Photo Courtesy of PIxabay (Creative Commons)
You know you want to write a book.
So, naturally, you do a simple Google search.
Then you see this.
Over 1.5 billion results? How discouraging!
Sadly, this overload of information stops most people in their tracks.
I’d like to propose a simple way to help you get rolling today. Sound good? Let’s dive in.
The great news is that you already have an idea for your book.
Let’s call that your idea seed.
You’ve got it planted in your mind.
Now you need to make that seed grow into a healthy plant (aka your book).
I’d like to propose a formula of sorts to you.
Your Idea + Inspiration + Support = Your Book
You might want to write a memoir, non-fiction book or even a novel.
Whatever it is, you’re all in, and you know what your goal is.
It’s time to put this formula into action in three steps.
1. Put Your Idea To The Test (AKA Put It On Paper)
Maybe you want to write an outline now. Or you’d like to dive in and start writing.
The choice is yours, and there really is no wrong answer.
Just experiment and have fun putting some words on the page.
Do whatever comes easiest to you.
Start writing and start to put your idea on the page.
As you continue to write, at some point, you’ll need some inspiration. Let’s look at this part closer.
2. The Next Step Requires A Little Digging
One of the best ways to find inspiration is through spending a few minutes visiting your bookshelves.
Here’s how it works: find five of your all-time favorite books in the same genre as the book you want to write.
I know it’s hard, but narrow it down to five and look closer at them for one hour.
(I’m serious, set a timer. Otherwise, this can easily turn into procrastination.)
Look at the structure. Look at the number of chapters. Look at the tone.
Seriously, dive into those books and take some notes on what you love about them.
Photo by Pic Jumbo (Creative Commons)
This will give you the inspiration you need to write your book. After you spend some time with these books, you should have a page of notes that pinpoints what you enjoy most about your favorite books.
These notes are really important because they will act as a guide for your book.
If you like non-fiction books that are short, sweet and to the point, you’ll likely want to write one that uses that same approach.
Once the hour is up, your next job is to go back to the writing.
When you dive back into the writing, instead of trying to write an entire book, focus on writing one chapter.
A book is intimidating and can even be overwhelming.
One chapter? You know you can do that. Or maybe one paragraph. Make the task as small as it needs to be so you feel like it is something you know you can do.
Writing a book is a lot like eating an elephant. So it means writing one sentence, one paragraph, one page at a time.
3. The Final Piece Requires More Than You
Now that we have covered your idea, inspiration and hard work, there is one last piece you need to write your book: support.
The great news is that you have several options. You could have a writer friend check in with you once a week to ask you about your writing. Maybe it’s time to join a writing mastermind. Maybe it is attending a local writer’s meetup in your town or hiring a writing coach.
Whatever it is, you need support.
As you know, writing a book is hard.
When you have other supporting you and lifting you up, you remove some of those pesky voices inside your head that say things like “You won’t finish your book,” or “You can’t write a book.”
That’s the final component needed to write a book. I encourage you to carefully consider each of these components of the book-writing process.
Want even more help? Check out my Finish Your Book Summit that I’m holding this week. Sign up now before it’s too late.
