So I kinda wanna write a book...

[BrassButtons]

First, get into the habit of writing every day. Sit down at the same time each day, maybe set an alarm if you need to finish at a certain time, and then just write. About anything. Brainstorm for your story (but write your ideas, don't just think them), write about a character, tell a story about something you did earlier, whatever. Write often, and save everything. Later you may find some tidbits that can be used in larger works.

Second, read often. But don't just read passively. You need to pay attention to what you're reading, in order to understand why it appeals to you (or doesn't). You wouldn't try to build a car without looking at other cars and seeing what goes where and why, and you shouldn't try to become an author without studying other stories to learn what seems to work and why.

Third: have fun

 

[Spinozaad]

You just summed up the last year of my free (non-gaming) time.

Spoiler: You so deserve this

Spoiler: *claps*

OT: another tip. Whenever someone tells you to 'describe, don't tell', you can suckerpunch them in the face. Description is important to flesh out the story (notice how I did not say 'world'?), but can be easily overdone.

And then you get shit like:

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents ? except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."

I'd say that one should begin with telling a story, before moving on to describing one.

But that's just me. An unpublished novelist.

 

[Thaius]

My advice? Start with two things: an interesting situation, and an interesting character. Fully develop the character: his/her mannerisms, past, hopes, dreams, fears, everything. Develop the situation enough to describe it, but you don't need all the details yet. Put your character in that situation and see what happens. Don't write based on what you want to happen: write based on what your character would do in the situation.

However, there is one tool you should use to guide the story, and that is a premise: a simple statement that summarizes the point of your story. In other words, figure out what your story is about. Is it about redemption? Bravery? Responsibility? Maturity? Whatever it is, you'll need your main character to undergo changes throughout the story that drive him toward your desired attributes. But remember, you want you character to act naturally; develop him fully and have him act as he would in given situations. So how do you drive him toward your ultimate goal? By adjusting the situations around him. Put in characters and events that will drive your character, with his personality, characteristics, and quirks, to make the decisions leading to your ultimate goal. Work out how this will work in a story outline, then get to writing it. Stay flexible: if you think something will work better, or your character wouldn't do something you had in your original plan, feel free to change it. But this structure is extremely important for a long story such as a novel.