How to WRITE A BOOK in 2023: advice, steps, encouragement, & must-have resources

Рет қаралды 20,185

Bethany Atazadeh - YA Fantasy Author

Жыл бұрын

These three videos from 2020 are PACKED with value to help you write a book from start to finish, as well as stay encouraged, motivated, and confident in your writing. These are all the resources I've picked up in my own writing journey that I hope will be extremely helpful for you too! All the links mentioned are below!
MY SELF-PUBLISHING COURSE: www.udemy.com/course/novel-se...
// PART 1: STEPS //
○ Beta Reader Playlist: • BETA READERS
○ How to Win NaNoWriMo (HAVE A PLAN): • WIN NANOWRIMO (for BEG...
○ How to Edit Your Book: • How to Edit a Novel (i...
○ Show Vs Tell: • How to recognize SHOW ...
○ Overwriting: • How to fix OVERWRITING...
○ Underwriting: • How to fix UNDERWRITIN...
○ How Hard is Self-Publishing: • HOW HARD IS SELF-PUBLI...
○ Creating a Publishing Plan/Timeline: • How to Create Your Sel...
// PART 2: ENCOURAGEMENT //
○ First Draft Writing Hacks: • FIRST DRAFTS: My Proce...
○ NANOWRIMO / FIRST DRAFT Playlist: • WIN NANOWRIMO (for BEG...
○ How to Format Your Novel in Word: • FORMATTING 101: HOW TO...
○ How Hard is it to Self-Publish: • HOW HARD IS SELF-PUBLI...
○ Writing Comes First: • MY #1 WRITING TIP: WRI...
// PART 3: RESOURCES //
○ Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
○ Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
○ On Writing by Stephen King
○ The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
○ How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Scott Orson Card
○ My Planning a Novel Notebooks: www.bethanyatazadeh.com/noteb...
○ NANOWRIMO: www.nanowrimo.org/
○ My Patreon Writing Group on Discord: / bethanyatazadeh
○ Interview with Jessica Brody: • Jessica Brody's tips o...
___
📖 T H E Q U E E N ' S R I S E S E R I E S :
◦ THE SECRET GIFT: books2read.com/thesecretgift
◦ THE SECRET SHADOW: / the-secret-shadow
◦ THE SECRET CURSE: / the-secret-curse
📚 T H E S T O L E N K I N G D O M S E R I E S :
www.bethanyatazadeh.com/thest...
◦ COLLECTOR'S EDITION / BOX SET: amzn.to/34A9wFw
◦ THE SECRET GIFT: books2read.com/thesecretgift
◦ THE STOLEN KINGDOM: books2read.com/thestolenkingdom
◦ THE JINNI KEY: books2read.com/thejinnikey
◦ THE CURSED HUNTER: books2read.com/thecursedhunter
◦ THE ENCHANTED CROWN: books2read.com/theenchantedcrown
◦ The Stolen Kingdom Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/B088FVQNJK...
___
📖 B E C O M E A P A T R O N :
Where you can receive digital early reader copies of my books, writing & publishing advice, help with your author platform, meet writer friends, and more!
/ bethanyatazadeh
💻 M Y A U T H O R N E W S L E T T E R :
Sign up for FREE exclusives (the first HALF of The Stolen Kingdom + a step-by-step self-publishing guide): www.bethanyatazadeh.com/contact
❤️ M Y M E R C H :
teespring.com/stores/bethanya...
📚 M Y S E L F P U B L I S H I N G C O U R S E :
www.udemy.com/course/novel-se...
___
📒 M Y O T H E R W O R K :
◦ EVALENE'S NUMBER: amzn.to/3sZPlKi
◦ PEARL'S NUMBER: amzn.to/3Kyp63Q
◦ MARKETING FOR AUTHORS SERIES: amzn.to/3pTrbPG
◦ THE CONFIDENT CORGI: amzn.to/36aJd9m
◦ Novel Planner Notebook (mug cover): amzn.to/3hYnzYo
◦ Novel Planner Notebook (laptop cover): amzn.to/3KwvW9Z
___
❤️ C O M P A N I E S I L O V E & A M A N A F F I L I A T E F O R :
◦ PUBLISH AND THRIVE: heartbreathings.teachable.com...
◦ WRITING STICKERS & the book launch planner (10% off discount code is BETHANY10): stoneridgestickers.com/?ref=Q...
◦ EPIDEMIC SOUND (where I get my music! If you'd like to try it for a month, using this link gives me a free month! Thank you in advance!): www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
◦ DRAFT2DIGITAL: www.draft2digital.com/bethany...
💬 L E T ' S C O N N E C T 💬
Website | www.bethanyatazadeh.com
Instagram | / authorbethanyatazadeh
KZfaq | / bethanyatazadeh
Patreon | / bethanyatazadeh
___
Thanks for watching!
❤️ Bethany
Note: some of these links are affiliate links and will support me with a little extra income at no extra cost to you. :)
#Authortube #NovelWriting #SelfPublishing

Пікірлер: 90

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

These three videos are actually all from back in 2020! If you enjoyed this "content marathon" style of valuable content put together into one place, like/comment to let me know because I'd love to do more like this!

@pompunpopularpodcast Жыл бұрын

this was so helpful and clear and comprehensive! I appreciate it all being in one place as opposed to having to click on / retrace several videos. This is fantastically valuable content. With actionable steps- to each section I asked "why" the following section answered. Well done and much appreciated!

@heatherkirchhoffwritesya 10 ай бұрын

Yes please!

@maxwrigley6885 Жыл бұрын

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how cute Penny looks in part 1? 😍

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Hehehe she’s so goofy! 😜😆

@lucindaharrison Жыл бұрын

A true masterclass in napping techniques.

@tosiebel5522 Жыл бұрын

I know she kept making me giggle! 🥰

@author.s.j.palmer4137 Жыл бұрын

Using a Google Form for reader feedback and then converting to Google Sheets, editing and then printing is brilliant! Thank you for this! I’m in the middle of beta reader feedback right now!

@Avionne_Parris Жыл бұрын

God bless you, Bethany! I really love how you (and Brittany) use your platform to help other writers. I can tell it's coming from a genuine, sincere place; I appreciate that.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Avi! So happy you are enjoying the videos, that means a lot! 🥰❤️

@najeeamurray323 Жыл бұрын

I've been in that place where I've felt a little disappointed about writing a story after realizing someone had a similar idea. However, it actually helped me think of more ways to make my story even more unique. No matter what stage a writer is on, this video is super helpful! I'm learning and relearning so much! Thank you!

@woodlandlady7011 Жыл бұрын

Wow! What a lot of things to digest. This is definitely a biggy to take in. Three videos in one packed with so much I'll have to re-watch over and over. Thank you, Bethany, for taking a huge amount of your time to make this hour long video. And Penny was so cute

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yay thank you! I’m so glad you like it and hope it’s super helpful for you! 🥰

@jessicachipps2159 Жыл бұрын

You are so right! Every book has a different need! I started my 4th book this week. I felt paralyzed by the starting process. I think maybe because it's " book 2" and I'm nervous about my abilities in carrying the same feel, vibe whatever. So I'm starting off super mechanical, plotting every beat until I catch this book's rhythm. Great inspiration and help, even for me, who's been at it for a few years! Thank you for your videos.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

That's totally normal to feel that way - you've got this! So glad you liked the video!

@lydiamae1727 Жыл бұрын

Speaking to the bare bones analogy. I'm a plotter, and I always think of writing like carving a sculpture (of let's say a person). The outline for me is like a rough cut of the general shape of the sculpture. Drafting is like cutting out the shape of the limbs, the head, the torso, etc. Each draft, more details are chiseled in, until proofreading is like the polishing of the final product.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

That's a cool analogy too, I like that!

@joannaholden943 Жыл бұрын

Whoa! This is such a great video, and a length that gets me excited - i can play it on the background during ALL the mundane house tasks today. Woohoo! Thank you for taking the time to put all of this together. I know it took a lot of work.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yayyy! So happy you like it, I was hoping it’d be super helpful! 🥰

@phantomx3.0 Жыл бұрын

great tips and advice. your videos are super helpful! thanks for sharing!!

@nathanwilliams1865 Жыл бұрын

“Fail faster” 😂 the summer between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college I wrote around 120k words over the course of three months. None of it was good, even on second drafts, but after getting into my first workshop, picking up beta readers, and learning more about the market, I’ve gotten so much better. Now I’m in my summer between freshman and sophomore year, and if I stick to my deadlines, I’ll have written 175k words this summer (A first draft, a second draft, and the bones of a second book). I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to query an agent after I do my last rounds of edits, but I’m honestly so happy with my progress either way.

@terrasmithhh3513 Жыл бұрын

I just wanted to say you have inspired me to write my own book. Thank you 🤍

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

That is awesome! You've got this!

@oowatwat Жыл бұрын

This video is so informative and sincerely helpful! Thank you so much for all the work you put into making it!

@booklassygarrahan3929 Жыл бұрын

This is excellent. Thank you from the heart!

@moonykmi Жыл бұрын

I absolutely loved that you put this video together compiling all your advice. I had watched them before, but it was great to see it all again in one place. 🖤🖤

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you!🥰

@cynthialovesbooks Жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the great information!!!

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

So glad it was helpful! :)

@br6cevinyl Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 💛 I am currently working on my first book about my Nanas life and this is very useful! I been watching your videos for awhile and you inspire me to keep writing 💛💛💛

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yay so happy to hear the video was helpful, thank you!

@elizabethcomfort2214 Жыл бұрын

Loved this video! So much good advice! And it was fun to see Penny living her best life in the background hahaha!!

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yay so glad you liked it!! Haha Penny is hilarious!

@RebeccaStapleton-mr6bl 11 ай бұрын

I sooo appreciate your content as a new writer. Thank you so much for your effort and time! 💗

@BethanyAtazadeh 11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

@yourbookladykatie Жыл бұрын

That dog is everything

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Haha she’s a cutie!

@sarahbjad 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the valuable information ❤🙏

@BethanyAtazadeh 10 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@suzettehopkins5734 Жыл бұрын

Actually I had a friend that has published other books but she had one manuscript proffessionally edited and actually got a two book deal because of it. She also suggested getting our novel edited before sending it off as it would give it a better chance of being accepted because of the comptitition now.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Good for her, that's awesome!

@annejia5382 Жыл бұрын

Sorry Bethany I was distracted in the beginning 😂 Your hair looks so fluffy and healthy 😍🥰❤

@bethcox3226 Жыл бұрын

This was a great video full of useful information. I know I will want to watch it again and recommend it to my writing friends.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yay! So glad you liked it!

@manuelamanaraguarneri Жыл бұрын

I have to rewatch the video because I have been hypnotized by your dog😁

@EvelynRoseA 11 ай бұрын

So helpful! I loved watching your dog roll around in the background 😂

@BethanyAtazadeh 11 ай бұрын

Haha thank you! Glad you liked it!

@tosiebel5522 Жыл бұрын

I don’t have a network of writer friends yet. Where can I find legit but affordable editors? This video was AWESOME btw, Thank you!🎉

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

You’ll get there! And affordable is tough but I found editors on both Reedsy (more expensive unfortunately) and Goodreads (the cheaper editors are usually here but harder to find/sort out through the not so great ones). Good luck, glad you enjoyed the video!

@tosiebel5522 Жыл бұрын

@@BethanyAtazadeh thank you so much!! The video was very helpful and inspiring!

@thesmokingsection2056 Жыл бұрын

I don’t completely disagree with what u say about a plan but I love Stephen king’s approach which is let the story write itself. Let it guide you

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Totally fair! I think every writer is different, and for some (including myself) that type of discovery writing is a really powerful tool!

@thesmokingsection2056 Жыл бұрын

@@BethanyAtazadeh love watching your videos. Working on my first book myself. Tried converting a script I wrote over to book but paused for something else. Not 100% if you’ve done any videos about writing with chat got but if not I must say that has been so helpful for me for planning out what I want to do while allowing me to just let the story write itself and lead me to its destination. Anyways keep up the awesome work and thanks for everything

@jollyrider2154 9 ай бұрын

Lol just found this after seeing your old video

@JesusisaMuslim Жыл бұрын

Im publishing a book shortly. Took me many years to complete it as I have taken my time on it and also took some time off. Its around 80 pages. Its all about working out the costs now. I'm hoping to put it up for $2.99 on Ebook and around £7.99 on paperback.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Good luck to you!

@dvpartstudio4602 Жыл бұрын

Is your pinterest board public or private. I love the quotes!

@daphneparker1453 Жыл бұрын

Do you have a podcast? I’d love to listen to everything you have to say but I just can’t dedicated the time to watch. It would be so much easier for me to plug in my earbuds and listen while I’m home or at work.

@natalyaporter5730 Жыл бұрын

You could technically treat this video like a podcast, plug in your headphones, and listen…

@OnefortheBooks Жыл бұрын

Hi Bethany! Maybe you're not the right person to ask because you are an indie author, but I was curious if you would recommend getting beta readers and editors before you query an agent? I'm not really sure the order of operations there, and I'm still weighing the pros and cons of indie or traditional pub.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

I think it can't hurt, because it'll help the book get to the next level, so either way it' s a win!

@NottaVideoSummary 9 ай бұрын

- Three-part series about writing a novel for beginners - Part 1 covers idea generation, brainstorming, plotting, writing, editing, and publishing - Part 2 is about advice, encouragement, and tips from other writers - Part 3 covers resources for improving writing and finishing a book - Five steps to writing a novel: idea generation, planning, writing, editing, publishing - Brainstorming ideas is easier than we think, ask "what if" questions - Plotters and pantsers both need a general plan to know where they're going - Link to video about making a plan provided ----From Notta's video summarizer

@alesswonderland 9 ай бұрын

Not as helpful without chapters with the times

@endgamesbeats Жыл бұрын

I really want to publish online because I'm done.qith an entire book and.ibe moved onto my next manuscript.. What should I do?

@russkidson4923 4 ай бұрын

Get to know people, make writing friends. Oh my word, I don't do friendship or people.

@authorjdnichols Жыл бұрын

Okay LOL...the train in the background was confusing. I kept taking off my headphones thinking "what IS that?" :) Took me a couple times to figure out it was in the video.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Haha oh no so sorry! It confused me too when I was editing these videos together, but I think those noises were actually garbage trucks lol!

@albertocatania6165 9 ай бұрын

I have a question. It might be a silly question but I have to ask it. Don't you be scared that someone will steal your work when you are giving it to other for reading before publishing? I know that it sound a stupid question but how can you protect your work before publishing it?

@patricialivangood3748 Жыл бұрын

The GPS idea came from Sarra Cannon HB90 course. That's where I heard it. FYI.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Yes! I believe you are correct!

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Except I’ve never taken HB90 so she must’ve also said it in one of her videos somewhere lol, but I definitely think you’re right that it was her!

@stuff4007 Жыл бұрын

Your sleepy furry friend is SO CUTE

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

haha thank you!

@astronorthwet636 10 ай бұрын

I started writing just as an escape where I could build a world and characters I enjoyed rather than dealing with real life people who tend to be self centered and disloyal. Anyway I ended up with over 1500 pages and have ideas for much more. I broke it up up into four plus complete books. It’s a technology / erotic thriller that takes place in Italy. I developed the characters in detail including the sexual content so I would understand how they would react to other characters in different situations. Right now I’m trying to edit and tame down the erotic content but I have no idea how much sex and violence to leave in or how detailed it should be. Any advice on how publishers view this subject of how much or explicit the descriptions should be would be appreciated.

@gamexpress111 Жыл бұрын

uh not to scare you lol but was that an orb or a "reflection" of light at 1:04:58??? Also, reading A LOT from whatever genre you wanna write also helps a lot

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Lol 😂 Heck yes reading books in your genre is great advice!

@russkidson4923 4 ай бұрын

So.... What I'm getting is that in order to be a writer I need friends. Nevermind then.

@thecreationproject7005 Жыл бұрын

do you write linearly?

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

yep!

@Ohemaamary Жыл бұрын

I’m writing a book about a girl in college and finds out she has a mental disorder later on. I’m trying to write but I keep getting stuck on chapter 8. I want to write 10 chapters or more. Then I think about getting beta readers and I don’t know where to start.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

That sounds like an awesome book, keep going! It might help to start talking about the book and see if that draws in your target reader? But I also have a whole video series about beta readers and how to find them if you’re interested! Just search my name + beta readers :)

@Ohemaamary Жыл бұрын

@@BethanyAtazadeh Thank you and I will watch your video on beta readers.

@beccapony77 Жыл бұрын

If one of ten beta readers do not like a character, it may be because that character hits too close to home for them - reminds them of someone who hurt them. So definitely dismiss that outlier and go forward wth the character.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Very good point! We’re not invalidating the one persons feelings, so much as saying they’re not what most people will feel when reading.

@beccapony77 Жыл бұрын

@@BethanyAtazadeh Exactly. :-)

@mikesaccount1988 Жыл бұрын

I have to disagree slightly with the editing advice. I think all authors should be getting all stages of editing done regardless of their experience. As an editor I think you can tell when an author has skipped on editing, especially developmental editing.

@BethanyAtazadeh Жыл бұрын

Hmm I see what you’re saying and could see that being true for a debut novel. But every author has different strengths, some of which include editorial experience ourselves like me. I actually only used beta readers and critique partners for my latest book, believe it or not, and you can see the sample online as well as reviews that show no one is complaining! ;) so it really depends on the person/book.

@mikesaccount1988 Жыл бұрын

@@BethanyAtazadeh I've read the first 11/12 paragraphs of the sample of The Secret Gift. You can tell there hasn't been a professional edit done. A sentence from the sample edit - He draped his arms over the bear-like paws, with claws still sharp, and leaned back beneath the ox-like head where it was stuffed and set into the tall back of the chair. - It’s a very clunky sentence. Good prose has a rhythm to it. The sentence before this one ends with the word chair like this one. A good line editor would have pulled you up on 3/4 sentences I read within the first 11/12 paragraphs. The 11 paragraph is a summary of how being a Jinn works for her friends. It's very much telling a reader how the world works without showing them. It has no real context, at this point in the story. You're also pulling a reader out of the scene they're in. Any possible tension between the father and the MC is flattened by adding something that's completely unnecessary and that can be shown in a more interesting way later on. A good developmental editor would pull you up on it. 11 paragraphs in and you need a line editor and developmental editor. So no, you can't substitute beta readers and critique partners for a professional editor, regardless of how many books you've released.