How do I write a book (Writing Tips)

Before you can write a book you need to know the parts of a book. Let's say you have written your story and now you want to add all the features a complete book would have.

Parts of a book

Title page

Copyright page

Introduction (This is simply introducing a summary of your book to get readers interested. 

Dedication (You can add this if you want. This is simply addressing someone of interest about your book. Keep your dedication brief)

About the author (This can be at the back of the book as well as the front of the book. To make you readers engaged put this at the back of the book. Readers don't want a long lecture.)

Table of Contents (This will be the readers' navigational section of your book. It is helpful and necessary. Readers like when they can navigate a book easily.)

Prologue (This is an introduction to a story that establishes the context and gives background details. It can be before the ending of your story. It depends on how you want to utilize it. This is mostly used in Fiction books)

Glossary (This is used at the back of a book to provide readers with the definition of words. It is mostly used in nonfiction books.

Now that we have defined the part of a book we can then proceed with book formatting style in order to write a book.

Four common mistakes to avoid

1. Don't use many font styles and large fonts sizes
2. Don't press enter to go on to a page. By pressing enter to reach a new page you create many spaces that will affect the format of your book.
3. Don't use space to indent your paragraphs. It will create gaps between your words making it unprofessional.
4. Don't use no spacing. Use Normal document style. It makes formatting easier to do.

How to correct common mistakes?

While it may seem like pressing enter until you reach a new page is an ideal thing to do it is not. You are creating too many spaces within your file. How to avoid this common mistake? Use page break to start writing on a new page. Click "insert" and click on "insert a page break."

Use the same Font style and Font size for chapter bodies and titles. Recommended font size for chapter bodies is 12. Recommended Font sizes for Chapter heads can be 14, 16, 18. For ebook use 14-16. For a print book, you can use 18-24 for Title and 16-18 for chapter headings "It depends on what you want." It depends on you. Recommended font styles "Times new roman, Arial, Roman, Georgia." Keep your font style simple for easy reading.

If you want to add an indent to a file you can do the following by creating a style to use that makes it easier to complete your work.

• Step 1: Click "Home" on the right you will see the following in rectangular display boxes "Normal," "No spacing" "Heading" etc.

• Step 2: Highlight the paragraph that you want to add the indent to. You can apply this style to every first paragraph to make things easier.
• Step 2: Click the down arrow on the sidebar of the styles menu.

• Step 3: Press create style "A box will appear"
• Step 4: Write the name of your style in the Name section.

• Step 5: Click modify
• Step 6: Click on format at the bottom left side of the "Create new style" formatting box.

• Step 7: Click paragraph on the pop-up menu
• Step 8: In the indentation section "By" enter 0.25. Don't enter any information in the other boxes.

• Step 9: Press okay
• Step 10: Then press okay again

Now, have added an indent to our paragraph by following the steps above but let us see a visual example. 

• Example one is a paragraph without an indent.  

• Example 2 is an indented paragraph.

• Let us start writing our book

We know what formatting, fonts, and styles to use and some common mistakes to avoid. Now, I am going to create a book sketch template and write some of my ideas in order to start writing my book. I will write some questions also and then use them as references.

Book Sketch Template

What type of book am I writing? Non-ficiton or Fiction.

What genre am I writing? In this case, I want to write a fiction book. A mystery book.

Title suggestions: The serial killer of Detroit, the man under the hood, A crime story of Tayler Klit. I am doing to go with the Serial Killer of Detroit.

Who is going to be my main character? I want this story to be about a widow chasing a serial killer. The serial killer murdered her husband.

Name of character: Vickie Macdonnal

Description of character: In her early 40s, a black-haired woman, has a scar on her left wrist, slim and fit.

Job description: Ex-cop of Kanstin police Department. Fifteen years a cop. twelves years married.

Aim to catch the serial killer: She became a villain in order to track the serial killer. She wants to avenge her husband's death.

Name of the serial killer: Alexander Macferson. Nickname "Red Swan"

Description of the serial killer: Hunch back, abnormal, has superhuman strength, He has one eye. His mouth is sewed shut. loves to kill without reason.

Serial Killer weapon of interest: Screwdriver.

Evidence presence at every crime scene: A screw with a picture of a red swan.

Serial killer's worst enemy: Vickie Macdonnal.

Environment: City life

Scenery suggestion: road crime, brothel crime, a cabin in the woods, street, hotel, etc

Plot development: Vickie Macdonnal will hunt the Red swan.

Genre: Crime thriller suspense

The starting point of the story: I want Vickie Macdonnal to come home from work and enter her house into a cruel crime scene. She will watch the red swan kill her husband. He will get away.

Town Vickie lives in: She lives in Casanova District.

Vickie's husband: His name is Damingo Macdonnal.

Kids: None

Reason for the serial killer murdering Vickie's husband: She made him crash ten years ago. Vickie was drunk and she crashed into Red Swan's car. She fled from the scene and left him to die.

I have created a "Book Sketch Template" and now I am ready to start a compelling story. I am going to keep this short.

This story is used for educational purposes only. Jsovirall owns all the rights to this story.

Chapter 1: Death waits

The Red Swan had finally found where Vickie Macdonnal lived. She lived in Casanova Destrict. She was a cop and she has been working for the Kanstin Police Department for fifteen years. Recently she has been searching for a serial killer named Alexander Macferson otherwise known as Red swan. He liked to kill his victims by using a screwdriver. After he killed them he put a picture of a Red swan next to them. Vickie had been tracking the Red swan for three years. Damingo, Vickie husband was in the house exercising in the living room. He prepared dinner already because he knew that his wife was going to be home soon. 

The Red swan was in the guest room upstairs. He couldn't talk because he sewed his mouth shut. He made an oath to kill Vickie so that was the reason he sewed his mouth. He slowly exited the room with a screwdriver in one of his hands. He looked downstairs and saw Damingo exercising. He crawled downstairs quietly with his eyes fixed on Damingo. He was eager to kill him. He walked behind Damingo. He severed his carotid artery with his screwdriver smartly and watched him die. Vickie just reached home. She exited the car, close it, and walked toward the front door.

She opened the door and saw her husband bleeding excessively while the Red swan ran upstairs. Vickie withdrew her gun and shot at the serial killer three times but she missed as he was too fast. She heard the room window shatter. She knew that the murderer escaped. Vickie's husband took her last breathe and died as she watched.

"No!" Vickie cried.  Her beloved husband was gone.

According to my book sketch template, I have added some of the details to start the story. You can follow the same method to start writing your book. I hope this was helpful. 

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