Can someone give me advice on how to write a book?

Start by deciding who your main characters are. Learn as much about them as you can (there are tons of character worksheets out there, if you google for them). Give them names and backgrounds. Make them well-rounded.

Then I would work on an outline of your story. I don't tend to have very detailed outlines when I begin (I have a one or two page plot synopsis, though), but for many writers they benefit immensely from doing a thorough outline first. It really depends on how your brain works, but give it a shot and see if it helps!

I would recommend reading as many books as possible in memoirs, as well as other genres that you like to write, plus books about the craft of writing. When you are reading memoirs and fiction books, pay attention to how the authors structure their work.

Here are some of my favorites about writing (your local library should have most of them):

1) "Writing Down The Bones" by Natalie Goldberg

2) "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott

3) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser

4) "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card

5) "On Writing" by Stephen King

6) "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty

7) "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss

8) "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White

Also, take a look at a few websites where authors gather. Some of them have very helpful articles and forums. Holly Lisle has a fantastic website that has articles on both the business and writing aspects:

http://hollylisle.com/fm/

Forward Motion is a wonderful, helpful community:

http://www.fmwriters.com/

Absolute Write is one of my favorite author communities, with a vast pool of resources and helpful people:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/

Write every single day. Set a target for yourself. For instance, my goal right now is to write 1,000 words a day. I get this done before I go on the internet, read, watch TV, or goof around. To begin, maybe set an easier goal for yourself-- try 250 words each day. Write in a journal as well, if you feel so inclined!

When you get ideas, find a way to record them as well. I have a spiral notebook that I keep just for that purpose. This way, when I want to begin a new project I can read through my notes and find just the right idea!

Also, never forget how important it is to edit and rewrite! When you finish a short story or novel, I suggest setting it aside for a month. Don't look at it or think about it (if you can help it). Work on another project. Once that time has passed, go back and read what you wrote. Try to be objective-- are there parts that need to be expanded? Cut out? Rewritten? How is the grammar and spelling? Editing could (and should) take more time than the original draft!

And keep practicing!

Seriously, don't worry about publishing a book you have not yet written. And seriously all books are written the same way--one sentence at a time.

Yes, I know that sounds flippant but your questions are focused so much on the end results. You say you have a book inside? Then write it. One page at a time. One paragraph at a time. One sentence at a time. One word at a time.

Once you have a finished first draft, you can begin the work of editing and revising it. Then you can have a person read it who can help you critique it, preferably someone who is a writer themselves. Then revise the manuscript again. Then have a friend or two read it and have them make suggestions. Tweak your manuscript one more time. Maybe two more times.

Do all of this and then ask about publishing. Until then, you have nothing to publish ergo you have no reason to worry about how to get it published.

Write. Write. Enjoy the process. Write more. And when you have a book (a product), then you worry about the rest.

First you need to write down your ideas, it does not need to be the full blown out story, more like an outline. Do research on the time period, social customs, stuff like that if it is not set in your home town. Then start writing, set aside at least an hour a day for writing, even if you've hit a wall just keep going. Once you have finished that proofread several times and change things that you don't think work. Write and rewrite and then rewrite again. I don't know how you get published because I have only had poetry published. Good Luck and God Bless!!

I have to agree with the other respondants. You really need to just focus on getting it on paper (so to speak). I would just write. Set aside a time each day, or whatever, and write a portion at a time. I would suggest trying to avoid editing or going back over you writing until you have done quite a bit. I only say this because you can edit your writing to death and never get it done.

Something else that I found that helps get the book out of my head before I forget anything is to write little notes on 3x5 cards. This is a much quicker way to get it out then writing when I just have to get out a sudden lightbulb of an idea. I get different colors. That way, I can write certain strings within my book on certain colored cards. (What the heroin does/sees on green, what her love interest does/sees on yellow, etc.) I especially like this because, you can easily go through your cards quickly and rearrange them if a particular scene later seems to work better in a different part of the book.

This is where I suggest you start. Wait to look for a publisher until later.

Start by taking a paper and a pencil and make a plan of the structure of your story... then use your imagination for the details