You know you want to write a book. I can help.
I met Jan through Seth Godin’s Triiibes network. Jan has finished his book, and wrote a blog post about why it took him over four years. It is a cautionary tale, after which you should go read Steven Pressfield’s “Do the Work.”
Read Jan’s post here: http://janrutherford.com/four-things-i-learned-writing-my-first-book/
Writers should not edit their own work. I do anyway. You probably do, too. Raconteur and nutter Tom Bentley wants to make it easier, so he’s released his Easy Editing & Spiffy Style Guide. It costs a paltry $9.97 (of which I’ll get none because that’s not an affiliate link.)
From Tom’s site:
If you care about writing, and would like an editing and style guide that will make you laugh ’til milk comes out your nose, this is the one. If you don’t love love love it, and value it highly, I personally guarantee Tom will give your money back.
Watch for posts on how Seth Godin is changing the book-writing and publishing world. For today, watch Seth himself talk about how, after his first book made the New York Times bestseller list, he gave his second book away—and made more money with it than his first book.
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“The industry is dead.”—Seth Godin
Now that this is my primary focus I’ll have to come up with a schedule for posting content as part of my campaign for world domination.
How ’bout this: I’ll post a writing tip on Mondays, a resource of some kind (book, link, whatever) on Wednesdays, and a philosophical dreamer bit on Fridays, with the occasional extra tossed in.
I’ll also be firing up the newsletter machine again. Rather than simply duplicating content, the newsletter will have content for the Inner Circle. If you just want to read the blog you can subscribe by email (just as soon as I get Feedburner configured, which is one reason for this post.)
If you were in the Inner Circle, what would you want in the newsletter? What kind of reward would you appreciate for sharing your contact information?
One of many free downloads from Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” website is the section from her book (of the same name) on basic tools.
Two tools she talks about are morning pages (journaling every morning) and artist dates (spending quality time with your artistic self.) If you want to amp your creativity and help yourself commit to it download and read her comments. She describes each tool and explains why they’re vital.
I’m conducting a little experiment with my videos. Clearly, most people watch the videos and, despite a direct request for this information, never comment on what else they’d need to get their book written. People don’t watch a video and think about writing.
After chatting with one of my prospective clients yesterday I realized I need to take my own advice. Rather than writing a book about the mechanical stuff, I need to write the why. It needs to help aspiring writers analyze their reasons for writing a book so they’re writing the right book, and have enough fire to make them do the work.
You can learn the mechanics anywhere; as my geek friends say, Google is your friend.
Only one place you can learn your why: your own head. I can help with that. I hope the book does just that.
If you’ve spent any time at all in writers’ groups online or in real life, you’ve heard someone say that writers write; that’s what makes them a writer. You’ve heard the advice to write, every single day.
Are you doing that? Right now, I mean. Or are you waiting for that Big Project, and then you’ll buckle down and schedule the time and stick with it. You’ll write, by gum, every single day.
Great. Good for you. Just remember, if you’re not doing it now, you’re not a writer.