Some people have the drive to write their first book and dive right in figuring they’ll learn what they need along the way–either with a book writing program, coaching, editing or trial and error. Many other people struggle and wait, unsure whether they should write their book–“Do I have what it takes?” “Is my idea original enough?” “Will anyone ever read it?”
One way to start to answer these questions it to start small. Write about your subject in an article or blog post. Write in small bursts and see how you feel. Are you enjoying the writing? Does it feel like you have more to say? Does it engage your readers?
Once you complete some shorter pieces:
1. You will have a better sense how much time it takes you to write.
2. You may feel much more comfortable about writing a book.
3. You can get feedback from your audience about what interests them, what’s missing, what they want more of, what you may have missed.
4. You may feel more confident about your writing and your material.
5. You can look at a longer term commitment, such as a book.
Ready to take a small step? Join me for one of my monthly writing courses at All That Matters conference center in beautiful Wakefield, RI. If you live far from RI, consider a weekend retreat–you can join the half day class and plan to do some writing, walk the river behind All That Matters, ride the bike path that runs by the conference center and get inspired to write some more!
This Sunday, October 23, join me for Writing for Everyone–a great “toe in the water” for beginners, or for others, an opportunity to do some work on the book you’ve already begun.
In November, get ready for Inspired Blogging on Saturday, Nov. 19. And December, it’s time for Writing for Transformation on Dec. 10. January 7, we bring you Writing Magic and March 11 Jump Start Your Spiritual How to Book or Memoir. Cost is only $65 per class and if you sign up for 3 classes, you’ll receive a free “Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book“ which sells regularly on my website for $97.
Great advice, Lisa, thanks! Tackling the small bites definitely gives you a sense of how much time this writing gig takes, and prepares you for the larger commitment a book will require.