Elizabeth Sims - Youve Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams

To write a book is to open and give yourself to a world thirsty for authenticity. Writing a book is a heroic act, and it is an accomplishment no one can take away from you. When you come to THE END, you will know a wealth of things about your subject, about writing, and about yourself. You will be a deeper, richer, more complete person.

--from

This book is for you if youve got a dream to write a book and you want simple, no-nonsense help in achieving that dream. Store shelves and the Web are crammed with books on how to write, so why this one? Because every time I meet somebody who wants to write a bookfact or fictionbut thinks its too hard, I want to take their hand and say, You have been sadly misinformed. And every time I meet somebody who wants to write a book but doesnt really know how, I want to take their hand and say, Ill help you. And every time I meet somebody whos written part of a book already but feels stuck, I want to take their hand and say, Boy, have you come to the right person! This book is my contribution to your incredibly exciting ambition.

(If youre thinking I should have written his or her instead of their just above, youre right. But sometimes it feels good to break a cumbersome grammatical rule!)

In an ideal world, when you found yourself doubting your dream, a guide would appear in the form of, oh, say, a big sister who has written books herself and who will show you how to write your book with zest and honesty. Somebody who has been there, done that, loves you, and will be there for you every step of the way.

It is an ideal world.

I am that big sister.

Lets write your book together.

The whole point of writing a book is to give something unique to the world, not something that sounds like it came out of a robot. This book is a guide that will help you write your book your wayand have fun while youre doing it.

(See , Writing Blast: A Story Everybody Can Tell.)

Ive written a bevy of books and talked to a lot of other authors, and one thing Ive learned is that writing a bookyes, a whole bookis much easier than most people think. Trouble is, most authors think writing is hard! My experience and thus my message is totally the opposite: Writing a book is easy. Easy, that is, once you banish doubt and worry, and let your natural creativity take over.

(See , The Great Open Secret.)

Its actually impossible to teach somebody how to write well. This book will show you how to teach yourself to write well. That is, to write clear, unique prose, which is what readers, agents, editors, and publishers want. Moreover, youll get started on the path of successful writing immediately, and youll have the tools to see your book through to thrilling completion.

(See , Writing With the Masters.)

A good many people who want to write think theyre doomed to write poorly if they didnt do well in English class. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ive read thousands of pages of work by aspiring authors, and Im continually disappointed at the stilted writing coming out of people with heavy academic backgrounds. I have two degrees in English, and sometimes I feel Ive done well as an author in spite of all my book learning! By contrast, Ive been startled to read beautiful, coherent, inspiring prose written by people with very little experience in English literature: nonnative English speakers, math geeks, dropouts, people who work with their hands, you name it. These writers are in touch with what they want to say and explore; theyre not hung up on rules and worry.

(See , Unleashing Your True Voice.)

Overcomplication is the scourge of writing instruction.

(See , A Simple Scene Blueprint.)

The trouble with tips: They work, all right, but they dont see you all the way through your book. This book will give you an honest-to-gosh method that you can customize to your own purposes.

(See Three Touchstones for Writing Your Book: Your Truth, Your People, and Your Map.)

The wisdom Ive gained is based on my own experienceand that of other authors dating back to prehistory. Ive simply combined the enduring tools of storytelling and writing with a full-speed-ahead attitude and fresh ways to develop your own natural talent and creativity.

If youre a fan of my articles in Writers Digest magazine, youll be glad to see that Ive developed some of my best stuff to build the tools and techniques at the heart of Youve Got a Book in You. These tools and techniques work. How do I know? Because with them, Ive helped thousands of fledgling writers find their wings.