So you want to write a book? - Part 4

A deep dive into why you are writing this book

As I alluded to in the last article, often our first draft is just that, a first draft.  Hate to tell you, but likely one of many. The good news is that with each version you are getting closer to the final, finished product.

 But let’s get back to the beginning for a moment.  Early on I asked you why you were writing your book?  Who was your potential reader? And what were your key messages?

Has that changed?  Because sometimes it does as you go deeper into your topic and learn more.  Sometimes the writing process digs up more than you expected in your personal life. Stuff you’d kept under wraps.  Your decision is whether to include these insights or stories in the book, and only you can decide what gets included and what gets left out.  But just a heads up that writing can stir up issues you thought were long gone.

The clearer you can be on what you want to achieve through your book, the better it will be.  By clarity, I mean the key messages, the outcome for the reader, and yes, what you want to get out of it too.  If it is making a fortune through your book, I hate to disappoint you, but unless you are Stephen King, making lots of money as an author is a pipe dream.

What a book does is it gives you is credibility.  We live in a society that admires and respects people who have written a book.  If you are in business, your book can become a platform from which to establish yourself as an expert.  In fact it is often through public speaking that you sell the most books.

There will be times when you feel like giving up.  It is then when you want to remember your why.  Why you are doing this in the first place.  It is that why that will give you the tenacity to carry on.

Taking a break is OK too.  Sometimes coming back a few months later gives you a fresh perspective and a renewed enthusiasm for the project.

Personally I find it hard to write when I am not in the “flow.”   I am far better off to “step away from the computer” take a walk, do something else rather than force myself to write when I am tired and not feeling that creative.

Having said all this, there is something very rewarding when a reader contacts you to say that your words have been helpful, resonated and made a difference.  That’s when you know you are on the right path.

This post is part four of a series on writing books by Anne Day, President of Full Circle Publishing and author/editor of five books on Women and Entrepreneurship.  Her next book, co-authored with Amy Vodarek will be coming out in Spring, 2017

So you want to write a book... Part 2

Making a plan

It is way easier to write when you have planned out your key messages and thought through the stories you want to share to illustrate your points.  Try not to have too many key messages, otherwise you will overwhelm not only yourself but the reader too.

If you come up with three key messages, for example, list under each message how you will share the information, will it be through stories (both your own and others you may have interviewed), factual data,  other written documents/books on the topic. 

When you start to work out what will be covered, it is much easier to start writing and you have a plan.

In writing Good Enough? we used a template to plan out what each chapter will cover.  We wrote each theme on a post it note and as the book moved along, it changed but it helped us keep track of what needed to be included and where.   

Now the order of the chapters may change, in fact, quite likely it will as your book takes shape, but the key at the beginning is to just write and stay focused on the content.

You may want to start with the chapter that is the easiest to write, as that way you have a taste of success from the get-go.  It eases you into the writing flow.

Do you have a special deadline in mind?  Perhaps you are talking at a conference or making an important presentation and would like to have the book available.  You then need to work backwards from that date and build in certain milestones, so that you stay on track and meet that deadline.

When you are doing this, remember that everything takes longer than you think, so don’t box yourself in – build in time for Murphy’s law – what can go wrong, will go wrong.  Much depends too on the steps you want to take – do you want to have your text copy edited (something I recommend because if nothing else it is a fresh pair of eyes looking at your work. ) then you need to allow time for that to happen. 

The actual production takes time too.  Check with who you want to print your book on the typical amount of time that this will take.

This post is part two of a series on writing books by Anne Day, President of Full Circle Publishing and author/editor of five books on Women and Entrepreneurship.  Her next book, co-authored with Amy Vodarek will be coming out in Spring, 2017

So you want to write a book? - Part 1

Getting started.

Over 80 percent of North Americans feel they have a book in them, a book they need to write.  Yet how many see the light of day?  Not many.

What holds people back from sending their words out into the world?   Much of it is tied into their lack of knowledge and confidence that they can do it.  They question their ability to write, never mind write well and time becomes a real challenging factor.  

How can they fit it into an already jam-packed schedule?  Take all this and it is easy to see how overwhelming this can all be and so they don’t even start.

This is an instance when you just have to start, taking it one step at a time. Maybe it requires you to step away from your usual routine and spend some quiet time thinking about your book.  What will it be about?  Who will want to read it? What are your key messages?  Why do you want to write it?

When you have come up with your answers to these questions, you have a foundation upon which to build and start your book.  One of your first steps needs to be to start writing. Regularly.  You need to strengthen your writing muscle and so writing every day helps hone your writing skills.

It doesn’t have to be lengthy epistles but if you can move towards 500 words a day, you will be surprised at how much easier it becomes to put words on paper.  Think about when you are most creative – are you a morning person or a night owl?  Is there a spot in your home or office that stirs up your creative juices. 

For example I am an early bird and I enjoy the quiet of my home office at the farm.  But for others, the hustle and bustle of a Starbucks is just what they need to get writing.

Wherever you chose, schedule your time to write on a daily basis. Writing a book is all about discipline, you need to block off your time to write. Now a word about those words.  Don’t edit as you go along, that comes later. What you want to do is to just go with the flow and get writing. 

And reading.  It helps to read work done by other writers.  Find people you want to follow and start observing how they write.  How do they describe situations?  Can you picture in your mind what is happening or how the person is feeling?  Make note of what works for you as the reader.

This post is part one of a series on writing books by Anne Day, President of Full Circle Publishing and author/editor of five books on Women and Entrepreneurship.  Her next book, co-authored with Amy Vodarek will be coming out in Spring, 2017

Speaking out about breast cancer

Every year in October I am reminded that it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  As a survivor of twenty-six years, I still remember that sense of absolute fear when I was told the news of my diagnosis at 39.  Especially as a mother of two young children, worried that I might not see them grow up.

And when I was diagnosed 15 years later it was even more of a shock, because I’d conveniently forgotten that once you are a member of the Cancer Club, your membership never expires.  In 2005 mine was reactivated.

That fear never really leaves you and it bubbles to the surface with every check up.    But at least today, there are more resources to support women (and men) who have been diagnosed.

I know that for sure because through my newly formed publishing company, I have three books on breast cancer coming to fruition.  Each is very different, but in its own way, will  hopefully provide information, inspiration and support to families impacted by this disease.

The first is One Loop at a Time – A story of rug-hooking, healing and creativity by Meryl Cook.  Hailing from Nova Scotia, Meryl used her rug hooking to demonstrate her emotions as she went through her cancer treatments.  Each rug is beautifully photographed in the book, with her poems and descriptions of how she felt every step of the way.  It’s a feel good book.

Next came Debbie Kerr’s book – When Cancer Takes Flight! in which she takes the reader on her cancer journey, providing useful information and resources so that fellow passengers on this trip, can know in some way what to expect and how humour – and Debbie has it in spades – can make all the difference.

Last but no means least, we have Riding Shotgun, written by Don Kerr from the male perspective of what it was like being the caregiver when his wife was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, especially with two young sons.  Not much is written or available for men in the caregiver situation and Don’s book eloquently describes his struggles and gratitude that they all survived. 

All three books will be coming out in late November/early December.  I applaud them all for their courage to tell their stories, and the wisdom they are willing to share with others.

-- 

Pursuing the dream - writing your book

This summer I have several authors working away at their books.  All are at different stages and while the summer is a great time to set aside and write, it can also be challenging.

When you are sharing raw, emotional times in your life, it can be hard to revisit and dig up your past. And then there’s the decision about how much you reveal and how vulnerable you want to be.

I applaud the writer who can go there because at the end of the day, your courage will help others as you can be sure that your story will resonate with others who are in similar situations today or in the past.  But it is a tough decision, as often there are other people in your family who may be impacted by your brutal honesty.   

As well as the emotional side to writing a book, there’s also the physical aspects to consider.  Being summer you may well want to work outside but find it is hard to see your screen.  One option is to try pen and paper to see if that stirs up your creative juices.  Another is to work on your book through postcards, where you can jot down key messages, ideas and stories to tell, so that later when you are indoors, you can just sit at your computer and write.

Another challenge maybe that your book is in your head and if you could just dictate it, it would get done.  These days there’s lots of software where you can just dictate your book and voila, your words are on paper.  One friend swears by Read & Write on Google Chrome. So don’t make that an excuse – get cracking.

All of this to say that there is no right way to write a book.  The key is to get into a groove, schedule time to write (or dictate) and make it happen. 

Just remember that your first draft is just that… a first draft.