Writing a Book-Starting

I am often asked how to write a book.  Here is how the dialog typically goes,

Prospective Author, "I want to write a book, but I don't know how to start."
Marlies, "What is holding you back?"
Prospective Author, "I don't know what to write about.  How did you begin your book?"
Marlies, "The best advice I received on writing was this, just start writing."

Okay, the look on your face most likely mirrors the look I often recevie after giving this simple answer.  I am not being patronizing.  We often make things too complicated in life.  You don't need to be an English major to write a book.  You don't need to go to a class.  There is one thing that you need and that is motivation to write a book.  If you just begin and stick with it, everything else will fall into place.

When I began writing 47 Destinies, I had only dabbled in poetry, short stories and government writing.  However, I had a passion for writing.  I had never attempted dialogue, made chapters or all the other things you will eventually learn how to do.  I just started writing.  Once I finished the book, I noticed that the middle and end pieces were WAY better than the introduction.  In fact, I ended up re-writing some of the first chapters in order to clean it up!  It felt so good to see the progress I made from when I just simply took a chance and began writing.  You can do it, if you really want to do it.