Starting my 3rd Book Right

I almost finished my first book. Technically, I have an ending. Well, multiple endings, but I didn’t go back and edit. My second book I actually completed and did multiple edits. I even sent it to some agents, but no one has taken it. I never felt quite right about the query and first ten pages, which is all they ever look at. Or maybe they just stopped after the first sentence.

I used the discovery method for each of these books—it’s the method where you write and see where your story takes you. That led to hours and hours of rewrites. So, on my third book, I decided to get organized.

I did myself a little Google search and found AdvancedWriting Fiction. I was wary at first, thinking it looked like one of those long sites that reels you in at the end with a sales gimmick.

It was definitely one of those sites.

But I didn’t need the software and Randy Ingermanson was kind enough to list the ten steps I needed to start my book right.

Currently, I’m almost thorough with eight of the ten steps. (The last two are chapter summaries and actually writing the book). But I love that I know my characters and my story now. My previous problems centered around trying to fit my main character into a world where I was as clueless as them about what was going to happen. So my finished products were choppy and inconsistent and I had too many themes to keep track of.

I have yet to decide if this method with be my standby in the future, but I’ve enjoyed the process so far. Writing will start in the next few weeks and if I can just get over the hump of where to actually begin my novel, I hope it will be easy sailing. We’ll just have to see.