Ignite Your Writing Journey: 12 Surefire Ways to Jump Start that Book You’ve Been Meaning to Write
First of all, let me warn you that I’m going to be a bit harsh. I’m doing it in your best interest.
Stop saying, “I don’t have time,” or “I can’t think of what to write,” or “Nobody will read my book so why bother.” Please.
Those are excuses. Not reasons.
I hear them all the time during conversations in networking groups. “I’m so busy, I just can’t fit writing a book into my schedule. I will do it someday. Just not today.”
Well, someday is like tomorrow. It never comes. And your competitor, who wants to reach the same audience as you do, is writing her book. It’s coming out in May. I know you’ll be right there at her book launch giving her a round of applause, silently wondering if you’ll ever get your book done.
And so I ask you: if she found time, why can’t you?
“I can’t think of what to write,” is such a lame excuse, I sometimes laugh out loud when I hear it. Do you have a business? Have you been in business for a year, two, five? Then you have a lot to write about.
And, “I’m a nobody. Why would anyone read my book?” is the biggest whine of all. As my friend, Michele Molitor tells us all the time, self-doubt will hold you back more than anything else.
By the way, ever heard of Liz Elting? She has a book on Amazon that is doing great in the category of “leadership and motivation.” I found her in a general search for this post. She’s not one of our clients or a friend. She’s just someone who wrote a book and is now reaping the rewards. She didn’t hang her head and mumble to herself, I can’t write a book. Who would buy it or read it? (The point here is that I can find hundreds of books on Amazon by authors you don’t know who didn’t let being an ‘unknown’ hold them back.)
People buy and read books for these three reasons:
- To be entertained. Novels fit here. As do memoires. But so do books about humor or dogs or autobiographies.
- To learn something that will help them solve a problem in their lives. This is your kind of book. You’re writing to help people overcome a problem. Transform their lives. Be a success at something, like you’re a success at what you do.
- To be educated. Text books. Science books. But also books about hobbies or subjects one is interested in.
When you’ve decided which type of book you’re going to write, or which combination – edutainment is big these day, entertaining folks while you teach them – and you really think you’re ready (here’s a blog post I wrote not that long ago to help you see if you’re ready) use these 12 Surefire Ways To Get Started.
ONE: Define your purpose.
Why are you writing the book? Who will it help? How will it help them? The answers to these questions will definitely have you ready to start Chapter One.
TWO: Write Chapter Four first.
The belief that you have to start ‘at the beginning’ and go till you come to the end is false. You can start wherever you like. If Chapter Four’s message is speaking out loud to you, sit down and write it. Then, decide if you want to write Chapter Three or Chapter One. I predict your brain will get the message and direct you where to go next.
THREE: Create a TOC. Table of Contents.
Just jot down ideas, at this point. Don’t number your chapters. Just work on the flow. A TOC is a fluid document right up to press time. When working with my authors, I sometimes rearrange chapters as the book progresses. These are just ideas right now. WRITE THEM DOWN. Writing them down tells your brain you’re serious about them.
FOUR: Give yourself some deadlines.
“I will finish Chapter One this week. I will finish Chapter Two next week. I will finish my entire book by <this date>.” These are goals, yes, but I want you to call them deadlines.
Wonderopolis tells us this about deadlines:
The term “deadline” has uncertain origins. The earliest uses of the word appear to have referred simply to lines that did not move. This usage may have developed into “deadline” being used around the time of the Civil War as a term related to prisons, meaning a line that could not be crossed by prisoners.
Eventually, the term began to be used by journalists in the sense we know today. This was most likely the result of the design of early printing presses that featured a guideline on the printing plate. Any text inside the line would be printed. Any text outside the line — the “deadline” — would not be printed and would “die.”
FIVE: Establish a writing space and time.
Defining the actual, physical area you will write in, and the time of day you will write, sets the intention that you are going to write. Many people today write on a laptop allowing them to move within their home or office to that dedicated writing space, without a problem.
If you use a tower computer, as I do, you are limited on where you write but not when. So, dedicate the time of day (early morning, lunchtime, after dinner) and mark it on the calendar in RED. Generally, a half an hour a day, or 500 words, is a good goal. I prefer an hour and 1000 words, but do what you can.
SIX: Find an accountability partner.
That can be a book coach, like myself, or a friend or relative. It has to be someone who will hold your feet to the fire. Literally. Plan to meet with this person at least once a week, even if it’s only for five minutes. Give them the tools to help you succeed – for instance, your TOC and your deadlines. And give them permission to yell at you. Not too loudly, but they may have to be forceful now and then.
SEVEN: I don’t see anyone else talk about this one.
Just as you’re giving your accountability partner permission to keep you on track, give yourself permission to go off track when life intervenes. I’ve worked with authors who had life-threatening illnesses invade their lives during the writing of their book and they carried a lot of guilt about not finishing a chapter when they were dealing with far more important problems!
You are allowed to miss a deadline now and then, if life really is throwing curve balls, hard curve balls. Your book will get done. If it doesn’t make the actual launch date and has to be pushed back, no one will be the wiser. Your commitment continues but it gets a little sidetracked, that’s all.
EIGHT: Start thinking of yourself as “the author of” from page one.
From the creation of that TOC. From the day you write on your calendar, “These are my writing times.” Become the author of the book. Become the speaker who will talk about the book. Become the story. It’s never really about you, anyway. Think about your audience and become their mentor. See yourself on stage. Being introduced as “the author of” and then engaging with your audience because they came to see YOU, not just to buy the book.
NINE: Silence your inner critic.
The one who is saying, “Why did you think you could ever write a book?” And, “Who cares?” When you start to feel this way, I suggest visiting your local library. Walk among the aisles of books, books, books everywhere. Find your genre or cateogry. Look at the titles. Peruse the blurb and interiors of a few. Ask yourself, “Would the library have all these authors who talk about what I talk about, if no one cares?”
Now ask yourself, “Can I say it better? Do I have insight to share that might not be in any of these books?” I propose that you do. You can write the book. And maybe end up on that library shelf next to all those other authors.
TEN: Stop trying to be perfect!
I speak to people who are ‘going to write a book’ all the time. They hem and haw and have so many excuses I wrote a book about it: Are You Using These 13 Excuses NOT to Write a Book This Year? (email me and I’ll send you a copy).
Within all of the excuses I hear, is the little voice in the back of your head whispering that everything has to be perfect before you can even begin.
- It has to be the perfect time. (Which isn’t now because… ???)
- You have to choose the perfect title. (Titles change routinely, just like the TOC.)
- You have to have the perfect number of subscribers to your list. (What number is that, please? Inquiring minds want to know.)
- You have to have the perfect plan in place. (I know, fail to plan, plan to fail, but where does the word perfect fit? Shouldn’t all plans be malleable? Just ask our client, Peter Compo, whose book, The Emergent Approach to Strategy: Adaptive Design & Execution touches on that very subject.)
- You have to have the perfect team in place. (Well, I agree with this one. Sort of. The word perfect is a misnomer. Don’t try to gather a perfect team. Gather the people needed to get moving, and get moving. People aren’t perfect so teams can’t be, either.)
Trying to achieve perfection is a certain death knell. It doesn’t exist. As long as you reach for it, your book will never get done. Check out this LinkedIn post I did about this very topic.
ELEVEN: Review your last 6 months of LinkedIn posts.
Look at places you’ve contributed blog posts or articles. Gather your last 6 months of newsletter content. When you look at this content you have already created, you will see a pattern. You will see a throughline. Using all of this content, begin to construct the outline of your book. While each piece of content will likely need additonal work, and some will be left on the cutting room floor, by reviewing the advice you’ve been sharing all along these past 6 months or so, you have the basic makings of a book. Or two.
TWELVE: If you just can’t sit down and write…
If you are truly so busy you cannot put fingers to keyboard, dictate your book. Set aside time during the day, every day, to speak the book into existence. Speak as if you’re in front of a crowd or teaching a webinar. Then, create transcripts and work with your book coach to turn that content into your book.
You will have to do a little bit of actual writing. The transcripts may be 75 – 80% complete, but no doubt there will be room for improvement. And additonal storytelling. By allowing yourself the chance to speak the book into existence, you accomplish the task probably faster and more efficiently than some do by keying their words into their computer. And, you can use free association, literally thinking out loud.
BONUS!!!!
#13, because, like Taylor Swift, I think the number 13 is a lucky number. It has always served me well.
If you really feel you can’t do any of these, or not enough to make a difference, perhaps it’s time to talk about a ghost writer. Ghost writing doesn’t absolve you from participating in your book. The writer will interview you and take your words to create the chapters (much like #12 here) but you have to read them, approve the writing, and maybe even embellish a bit.
You cannot write a book without some participation on your part. We do not do ghost writing at Master Book Builders but I know several ghost writers I can refer you to, if that’s the route you want to take.
I merely want you to achieve that dream. The one of becoming a published author. Of seeing your words in print and offered to the world. As an Indie published author, because why would you go any other route? (Read Tom’s post about your publishing options to understand why I say that.)
Now, what’s holding you back? Get your book done this year. It’s an achievement like no other, I guarantee. Need to talk it through a bit more? I offer 20-minute sessions for just that purpose. Share a question or two in the comments and let’s talk.
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