‘There is no single way to write a book. Anyone that says different is trying to sell you something.’
With apologies to The Princess Bride for butchering their quote…
This is something I come up against a lot in writers’ groups, kids who think they can’t write a story because the method they are taught in English class simply doesn’t suit them. It’s also something I experience whenever I have attended a class or read a ‘how to’ book on writing. This is one reason I don’t want to get a degree in creative writing!
In spite of what teachers and books tell you, there is no single way to write a book. If you get 10 authors in a room, chances are you’ll find 10 different writing methods. I know for me that even different books I write have a different method depending on the book and what else is going on in my life at the time. I know that writing a picture book is different to writing a novel, and I write them differently too.
I advise those I work with to look at the different methods. They work for some people and not for others. I encourage them to give them a try, experiment, and then find the method or methods that work for them.
There are so many programs that will teach a method for writing a book and they promise all sorts of things, but if that method doesn’t work for you, that’s okay. Unfortunately, many of these programs can leave you feeling like a failure if that method doesn’t work for you and that you should just ‘try harder’. This isn’t always the answer.
The answer is simply: Write your book your way!
The right way to write a book is to get it written, no matter how that happens.
Whatever method you use to write your story, have fun with it and enjoy the process.
