I think I want to write a book. Any advice or ideas please?

[NFloyd2357]

Yea, i want to write a book, especially with all my free time this summer... I dont know what i want to write at all... any ideas would be cool... i like writing from personal experience, but im also very imaginative so i can write about anything. I thing my writing style is comparative to the whole beatnik style, jack kerouac etc, a bit hunter thompson-esque... i dont read a lot of books (but i do read alot) so i dont have a lot to compare to. I tend to take sarcastic tones and be a bit satirical...i'll give some background info on myself

Ok, well, i guess to put it simply i've had more happen to me in my last year than ever before. And its understandable, i graduated highschool, and went to college. Im a freshmen in college and just realized my love for writing (and i think im pretty good at it too). I always knew i was good at it, but never realized how good i am, and how much i enjoy it. For the longest time i thought i was math/science oriented, and wanted to be an engineer since i can remember. College hit me like a bag of bricks and i realized i wasnt cut out for engineering. Im about to change my major to journalism (and poli-sci too cuz i promised my mom id go to law school if i dont do engineering). I REALLY enjoy writing, like, a lot. Im a musician and i like writing music and lyrics the most, but i really enjoy writing anything, even research papers. lately ive been writing, i guess id call them journal entries, about everything going on in my life, ranging from deciding my major, to trying ecstasy, to my philosphies on karma, logic etc etc. I consider myself to be very well educated and to have tons of different philosphies on life.

i really dont know what to write about, and its motivating me to do what every other writer who had nothing to write about did... abandon everything and go on a roadtrip across and throughout america! i actually may do this just for the hell of it... I got a car, and really no obligations this summer... I dont have work so i dont have much $$, but im good at figuring financial situations out lol.

this is more of a ramble than anything else, and if you've made it this far, i really appreciate it. Any ideas on something i could write about!????//???

[Edit] I know it isnt as easy as im making it seem to write a book. (and btw the way i wrote this post isn't how i write lol). im new to it im sure which is why im asking for some help/advice. again, any is appreciated! thanks in advance

[TheUsersAreReal]

Learn to capitalize "I" before you write a book.

[Androgenicx]

If you were to write a book on a topic suggested by somebody else, then you would be writing a book that other authors could possibly have created just as well. Its when you use only your own ideas, styles, concepts, that a book truly becomes an original work of art created the the author. By even asking others for a topic, you are selling away the originality of the book.

[enjoythesilence]

if you don't what to write about, i don't think you should be writing a book. thats usually the first thing that needs to happen

[skatealex2]

last summer I got very inspired to write a book and did alot of reasearch about it. even looked for publishing companies but after writing one or two sentences I realized it requires way tooooooooo much patience and I also realized I had no ideas to cover a full sized book. so before you decide to write first novel you really have got to have an idea. I'm never gonna try to write again

edit:forgot to say this but I also couldn't make sentences in book form for shit. i wrote similar to how i write in forums

[Ntak]

im pretty sure u kno this but it really has to come to u...i started writing a book with some pretty good stuff..sub plots main characters and some1 even dies and ur supposed to feel sad...but u dont lol i dont know i just really didnt capture everything to its fullest...its all about wat comes to u...i always thought how the hell do writers have long books where you are constantly intersted...its a talent and a skill that you can really practice at...id say write a bunch of short stories and see wat u can do with them..try to expand them or intertwine them...my advice

[sky dog]

Originally Posted by enjoythesilence

if you don't what to write about, i don't think you should be writing a book. thats usually the first thing that needs to happen

Pipe down

He's gonna write a book on the economic implications of the standardized monetary system in Europe and he's gonna fuckin' like it

[enjoythesilence]

Originally Posted by sky dog

Pipe down

He's gonna write a book on the economic implications of the standardized monetary system in Europe and he's gonna fuckin' like it

nice

[Icky]

I advocate your idea of going on a road trip. However, it doesn't necessarily need to be cross-country. You could pick a region of the country and explore it extensively. This would give you a pretty grounded knowledge of the people and culture of a certain region if you wanted to use your findings to base characters on. Or you could just get up and go out on the road with no specific plan or expectations. I think the latter of the two would be pretty awesome for a travel narrative type piece. I think there's an inherent alure to readers when the story involves some sort of unstructured, unplanned travel because the possibilities of what crazy shit could ensue are endless.
I might also add that, should you choose to go on some sort of road trip or other adventure, you should go alone. The solitude of being alone in a foreign place will kind of force you to mingle with new people and gain insight into the people of a given place. You also might undergo some self discovery, which could be the topic of focus in your writing, or at least a little something extra to whatever you decide to write on.
My friend and i have been joking about writing a movie for the past few years just based on the rediculous events that happen to us and our friends (some of whom would make great foundations for movie characters). But instead of actually documenting the happenings, whenever something occurs that seems like it should be part of the movie, we just joke about how it should be in the "hypothetical movie". At least it's something entertaining to think about when you're high with some buddies. I encourage all of you to start doing the hypothetical movie thing with your buddies. It'll give you something to think about and laugh at when you're baked.