thinking of writing a book

[gobblinfever]

id love to write a book on turkey hunting. not on how to hunt but the joys, obsession, and passion of turkey hunting and what makes it so. also stories of multiple hunters favorite turkey hunt. only problem is I don't know how to write a book lol. any advice?

[Happy]

Learn the alphabet. Proper Grammer is good and kill one turkey. Then write a book.  There some sarcasm in there somewhere.  In all honesty write with honesty. Don't claim to know it all and recognize the failure as much as the success. Be descriptive of your emotions and why. Recognize that the killing of a turkey is only part of the allure. It's the game that most of us love the most. And don't proofread this post for proper grammer.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk

[fallhnt]

Looks like you need to learn writing first. Lol. Don't forget youth hunters and Fall hunting.

[MK M GOBL]

One thing with this is that you are writing to and for a us "Turkey Hunters" write from the heart, keep the truth and share your experiences. With that there are many of us that like a good read. As you said doesn't need to be the tell all to turkey hunting but a few good stories that you have and we can relate too. I'm sure if you look "google" something has to be out there that can help with "edit" or proofread process before publishing. Not that I get in to the "book" type of writing but do enjoy writing of my hunts and share those with my friends & family.

I'm sure you could post some of this here for us to read and offer some insights.

Good Luck!

MK M GOBL

[silvestris]

One word at a time.

[Marc]

As happy pointed out, spelling, sentence structure and grammar is somewhat important.

Understanding where to place a comma, when to end or start a paragraph (which often seems to be an enigma on this forum), etc., makes it far easier for the reader to follow a thought process on paper.

And, as a reader, it is often more entertaining to hear of the failures than of the successes, especially when written with a note of humor (self-deprecation is often appreciated).  Also include those stories when you had success despite yourself (did something stupid but things still worked out).

Success is fun to hear about as well, but when putting together a basically non-informational book of hunting, you should probably have some degree of humility when discussing them.

You need to create a story out of a hunting experience that will be entertaining for someone that does not know you...  And you need to write in a descriptive way that is entertaining to read...

I know people that can tell a story about shaving in the morning, and make it entertaining, and I also know people that could talk about being kidnapped by a bigfoot and I would lose interest...  The words you choose, and the emotion you put forth is important...

[blackmagic]

figure out your genre before you put pen to paper.  tell yourself the story first

[ilbucksndux]

For the last several years I have sat down and wrote a short story or two about my hunting (mis)adventures and have a blog out there in the interwebs somewhere. I like reading a story that is like you and I sitting and you telling me a story,and thats how I write mine. I tend to destroy the Kings English but in some ways that adds to the story if done right(Not saying mine are right) But I do like to have someone proof read and help with punctuation and the like.

[Uncle Nicky]

I've never personally written a book, but my wife has, and a couple friends have written books on turkey hunting. Don't want to be a wet blanket, but it's been a money-losing venture for all of them. If you are in it because you have the passion to write, I would say go for it, but it's not easy to make a profit writing books if you're not already established. Just my  .

[Kevin6Q]

First off, just start writing. Keep the pen moving and don't stop. Remove your ego and ask many people to give you their opinion on the piece both pro and con. Don't ask your friends as they will not want to hurt your feelings. No everyone will like the piece and that is okay. You can't please everyone so listen to the trends in the feedback. Find a local writer's group where you can read your stories to them. Hearing your story  really brings out the highs and lows. If they enjoy the pieces and are not hunters you are doing great.

Just like turkey hunting, writing is a process. Focus on the process and don't worry about the finished product; you will be distracted and have a difficult time finishing. Writing is re-writing and you will have many copies of your book before anything is publishable. Don't correct as you go; its another distraction. Just get the words onto the paper. Most of what you write will end up on the floor but keep going.

Just let the stories happen. If you steer them it will read a bit forced. If the piece takes a turn just let it and see what happens. Very often we fall in love with an idea and this idea has no place in this particular story . If you have to work at making it fit maybe it doesn't.

Write YOUR book not a clone of someone else's book with your stories in it. Almost all of my hunting has been done in Vermont. Stories about Florida swamps or open prairie are interesting although the lack of familiarity makes it difficult to really identify with the piece. Stories about hunting the hardwoods of the northeast are a bit more interesting since I can better visualize what the author is writing about.

Most of all do your best to have fun with the project. Writing and turkey hunting are very similar. Both require dedication, and time. Just as there are no magic calls which bring gobblers running and made to stand still at 20 yards, there is no magic pill for writing anything. Put in your time, make mistakes; put in more time, make more mistakes; ask for help, start finding success.

I wish you the best of luck and perseverance with both chasing turkeys and more when writing a book.

[guesswho]

Include lots of pictures for folks with short attention spans like myself. 

[silvestris]

If your character says his'n and your'ne then speak through him with his'n and your'ne.

[Marc]

I've never personally written a book, but my wife has, and a couple friends have written books on turkey hunting. Don't want to be a wet blanket, but it's been a money-losing venture for all of them. If you are in it because you have the passion to write, I would say go for it, but it's not easy to make a profit writing books if you're not already established. Just my  .

Very good point that should be well understood before proceeding with such a venture.  Making money on a turkey hunting book?  Ain't gonna' happen.

We are talking a small population of potential interest, and out of that small population, a very small percentage will be purchasing that book to read....

I would think that it could financially benefit a guide or someone selling turkey related products (such as a call-maker) to some degree, but it would be similar to paying for advertising...  The book itself would be very unlikely to generate a profit, but it could help generate name recognition and more sales.

[flockbuster]

Join a writers group. Online or in person. Take a short online writing course. Both of those will help you greatly. Write every or almost everyday. Some days it will flow, others it will be a struggle, but the only way to get good at something is do it  bunch.

read a bunch. Every writer I know reads constantly. Not just hunting and fishing stuff. The more you read the more you will understand how  good writing flows and bad writing doesn't.

Mostly though, just like the beginning turkey hunter, you have to keep at it no matter how hopeless it seems at times. The more you write, the better you will get. Keep everything you write. Years from now you can look back and see how far you have come as a writer. 

[tha bugman]

well believe it or not I wrote a dissertation and one of the hardest things to do was to get started....I went to a professor friend of mine and he told me that the same thing had happened to him....his advice..."Just sit down and start writing...doesn't matter what it is...just start"  Sounded stupid to me, but out of respect I did and it worked.