Writing your book …

It seems that everyone has written, or would like to write a book. With the Internet bringing the wall down between authors and publishing, it is certainly an exciting time to dive into the publishing pool.

Before you begin, consider the following suggestions:

Do your research. Research adds an element of realism, making your story more believable. As an added bonus, research can also spur the imagination, generating ideas that you might not have considered otherwise.
 Prepare an outline. Don't worry. This doesn't have to be written in stone. It doesn't even have to be worded well. Outlines can be very useful, opening your eyes to possible holes in your story, where you need to do more research, as well as bringing a cohesive element to your book. If you really want to get nuts, check out these outline suggestions by Indiana University and Purdue. I'm not suggesting you go to those lengths, but clearly, you can use this tool to the extreme.
If you have trouble getting started, write the sections of your story that come more easily. Start in the middle. Start at the end. The point is to start. Write what you are passionate about, and when you get stuck, take a break. When you come back to the project, reread what you have written. This will juice up your brain, hopefully enabling you to solve the previous problem.
Don't be afraid to brainstorm. Not everything you write has to be perfect. Sometimes you just need to get your thoughts out there.
As sections and chapters come along, keep your outline close so that you don't miss anything. This will aid in organization, an important element for future readers.
When you have finished the first draft, you may be tempted to think that your book is done. It is not. Realizing this is absolutely crucial. Now it is time to clean the manuscript. For ideas on how to clean and edit a manuscript, go to my Checklist for cleaning a manuscript.

For more great writing ideas, here's an awesome article by 99%.

Good luck with your project and don't get discouraged.