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  • Writer's pictureDonna Carbone

So, You Want to Write a Book? Where & How a Writer Begins: Episode 003

Updated: Aug 2, 2023



Authors Talking Bookish with hosts Hope Gibbs and Donna Norman-Carbone





When you want to write a book but don’t know where to begin, there are some exercises you can do to discover what is and what is not in your wheelhouse. Let’s face it, writing a book is a commitment. You need to write a topic that will sustain your interest (and ultimately your readers) for 70K + words. This episode addresses how to get started, from idea to draft.


SHOW NOTES:

How do you conceive of an idea for a full length book?

Take an inventory of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Pay attention to what it is about them that you enjoy.

  • Certain kinds of characters or tropes

  • Genres

  • POV

  • Writing style

  • Endings

  • Settings


Read what you want to write.


What are some craft books that are necessary?


Save the Cat Writes A Novel, Jessica Brody

Launch Pad: The Countdown to Writing Your Book, Emma Dhesi, Grace Sammon

Story Genius and Wired for Story, Lisa Cron

The Thesaurus Collection by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression

The Conflict Thesaurus, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus

Busy Writer’s Guide, Marcy Kennedy

Write the Damn Book, Elizabeth Lyon

Write for Your Life, Anna Quindlen

Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott



DO NOW:

Choose a craft book or two to read & fill out the (FREE DOWNLOAD) Fiction: Inception Checklist to get a sense of the kind of book you want to write.



Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred https://www.donnanormancarbone.com



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