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Three
Little Pigs Went to Market But One Went Faster
by
Earma Brown
I
like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat
us as equals.” --Winston Churchill
No,
I’m not calling you a pig. Now that I have your attention,
I want to talk with you about finishing your book fast and getting
it to market faster. Did you start on your book and lose focus?
You would love the
rewards of a completed book but wonder where you could fit writing
into your schedule.
Don’t
be discouraged; let me share some tips that will jumpstart your
writing again. Trust me, if it feels like you’ve been stuck
in the mud, these tips will pull you out. I call them the habits
of highly effective authors. Successful writers set up a system
of writing using steps that become habits. Practice the habits below
and write your best book now:
1.
Do a reality check. Do you have a plan in place? Don’t set
yourself up for failure by not planning. Even if it’s a simple
intention goal like “I complete my book (title of book) this
year by (date and year.) I educate myself and do what it takes to
complete it.” Set one and write it down so you can hit the
target.
2.
Setup a writing schedule. Keep it simple. How much time can you
devote to your book? Schedule at least 10 hours per week. Snatch
an hour here and an hour there, if you must. When my schedule is
tight, I write
one hour in the wee hours of the morning and one hour late at night.
I have to prioritize and so must you if you want to get it done.
I must admit since I am an early bird, my early morning writing
takes less revision than the late night.
3.
Act now. Too many of us for too long have hid behind the words,
“It’s too hard.” Now is the time to take charge of
our fears and conquer them. First things first, to overcome procrastination
-the fear of failure- is
to act now. Most times the bottom line of procrastination is fear
of failure. Setup your writing schedule and begin today. Or choose
to sign-up for an easy 7 lesson ecourse “Jumpstart Writing
Your Best Book Now. “ Send any email to iscribe@writetowin.org
Remember, action will destroy fear. Each successful step of your
system will deal a death blow to fear.
4.
Avoid marathon writing. Have you ever thought, “I have to get
away from everything to write a successful book?” No you don’t.
I know several novelist and non-fiction book writers who had to
write during a long commute to get their best book written and out
to the world. They accomplished it because they systematically worked
on their book until it was done. In the midst of your busy life,
designate your time to write (work on your book) with a goal to
completion. (Reasonable time to completion)
5.
Use the tracking approach. I can’t keep up with where I am
after interruptions of life. It is a common challenge to find your
place after being interrupted with family, work and daily life.
After all that’s why many think you must get away to get it
done effectively. Yet, there’s hope for those who can’t
get away or choose not to. Successful writers all over the world
use the tracking approach. They succeed because they
commit to doing a little each day.
There
are 2 methods you could use for your tracking. Time is the method
where you commit to a writing a certain amount of time each day.
With the cumulative factor involved your commitment doesn’t
have to be that much. For example, to accomplish my book writing
goals I commit to writing one hour a day in my most productive time.
For me it is right after my meditation and reading time. With this
method don’t be overly concerned about how much you write,
just keep the time commitment.
The
other method is focused on output. Commit to writing a certain
number of words or pages a day, perhaps 750-1,000 words or approximately
three and a half pages double-spaced text. The key factor is to
stick to
it until completion.
6.
Don’t become chained to writing in order. Jump around and fill
in the blanks. Review your chapters and whatever subject or topic
you most drawn to, begin there. Many inexperienced writers feel
they have to
complete each chapter in order.
It’s
called linear writing (writing each chapter in order.) You don’t
have to write each chapter one after the other. If you happen to
get stuck on chapter two, you could be stuck a very long time. I
think this type of thinking comes from grade school where we are
ritually taught to do everything in order. If you have been thinking
that way stop right now, no need to raise your hand. You have my
permission to work on whatever chapter moves you or you feel passion
bubbling for at the moment. Feeling stuck on a chapter, try another.
There you have it now go with the flow.
7.
Maintain your momentum keep your writing commitments. Do your ever
feel like I am stuck. I have to stop writing until I feel it again.
Don’t worry many of us have felt that way. From what I said
earlier you may have gotten the impression that you just write when
you feel like it and quit when you don’t. If so, no that’s
not what I meant.
Unseasoned
writers may play the martyr and push through just to put something
on paper or give up and try again another day. We would never get
it done like that. When you get stuck simply close that chapter
and pull out your chapter outline and choose another chapter.
8.
Successful authors rewrite and organize their ideas for the most
impact. New authors tell me all the time, “I just write whatever
comes to my head and there’s no need to re-write. My editor
will handle all that.”
My
response is always the same: It’s o.k. to free write when you
are working on your first draft. The idea is go get the thoughts
out of your head onto paper. For no one can express it quite like
you. Oh sure, there are some better or worse writers but not exactly
like you.
In
fact, my advice is to avoid re-writing during your first draft.
Concentrate on finishing each chapter then use your tracking time
to self-edit: Check your ideas for flow, grammar, spelling, and
chapter endings. Work on your chapter titles and lead in introductions.
I
know this may not feel good to some but its smacks of plain ole
laziness if you don’t work on making your copy the best it
can be. Don’t leave all the dirty work for your editor unless
you really can’t do any better.
9. Learn to delegate and share faster and faster Don’t succumb
to the feeling that you have to do it all yourself. As writers,
we can get pretty isolated in our thinking if we’re not careful.
Do your research
and reading time apart from your writing sessions. You may be able
to ask your spouse, a teen-aged son or daughter, a friend to help
with your research.
Know
when to let go of your chapters and book. Don’t self-edit and
pick your book apart word by word. Learn to use your skills at the
highest level possible. Some of the mechanical tasks of proofreading
ask a
family member, part-time employee or again a friend to help. After
you have done the best job you can with your manuscript, don’t
be afraid to pass it to a professional. Learn to delegate faster
and faster.
10.
Value your time. Learn how to do it easier and faster. I don’t
know anything about computers so pecking my book out would probably
take forever. Don’t run from technology. At least take the
time to learn
about the shortcuts in your current software. Welcome to the new
millennium! Embrace technology make your software work efficiently
for you. You can sign-up for a basic computer course. Get a book
to learn
the short-cuts. Not ready to invest, look for some free tutorials
online.
Even
so, nothing can happen until that first draft is completed. Procrastination
is ultimately based on fear of failure. It has stopped countless
of book projects and stolen the vision of many more. Don’t
allow procrastination to become a giant towering over your book
dreams.
Then
there are others who are not afraid but simply get bogged down with
lack of focus and a plan. Develop the habits outlined above and
you’ll be surprised at what you accomplish. Write your best
book now and bring it to market faster!
Earma
Brown may be contacted at http://www.writetowin.org ©
Earma Brown, 11-year author, entrepreneur, web developer
eBk: Write Your Best Book Now!
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