That way, when you finally write those first words, you'll know that you're committed to sticking with the writing habit and routine until you get to those last words, even if it's a long slog. The first step: reading, an agenda or planning pages, unless you do the planning on your computer. 4. Plan your book idea. There is more than one way to do this: draw a mind map on a large sheet of paper. Write Notes, How to Write a Book Review: Consider the promise of a book. A book makes a promise with its cover, blurb, and first pages. You start building expectations the moment a reader sees the thumbnail or cover; Take notes as you read. If you are reading a print or hardcover book, highlight important questions, ideas, or questions and then write the page number on the first blank page. Conversely, if you are reading a Kindle book, use Kindle “notes” and “highlights” to capture and save important takeaways. Try to be like. A little trick I used in my class to help kids learn to write in dotted thirds was Clever Cat. Clever Cat's butt sits on the solid baseline and her body takes up the first space. Her head is at the top, occupying the second space between the dotted lines, and her tail hangs below the solid line, extending to the first dotted line. Key moment 3 at the end of the chapter In other words, guide the reader through the chapter with moments that make it worth continuing reading. Make them care about what happens to the mystery and to your main character's life and relationships. Express it in a few moments.