quickly see each chapter, and page breaks so you don’t need to keep adjusting the layout. I’ve only started using it since I began writing the book, and it’s a dream to use (as well a being free to use).
Lesson Learned: If you’re looking for a free and user friendly writing app to write your book, then I recommend Google Docs. If your publisher asks for a Word file, then you can export it as a Word doc in Google Docs.
This is just a small step in getting my book written. There’s much more to come. I’ve given myself a time frame of up to 18 months before publication — I don’t know if that’s optimistic or not. Whatever happens, I’m really looking forward to how this new project pans out.
Copyright © 2023 Charlotte Clark
Charlotte Clark 