You Want to Write a Book

You have a story. You’ve led an interesting life with lots of amazing trials and tribulations not to mention the Netflix-binging drama. A lot of people say, “You should write a book!”

Or your grandfather has the most interesting stories that you would like to record for all prosperity. You’d like to be able to publish it and make some money but at least have something that the family and future loved ones could enjoy.

Maybe your small business could use some solid marketing and an eBook would be the perfect avenue to share your ideas and product. You’ve got lots of ideas on how to advertise the book but as far as writing the content – that’s a whole other issue.

Many of my writing clients come to me with lots of ideas and inspirational stories. And they always ask the same question.

“I want to write a book. But where do I start?” The thought of being an author can be overwhelming and often blocks the writing process from even becoming a thing or interrupts your writing flow. So I’d like to offer some hopefully helpful tips to consider for aspiring writers.

Why Do You Want to Write a Book?

People often ask me for help in developing their books and writing content. But before I even take on a project, I ask them what the purpose of their book is.

Do you want to write the book to entertain, inspire, promote your business, make money, etc.?

What message do you want the reader to get out of it?

How do you imagine your life changing after the book is written and published?

I can’t imagine any kind of writing not being therapeutic (maybe tax forms or instructional manuals) but when you write about your own life it can be incredibly potent. After all, when you write your stories, you’re reliving them. It’s another journey all in itself.

Who Do You Want to Read Your Book?

Who are you writing the book for? Who will this book resonate with? I believe that having a specific audience in mind can help you with marketing as well as clarify the writing process. Determine what age group and gender you want to appeal to as well as mindset.

Start With the Edges

I actually work on jigsaw puzzles in my free time. (My kids make fun of me and I’ve threatened to frame all the puzzles and send them as Christmas presents.) It helps me with many things in life, including my writing. If you look at your idea for writing a book and try to picture the whole end-result at one time, you’re going to be assaulted with images of the thousands of lonely hours you’ll spend at your desk. It seems like too much work! But if you take it piece by piece, like a puzzle, you can focus on the smaller areas that will eventually come together to make the whole.

One thing I like to tackle early on is the chapter outline. This gives you an idea of where you are headed and what ideas you want to write about. It helps you to organize your brain. Just remember, nothing is set in stone. You can always readjust the outline.

Tell the Roommates in Your Head to Be Quiet

My friend and life coach Trent Blanchard once explained to me that there are these roommates in your head that are constantly talking, sometimes to the point of driving you nuts. They are the ones that keep you up at night with thoughts that really aren’t even true or don’t have much importance in the first place. As a writer, my confidence level was at one time low because my roommates were saying things like: Who are you to be a writer? You should go get a “real” job at Wal-Mart. People are going to think your stories are dumb. There is too much to do. You’ll never meet the deadline. You’ll never be successful. Who are you to think you are an expert on any subject?

Notice your thoughts. If you are hearing things that bring you down or question your decision to write a book, you’ll just keep on sitting there staring at the computer screen. You’ve got to see those thoughts as what they are. Just thoughts. Not truth. Not facts. I find when I’m blocked it’s time to figure out what thoughts have put me there. Meditation, even just a few minutes a day, helps a lot with this.

Don’t Panic Just Write

It sounds simplistic, but just write. Remember, you can always change things; you can always edit. But you can’t do that with a blank page. Even if you don’t think your writing is fit to line the bird cage, you’re flexing your muscle. Even if you are the most talented writer in the world, you need to practice and actually do the deed.

If you’re stuck on one chapter, put that away for the day and work on a different area; something that resonates with you and gets that keyboard clicking and clacking. (Or that pencil scratching the paper.) Write. Write. Write. And then write.

You Are a Writer

Yes. You are. You can do this. Write because you have a story to tell and crazy details floating around in your head. Write to share your adventures. Write to ignite conversations. But most of all write to discover yourself. I know you can do this with a few simple steps to get it started. Good luck with your book and let me know if you need any help!

*Photo courtesy of Pixabay/Open Clipart-Vectors