5 Key Points for Writing a Book
By Jasmyne Boswell
Writing a book is similar to starting any project. It takes planning, preparation, focus, commitment, and most of all a passion for what you’re doing. If you implement all five points, the odds of flourishing are in your favor. (For readers not writing a book but working on other projects, change some of the words and the model will still fit.)
First of all, shake off any notion that you have to know exactly what you are going to do from the get go. You may start writing your memoir but at some point it may just start writing you. Ideas will come when you least expect them and memories will arise vying for your attention. Be open to the process and have fun.
My suggestions might vary depending on whether you plan to publish or not but what follows should help get you started. For planning and preparation there are definite steps you can follow.
Planning:
- What is your vision for the book? What are your objectives? Will you write in first person, second or third person? Who is your audience?
- How much time do you have to write? Are you going to stick to a schedule or fit it in whenever possible?
- How many pages will your book have? (Between 200 and 300 pages is recommended.)
- Are you going to write it on your own or work with an editor/coach? Do you plan to publish? (This last question may evolve but if you know at the outset, you can focus your work accordingly.)
- Do you have/want a deadline? Do you need a schedule for writing, particular supplies, or financial assistance?
Answering these questions will kick-start your process and get your juices flowing. You will then have the beginnings of a framework to get started.
Preparation:
- How will your book be organized? Make a list of the major events you will write about.
- Create an outline – Preface/Introduction/Chapters/Epilogue, etc.
- Write a short summary for each section of the outline.
- Gather your writing tools – computer, paper, ink cartridges, research material, pictures, journals, etc., and have them at your disposal.
- Decide when you will start, your best time of day for writing – and have fun!
Focus and Commitment:
When it comes to focus and commitment, you have to dig a bit deeper. If you reflect on past performances, you will see your patterns – those that work for you and those that work against you. Being aware of these tendencies can help you avoid falling into self-defeating traps.
Focus can be measured in part by looking at your personal history. Are you easily distracted or do you concentrate well? Do you work best on your own or with a support system? Do you work better when it is still and quiet or do you need background noise? If you are ready to take on the challenge and commitment of writing a book, you probably have completed other projects and are familiar with your mode of operation. Do what works best and be open to changing what does not work well for you.
Remember - insanity is thinking you will get different results by doing the same thing over and over again.
Commitment can be a tricky word or concept and a lot of people take two steps back and make the sign of the cross to ward it off. Others see commitment as a sense of freedom. Once they commit, they are free to create. Some find it easier to break commitments they make to themselves and harder to break ones they make to another. I have people who take my writing class at Kaunoa (a community center on Maui) and use it as a way to discipline themselves to write. What will give you the ability to see something through – like writing a book – to completion? This is worth exploring before you hit writers block and just shelve the idea all together.
Passion:
And then there is Passion. Your passion gives you the perseverance to keep on keeping on when the going gets rough. I am not talking about the initial excitement of starting something new. I am talking about the deeply-rooted passion that keeps you going until you see your story in print.
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about timing. The universe has a way of supporting us in our endeavors when the time is ripe. Tuning into “right timing” we need to use our “sixth sense,” our intuition. If the time feels right, go for it. If it does not, going through all the steps become a struggle, your passion fizzles and you find little joy. If the timing does not feel quite right but you want to get started, take small steps forward with the planning and preparation and you will know it is time when you can barely think of anything else and your creativity starts overflowing.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~Sylvia Plath
This article was first published in Jasmyne’s bi-weekly “Consider This“-column in the , on 28 February 2008. Republished with Jasmyne’s permission.
Jasmyne Boswell is a Writing Coach/Editor and Marketing Consultant. For over 28 years she has been a mid-wife to professionals in all fields, helping them successfully overcome personal stumbling blocks and bring fruition to their projects. She uses her creative gift with the written word to help bring your ideas into form. Jasmyne can be reached in the US via telephone (1) 808-268-5807 or by visiting |
