How to Compose a Book That Shines
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet,
then you must write it.” Toni Morrison (Nobel prize winner)
For many aspiring writers, the idea of holding their own book in their hands feels both magical and intimidating. You may have a brilliant idea lingering in your mind, a story burning inside you, or a message you desperately want to share with the world but then the doubts sneak in. How do I even start? How do real authors turn blank pages into published books? What if I’m not good enough?
If you have these questions, you’re not alone. Almost every writer, famous or not, has stood exactly where you are. Learning how to compose a book can feel overwhelming, but with the right steps, mindset, and structure, the process becomes not only manageable but deeply rewarding. Writing a book isn’t about having perfect grammar or a degree in literature, it’s about commitment, clarity, and a willingness to learn.
With years of publishing opportunities now available online, especially through platforms like Daastan and their online publishing ecosystem Mera Qissa, aspiring writers in Pakistan and beyond have more support than ever. And through these platforms people with no writing background published bestselling books and reluctant writers blossom into confident authors. The truth is simple: if they can do it, you can too. All you need is clarity, direction, and the right approach.
Whether you’re writing a novel, memoir, business book, or self-help guide, this guide is your ultimate approach, consider this your roadmap.
Let’s begin.
Start With the Big WHY: Why Do You Want to Compose a Book?
Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), pause and ask yourself:
Why do I want to write this book?
Your “why” is your anchor throughout the journey. Writing a book can take weeks, months, or even years, depending on your pace and life circumstances. The clearer your motivation, the easier it is to stay focused.
Common reasons include:
- Sharing a personal story or life lesson
- Educating readers
- Expressing creativity
- Building credibility or a personal brand
- Preserving cultural memories
- Inspiring or helping others
There is no wrong reason. What matters is that you know it, believe it, and return to it whenever you feel lost.
2. Understand What You Want to Write About
Once you’re clear on your why, figure out what you want to write. This is where many beginners get stuck because they have multiple ideas. Here’s how to narrow it down:
Ask yourself:
- What topic or story keeps resurfacing in my thoughts?
- What do I feel genuinely excited about writing?
- What stories or knowledge do people often ask me to share?
- Which idea feels meaningful enough to spend months working on?
Whether it’s fantasy fiction, a motivational guide, or historical fiction, choose something you can stay committed to.
If you have too many ideas, list them and choose the one that:
- Feels the most urgent or emotionally gripping
- Has the most clarity
- Aligns with your current capabilities
This focused decision makes the rest of the process easier.
For inspiration you can read the following best selling books available on Mera Qissa.
Learn the Stages of Writing Process: Your Essential Roadmap
Many beginners skip understanding the stages of the writing process, leading to stress, confusion, and burnout. Writing becomes easier once you know the journey ahead.
The 5 Core Stages Are:
1. Prewriting (Planning & Research)
This is where brainstorming, mind mapping, and outlining happen.
2. Drafting (The Writing Stage)
This is where you write without judging yourself. Just get the words out.
3. Revising (The Improvement Stage)
Here you reorganize chapters, fix structure, strengthen scenes, and clarify your message.
4. Editing (The Polishing Stage)
Grammar, spelling, sentence flow, and consistency.
5. Publishing (The Final Step)
Choosing a platform, like Mera Qissa formatting, and presenting your book to the world.
Understanding this roadmap gives you clarity and confidence before you begin writing.
Let’s dig into details of each process.
Prewriting: Brainstorm, Plan, and Develop Your Story
Prewriting isn’t about polishing sentences or fretting over grammar. It’s a crucial stage before drafting, a time to think, explore, plan, and collect raw ideas. In this phase you sketch a rough draft in your mind, building a foundation before the real writing begins.
This is when brainstorming happens. You enter a creative sandbox, gathering thoughts and moments that will later grow into scenes, characters, emotions, and themes. Some especially helpful brainstorming techniques:
Listing:
Write down every idea, emotion, scene, memory, or image that comes to mind, just as short phrases or single words. No judging, no editing. This builds a large pool of raw material.
Freewriting:
Set a timer, five to ten minutes and write continuously. Let thoughts flow without worrying about structure, clarity, or correctness. This helps you tap into deeper, subconscious ideas.
Clustering / Mind-mapping:
Put your main idea at the center of a page, then draw branches outward for characters, settings, themes, plot points, feelings, and more. Add sub-branches for details. This visual map reveals connections and paths you might not notice in a linear list.
Once you’ve brainstormed, many writers weigh how much planning they’ll do before writing. Two common styles that writers often choose are plotting and pantsing.
Plotters:
Plotters plan their story in advance, outlining the plot, scenes, character arcs, sometimes even chapter by chapter. This gives a clear roadmap: consistent pacing, logical structure, fewer plot holes.
Pantsers:
Pantsers start with a simple idea, maybe a scene or character and let the story evolve naturally as you write. This often yields fresh, emotionally rich storytelling and surprising twists.
How to Choose What’s Right for You, Useful Tips for Writers
- Everyone thinks and writes differently, the best way is the one that feels natural and productive to you. Here are some guiding tips:
- Try both methods when writing short pieces.
- Write a short story or a chapter using a full outline (plotter style). Then write another with no outline at all (pantser style).
- Compare which felt more comfortable, which resulted in a stronger draft. This helps you discover your natural style.
Allow flexibility
If you outline (plotter), don’t treat the plan as immutable. Let characters surprise you. You can add more information that you’ve discovered in the process that gives more value to the reader. Add new scenes or shift plot points if inspiration hits. If you pants, be open to later structuring (during revision) or at least keep notes.
Start small with a loose outline
Especially useful for beginners: define a few major beats, beginning setup, conflict, major turning point, ending, then pants between those beats. This gives direction without constraint.
Let the story choose you
Some stories need tight structure (guide, thrillers, intricate plots), others thrive on character-driven emotion or organic flow. Let the demands of your story and your own comfort, guide how you approach writing.
Writing the First Draft: The Heart of the Journey
This is where most new authors get stuck. They overthink, self-criticize, or wait for inspiration.But here’s the truth: The only way to compose a book is to begin writing it.
Writing Tips for Beginners:
These are the best writing tips for beginners, offering an easy and helpful approach to the writing process. These tips will make writing less exhausting and easier to complete.
Write in any order
If you’re struggling, don’t force yourself to write the opening scene first. Many writers get stuck trying to create the “perfect beginning.” Instead, allow yourself to jump around. Write the scenes you feel ready to write, a moment of conflict, a dialogue exchange, a setting description, anything. You can always arrange scenes later during revision. What matters at this stage is momentum, not perfection.
Set small, achievable goals:
Large goals like writing a book can feel overwhelming. Break your writing into smaller pieces:
- A paragraph, or a scene,
- Daily word count (300-500 words daily)
- 20 minutes of writing time,
Or it can be anything that is manageable and trackable . Small wins build confidence and help you gradually complete your draft without feeling pressured.
Reduce distractions:
When it’s writing time, make it writing time. Silence notifications, put your phone in another room, close unnecessary tabs, and create a quiet, clutter-free space. Distraction is the biggest enemy of creativity; even small interruptions can break your concentration and slow down your progress. Use distraction-free writing apps like Scrivener can help you concentrate on words without interruptions
Use placeholders instead of pausing
If you can’t think of a character name, a description, or a specific detail, don’t stop. Use placeholders like [Name], [Detail], or [Research this] and keep writing. You can fill these gaps later, the goal is to keep your drafting energy flowing.
Track your progress
Tracking your writing progress is an effective way to stay motivated and accountable. By monitoring word counts, chapters completed, or time spent writing, you can clearly see how far you’ve come, which builds confidence and momentum. Some writers use spreadsheets, journals, or wall charts to record daily or weekly progress, while others rely on apps like Scrivener, Evernote, or WordCounter. Tracking also helps identify patterns in your productivity, such as the times of day you write best or how long it typically takes to complete a scene or chapter.
Draft now. Edit later.
One of the most important suggestions for new writers:
Don’t Edit While You Write: It Kills Creativity.
Many beginners undermine their progress by editing every paragraph as they write. This makes the process painfully slow.. When you constantly pause to correct sentences, choose the “perfect” word, or rearrange paragraphs, you interrupt the flow of ideas and risk losing your creative momentum. Allow yourself to write freely, make mistakes, and get messy.
Remember, the goal of the first draft is simply to get your story out of your head and onto the page.
Do Not Rely on AI
One of the most important tips for beginners is to create content from their own research and creativity. It’s your creative work and the effective words that make you a writer. If you use AI to generate content that turns out to be excellent writing, you will become a good prompter, not a good writer.
AI is useful for brainstorming and research. Discuss ideas, plots, and character arcs with it. Treat AI like a friend who gives a second opinion on your thoughts. But the manuscript should always reflect your natural tone and style.
Original writing helps you grow as a writer, you learn how to express emotions, form arguments, and tell stories that feel real and personal. It connects with readers and they feel the authenticity of your content. They can feel when the words come from real experiences, real thoughts, and real emotions that is something AI can never replace
Celebrate progress, not perfection
Drafting is supposed to be messy. Celebrate the fact that you’re showing up, writing consistently, and staying committed to your book. Celebrating small milestones, even hitting a daily word count goal, boosts your confidence and makes the enormous task of completing a book feel more achievable.
Revise Your Manuscript: This Is Where Real Writing Happens
Revising is often referred to as rewriting. It is a stage that requires critical analysis and a step back from your work. Taking time away allows you to return with a fresh perspective so you can evaluate the big picture and identify what needs improvement. Below are some of the most effective revision strategies to make the process smoother and more efficient:
1. Read Your Writing Aloud
Reading aloud helps you catch issues that may go unnoticed when reading silently. When you vocalize your work, your brain naturally slows down, making it easier to identify:
- Awkward phrasing and dialogues
- Rhythmically uneven sentences
- Poor word choices
- Incomplete or unclear thoughts
This technique reveals where the flow breaks and where sentences need restructuring to sound natural and polished.
2. Start With the Big Picture
Before diving into smaller aspects, take a broad view of your work. Ask yourself:
- Does the story follow a logical and engaging narrative arc?
- Are the beginning, middle, and end compelling and well-structured?
- Does the pacing feel balanced and appropriate for the emotional tone?
- Is the tone consistent throughout the piece?
Addressing these large-scale issues first ensures your foundation is strong before you refine the details.
Once the big-picture elements are solid, you can focus on finer aspects such as mood, dialogue, scenes, and stylistic choices.
3. Focus on One Element at a Time
Revising becomes far more manageable when you concentrate on one aspect at a time. This organized approach helps you give each component the attention it deserves.
For example:
- If revising dialogue: Focus on tone, pacing, and whether the conversations sound natural and purposeful. Does it show what a character is like, move the story forward, or create tension in the scene?
- If revising descriptions: Examine sensory details, do they help the reader imagine the place or understand the characters better?
By isolating elements, you prevent overwhelm and produce more intentional, effective revisions.
Editing: Strengthening How Your Ideas Are Expressed
Once revising has helped you reshape the big picture, the editing stage focuses on how your ideas appear on the page. It requires a bit of ruthlessness, but it’s one of the most rewarding parts of shaping your book.There are generally two stages in which you edit your manuscript
Self-Editing
This is where you refine your sentences, polish your language, and make your writing clearer and more engaging. Self-editing allows you to take full creative control of your manuscript while strengthening your voice and improving clarity. It involves tightening your prose, removing repetition, correcting awkward phrasing, and ensuring your tone remains consistent throughout the book.
Here are some tips for editing yourself:
Removing Repetition and Filler
Look for repeated ideas, phrases, or descriptions. Repetition can dull the impact of even your strongest scenes.
Filler words, including “such as,” “just,” “like,” etc. also weaken sentences rather than strengthen them. Cutting these creates cleaner, more confident prose.
Reducing Excess Adjectives and Adverbs
Too many modifiers can clutter your sentences and make your writing feel heavy. A single strong verb often conveys more energy than three adverbs ever could. This shift tightens your writing and gives it more precision and power.
Polishing Sentence Structure & Grammar
Overly long or complicated sentences can exhaust readers, and the same goes for grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that disrupt clarity. Make sure your vocabulary matches the tone of your book and that your choices remain consistent throughout the manuscript.
Pro tip: tools like Grammarly can act like a helpful friend during this stage of editing.
2. Professional Editing
Professional editing is more than polishing grammar, it’s a transformative step that elevates your manuscript from written to ready for readers.The expertise of a professional editor gives your book the refinement, clarity, and professionalism expected in the publishing world.
Why Choose Daastan for Editing Services
Daastan’s editing services are known for being thorough, affordable, and tailored to the unique needs of each manuscript. Daastan’s editors focus not only on grammar and sentence-level clarity but also on narrative flow, character consistency, and overall readability. The benefits of working with Daastan include:
- Providing detailed feedback,
- Working collaboratively with authors, and
- Ensuring your book meets industry standards before it moves toward publishing.
For both new and experienced writers, Daastan offers a supportive, transparent, and high-quality editing experience that helps your manuscript reach its full potential.
Stay Consistent: Success Comes From Discipline, Not Inspiration
The biggest difference between people who dream of writing a book and those who actually publish one is consistency.
Inspiration may start your journey, but discipline finishes it.You don’t need to write every day. You just need to write regularly enough that the momentum continues.
Conclusion: You’re Ready to Compose Your Book
If you’ve read this far, you already know everything essential about how to compose a book, from planning and drafting to editing and publishing. Writing a book is not about perfection; it’s about persistence, clarity, and learning.
You have a road map and resources that can help in your writing journey. And when you’re ready to publish, Daastan is there to guide you, support you, and help you bring your book into the world, through its publishing platform Mera Qissa.
So, pick up the pen or open your laptop and start writing those unique stories and ideas that only you can write.
Investing in a new writer is always a risk, but Daastan took that leap of faith and showed me “Ek Kiran Andheron Mein” and gave me a “Shanakht” as a writer.
I’m truly grateful for the opportunities and guidance Daastan provided me, from encouraging to mentoring and publishing. For me it’s more than just a platform—it’s a place where new writers find their voice and recognition. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wishes to begin or enrich their writing journey.
Their team is super supportive and professional. They walked me through every step of the process, from editing to printing, and even helped me with marketing. I've heard amazing things about their work, and I'm not surprised - they're clearly passionate about what they do.
What I love about Daastan is their inclusive approach. They're all about empowering emerging writers, and it shows in the quality of their publications. I've recommended them to friends and fellow writers, and I'll continue to sing their praises!
If you're thinking of publishing your work, look no further. Daastan is the way to go!
I have worked with many publishers in Pakistan, of which Daastan tops among independent publishers on account of transparency, quality and earlier response.
Their publishing process was exceptionally smooth and reassuring. After I registered, Narmeen, their consultant and editor, handled my manuscript with remarkable professionalism, guiding me through every stage with clarity and patience. With their support, I successfully published two books: Love, Lucknow aur Lahore, which received immense appreciation, and a short story titled Gol Roti.
What truly elevates Dastaan is the authenticity of their team. Ommar, Narmeen, and every member of their staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely invested in my growth as a writer. Their encouragement turned what could have been a daunting experience into an inspiring milestone in my creative journey.
As a first-time author venturing into the literary world with both excitement and hesitation, I could not have found a better publishing partner than Daastan Pvt Ltd. Under the thoughtful leadership of Syed Omar Amer, the team at Daastan was unwaveringly supportive, responsive, and professional, guiding me with care and insight through every step of the publishing process. Their facilitation turned what could have been an intimidating journey into one marked by encouragement and trust.
The quality of the finished product speaks for itself - readers and recipients of my books consistently comment on the exceptional standard of printing and presentation, especially preservation of the design colours. The books look and feel beautiful in the hand, which has enhanced both their reach and reception. For any author, whether stepping into print for the first time or seasoned in the craft, I wholeheartedly recommend Daastan as a go-to publisher and printer. They are capable, creative, and above all, committed to the stories their authors want to tell. I am truly delighted that I found my way to them.
Dr Haroon Awan
