“I want to do something splendid…
Something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead…
I think I shall write books.”
― Louisa May Alcott

If you're anything like me, you've dreamt of writing your own book one day. This is a common dream, but not a common achievement, but let me tell you-- it's rewarding. Even before another single set of eyes takes a look at your work, you know that you've done it. You created something entirely yours. It becomes even more rewarding when other people hear about it and it piques their interest. Eventually, you have people telling you that your book is a "page-turner." There's a reason that few people actually go through with this goal, but I want to provide you some valuable tips for making that dream a reality.

1. The Protagonist

Is your main character a male? Female? Other? Do they have long hair, short hair, no hair? What color is their hair? Eyes? Skin? Do they have scars, tattoos, birth marks, etc.? What is their biggest fear? Pet peeve? Nervous quirk?

The first key to writing a book is to have your main character in mind. I don't just mean that you have the basics thought out! You have to know this character better than you know yourself. Why? Because if you have an idea for a plot point in your book, you need to know how your character would realistically respond, based on their personality. If you have a shy character with major social anxiety, and another character invites them to a party, it doesn't seem believable if your character willingly goes to the party and acts like a social butterfly.

Pro tip-- you don't want characters that are unbelievable perfect either. Relatable characters tend to be the ones that work their way into the hearts of your readers.

2. The World

"'The World?' What does she mean by that?"

I'm so glad you asked! Let me tell you!

'The World' refers to your setting. Why didn't I just say, "Setting?" Because we are going to go deeper than that. Don't just write about the trees, buildings and pretty sunsets. Is the government of your setting important? Do the actions of others impact the environment in your story? What about scents-- can your character smell things? Setting goes far beyond surface imagery. Involve the reader's senses to really make them feel like they are there with your character.

Bad example: "Margaret's shoes lay there on the floor. She ran out the door to go play in the yard."

Good example: "Margaret's shoes lay on the tiled floor, the scent of musky sweat filling the air around them. She sprinted out the door towards the sounds of her friends giggling in the yard."

Same plot, different stories entirely.

Pro tip: Don't overdo it. You want to find the sweet spot. Give us enough detail so we can see what you want us to see, but don't go on for ten pages about the color of some guy's shoelaces. You'll lose your reader if nothing is happening for a long time, and sometimes, reader's even forget details if your descriptions are too long.descriptions are too long.

3. The Sidekicks

Your character doesn't always need a best friend. They don't even have to like their sidekick(s), and the sidekick doesn't always have to be there for everything. This is merely a character, or characters, that accompany your protagonist through something. Develop any of these characters like you did your main character, and then play out pretend scenarios in your head where this character interacts with your main character. How would they handle an emergency? Drama? Jokes? Simple tasks? Maybe they butt heads in some situations but not others.

Pro tip: One of the most powerful techniques I've discovered as a writer is the power of simple daydreaming. If you have a moment where you aren't doing anything, just play out scenes in your head (even if they never even happen in your story). The more you do this, the more you will understand your characters, how they feel about each other and about things around them and about what really drives them. This really helps the believability factor once you get to write the story itself.

4. The End

Yup! This is early in my list because you can't have a story if you don't have an end goal. You don't have to know the exact wording of the end of your book this early, but you need to know where your story is going, or you won't be able to lead it. That's like asking someone to give you directions, but not giving your destination.

Pro tip-- Plan how your character changes before the end of the book as well. What does he or she go through that changes them? Why? Knowing this helps you change your character more naturally in the book, rather than abruptly at the end, or even not at all.

5. Hiccups

This ties in with the fact that you need an endgame, but it goes beyond just that. You need some "hiccups," or obstacles, that your character faces along the way. Plot twists are Challenge your character(s). One of my favorite quotes about writing states, "Your characters are like geodes-- if you want to see what they're made of, you must break them." It isn't wrong to make your character suffer. In fact, it's often necessary to develop them. Do they face a break up? Does one of their loved ones die? Do they get attacked?

Pro tip: Before you even start writing your story, write down all of your plot points in a separate document, or even a notebook. This was the difference between me starting stories before, and actually finishing one. It gives you a sort of timeline for your story, and makes the process much easier. If you have the obstacles all planned, sometimes you've put so much thought into your character that you will be able to write exactly how they handle the situation.

6. Big Bad

Who wants to stop your character? These can be minor characters, or even a big antagonist. Bad guys don't even have to be truly "bad"—they are just opposing your main character. Develop them and their motivation. Why are they trying to stop your character, or get your character to do something? What's in it for them? What's their background?

Pro tip: It actually helps to make your "bad guy" relatable. Make us love to hate them, or even hate to love them. For example, if your character is trying to expose the bad guy for stealing money, maybe the bad guy is only stealing money because he/she needs to pay for their sibling's medicine. That's just one of a million possibilities.

7. Spitball

Find a friend or family member (or even teacher) that you can spitball ideas with. Sometimes, it takes talking to someone else to realize one of your ideas doesn't make sense. If you tell someone an idea you have, sometimes he or she will be able to give suggestions to make it more detailed, or more believable.

Pro tip: Find someone who is capable of being brutally honest. I'm guilty of being one of those people that will tell you your idea is good, even if I don't particularly love it, just because I'm afraid of hurting your feelings. Don't ask people like me. And you might be talented, but don't expect your first idea to be perfect.

8. Actually Write

This is what truly separates those who dream of becoming authors and those who succeed at it. Find the time of day that you feel most creative and most inspired, and seize it! You can do this!

Pro tip-- If you find that motivation and inspiration don't come easy to you, I recommend searching "writing playlists" on Pinterest or Google. When I struggle to write, I listen to certain types of music that give me the mood that matches whatever scene I'm writing.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope this gives you some guidance on how to write a story, or even a full-length book!

To see my work as an author, please visit www. EosDawn.DoodleKit.com