Ask 100 writers “how to write a book” and chances are you’ll get a version of advice telling you the most important part is “butt in chair.” The act of sitting down (or standing if that’s your thing) and writing—putting words on the page—is the most basic part of how to write a book. But for a lot of people, it can also be the most challenging part, either because it’s hard to find the time or the commitment, or because knowing what to write and how to write it is more difficult than expected.

That means knowing how to write a book, like any other skilled profession, requires some level of education (whether self-taught or with professional instructors) and copious amounts of practice. However, if you return to those 100 writers and ask for more detailed advice about how to write a book, how to complete the writing of a book, the advice will likely look different from one person to the next because each person’s mind works a little differently, each person’s life situation is a little different, and even though all novels have similar component parts (plot, characters, setting, etc.), how those pieces work in your unique novel may be different.

So, the best thing you can do to learn how to write a book, is to get as much different advice and instruction as you can and then try the bits of advice that interests you or even just sparks a bit of curiosity. Eventually you’ll find what works for your mind in your life for your story.

Here are five pieces of advice from published writers about how to write a book.

E.C. Nevin, author of A Novel Murder, is a former publishing professional who, when she moved to the writing side of things, was surprised by “how difficult it is to sit and write for extended periods of time.” She says, “I try to keep myself focused by doing things like writing while walking on a treadmill or moving writing spots—kitchen to study to café—every hour or so.”

If you’re writing historical fiction or another genre that might require research, author Allison King (The Phoenix Pencil Company) warns against trying to rely on your memory. She says, “I consider myself as having a pretty good memory, but I realized that’s not nearly enough if you’re trying to write something historical. I knew when big things had to happen, like when Japan would occupy the International Settlement of Shanghai, that was going to be a huge shift for my characters, and of course when WWII ended, and then the Chinese Civil War would restart. But that’s not enough to get across the feeling of a time period, and for that I had to really dedicate time to research and especially to note-taking, which is something I sometimes shirk because I think I have a good memory. Turns out I really don’t, and sometimes there’s nothing better than having a pen and paper next to you while you read! I did a whole edit pass where all I did was fill in more historical details, and I could not have done that without good notes.”

Martha Hall Kelly knows how to write a book, after all she’s the New York Times–bestselling author of four of them. So, it took her by surprise when she suddenly got writer’s block while working on her fifth, The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. She remembers, “It was horrible and none of my usual tricks—a change of writing space, deleting chapters I wasn’t excited about, taking time off from writing—got me out of it. Until my daughter Mary suggested I change the fictitious Look family in the book to my own family. Once I did that, the heavens opened, I fell in love with the manuscript again, and I finished the book quickly. It’s funny how a small-ish shift can make all the difference in the writing process.”

Booker-prize winning novelist Pat Barker begins each new book by allowing the characters to talk to each other inside her head. She says, “Now and then, if I think somebody says something vaguely significant, I will write it down in a notebook and wait for the moment in the story where they’ll reach the point of saying this.” For Barker, she feels that “the project doesn’t start until you’ve got the voice. I call it ‘the breath on the mirror.’ If there’s not breath on the mirror, it’s dead. And once the characters are talking to each other, even if there’s no story and I don’t know what it’s about, I stop worrying because once they’re talking to each other and disagreeing with each other about various things, you know you are going to have a story very quickly. I wish I could tell people how to hasten that process, but I don’t know how to. It can take ages to get to the point where you are hearing the characters talking, or it can happen almost immediately. I think the only real tip I’ve got is if you’re writing in third person and the characters are not coming to life, switch to first person. Even if you don’t intend to stick with it, at least write something in first person and do the sensory things. …”

If you know what you want to write and need advice for sitting down and getting words on the page, you might try internationally bestselling novelist Jesse Q. Sutanto’s technique for writing fast, which helps her outrun her inner critic. She says, “I found out that the only thing that helps me avoid this voice is to set a 15-minute timer. During those 15 minutes I don’t go to the bathroom. I don’t take a sip of my coffee. All I can do is write. I don’t allow myself to delete anything that I’ve written during those 15 minutes. I’m just speed writing. Over the years I’ve trained myself to write 500 words during those 15 minutes. Every day I do four 15-minute rounds, and then I hit 2,000 words and stop. I don’t do anything with that manuscript for the rest of the day. I would focus on the admin stuff or the interviews, the promotion work. It gives me a break, and I’ve written 2,000 words.”

For many writers, knowing how to write a book only comes with time and practice, and perhaps the right piece of advice at the right time.