Make the time for writing. We all have those absent-minded moments in our day when we're not doing anything. If we use that time to write, we can actually get a lot done.
Lower the bar of writing. To overcome perfectionism, set a a goal and a deadline; this will help you get your words out without the need to have them perfect from the beginning.
Everyone has a book in them. Everyone also has a crummy inner voice telling them it's never going to happen. This episode will help shut down those distracting voices and get you started writing a book. After all, all it takes to be a "real writer" is to do some writing.
You have to create the conditions to write. Carve out some time to write, then start writing. Use the little moments in your day when you're not doing anything.
If you read a printed book, highlight important quotes, ideas, or questions. Write the page number on the first blank page.
If you're reading a Kindle book, use Kindle's "notes" and "highlights" to collect important takeaways.
Highlight the book's chapter headings as you're reading. For books, where each chapter builds on the last, it will be easier to get an overview of your notes and highlights.
Decide what the book is about. Write the argument of your book in a sentence, then turn that into a paragraph, then into a one-page outline. Then write a table of contents to help guide your writing. Break each chapter into a few sections.
Set a daily word count goal. John Grisham began writing when he was really busy as a lawyer and new dad. He got up an hour or two early and wrote one page a day until he had a novel. A page is about 300 words.
Set a time to work on your book every day. Consistency makes creativity easier.
Write in the same special place every time that is different from where you do other activities.
Your book could have helped people, brought beauty or wisdom into the world, if only your book came to be. Or worse, you wrote a book, but nobody cared about it.
Producing a work that sells is not just about writing what you think will work. It's about finding an idea that will excite you and your audience. You have to write a book that is worthy of being sold. To maximize your chance of finishing your book, you need a proven plan.