Writing a book.

[dans6887]

I am thinking of writing a steampunk themed book but I have this terrible problem with coming up with themes, settings, and characters but It seems when I start to write my mind starts to whirl around in a thousand different directions with thousands of elaborations. Does anybody have an idea that they would like to see made into a book. If I get a general outline then maybe I could keep my perspective and actually make a complete novel. Please help.

[MossforCoffee]

Writing a novel is really hard as it is, and I think Id find it impossible writing things because people said thats what they wanted. It has to be what you want, ideas that get you excited. Perhaps start writing with only a very simple idea and let it grow as you work?

[Dr Fidelius]

Sometimes ideas will not allow themselves to stretch into a novel. Some other ideas will not confine themselves to a short story.

Starting is easy, completing a work is difficult. If you are serious you must approach novel building seriously. Outline, re-write, write it again, throw it all out, let the characters define the situation, let the situation guide the characters, listen to what others tell you  and ignore everything but your own vision. It is damn hard work.

[bicyclebuilder]

When I was a teenager I used to write and draw one page stories. Just a basic idea written in about 20 to 30 lines. Just, who did what, where, when, why and how. I tried to make a few stories a bit longer and some worked out. From that few, I tried to make them even longer stories, but I never got to the point of making a decent book.
I'm actually not much of a reader, I'd rather watch the movie. As I can recall, most of my teenage short stories where visual.  I might go and give it another try, now that I'm an adult.
Looking forward to see tips and tricks here on this thread.

[neon_suntan]

I am thinking of writing a steampunk themed book but I have this terrible problem with coming up with themes, settings, and characters but It seems when I start to write my mind starts to whirl around in a thousand different directions with thousands of elaborations. Does anybody have an idea that they would like to see made into a book. If I get a general outline then maybe I could keep my perspective and actually make a complete novel. Please help.

Write down all the different directions  and either then

1) - make it a Steampunk Jerry Cornelius novel, taking place at the same time in different realities [I may steal this idea.. ]
2) - choose a single path from the whirl of ideas [once the ideas are on paper it's easier to see if they will be worth pursuing]

3) - A combination of the two by focussing on 2 or 3 possible worlds.

Either way if you have lots of ideas not matter how half-formed write them down, at the very least you'll have a collection of weird ideas that you can handily re-use.

If they're not recorded anywhere they don't count.

[dans6887]

This is is all very helpful. Thank you everyone. 
Now I just have to put pen to paper and foot to ass to complete the story.

[Capt. Dirigible]

You could try using the 'Steampunk novel Blueprint'..as  mentioned here

[pakled]

I've written 4 things that are long enough to be books, but aren't books. I start with a general idea, what the plot is, what some of the major names are, and 'what happens next'. Then I start writing. As time goes by, the story gets farther and farther from the original plot, until there's no reconciling them...

thus proving that battle plans aren't the only things that don't survive contact with the enemy...

Still, it's not a bad way to start...

[kidkunjer]

David lynch says you need 75 ideas to make a movie. for a novel its about 113. don't underestimate the sheer level of stuff you need to make it out of novella territory. make sure you've got enough before you start to write. that's my best advice.