“The difference between a would-be author and a published author is the published author has audacity.” ~ Jennifer Manlowe

Fear can be a huge boulder in any writer’s path, preventing her or him from being able to see that there might be a way to work with, even capitalize on, its universality.

Fear has a way of throwing us off balance, making us feel uncertain and insecure, but it is not meant to discourage us. Its purpose is to notify us that we are taking steps away from our comfort zone and across that scary bridge that connects our old life with our new one.

It’s a good idea to remember that fear never goes away. But sometimes some of them shrink. I compare my fears to miserable, cave-dwelling Trolls under the bridge of possibility. They seem to make it their primary goal to keep me scared and preferring to wait on the familiar side of the bridge–the “safe” one I’ve known most of my life.

But, I believe that whenever we face our fear, we overcome an inner obstacle and move into new territory, both inside and out.

Many would-be authors let their fears keep them from embracing their writerly possibilities.

Which type of fear keeps you from fulfilling your writing goals?

Here is just a small sampling (based on my clients’ and my own experiences):

* Fear of change
* Fear we’ll be neglecting our other responsibilities (in the old days women could be arrested for being authors)
* Fear of the unknown
* Fear of failing
* Fear of succeeding
* Fear of being too old to be relevant or too young to write a memoir
* Fear of being seen as frivolous or vain
* Fear of losing money–knowing, in fact, there are no guarantees
* Fear of being broke
* Fear of having to BE an author, i.e., “Will I have to pump out books like Stephen King for the rest of my life?”
* Fear of not having what it takes (discipline, talent, passion, a compelling story to tell)
* Fear of being wrong (too many typos and grammatical errors)
* Fear of not being able to begin (or finish!)
* Fear of humiliation, worries of what friends, family or colleagues will think
* Fear of self-delusion; that your experiment as an author will appear to be grandiose, self-indulgent
* Fear that it’s all been said before
* Fear of being audacious, “How dare I think I have something unique or relevant to say!”
* Fear of no longer having this goal (dream?)
* Fear of a lawsuit or of physical retaliation (from those that think you’re really writing about them!); and finally, the biggest fear of them all:
* Fear of being ordinary (just another schmo on the bus).

The point of this list is for us to see that we all have fears! It’s called being a sentient (conscious) being.

If we don’t feel fear at all, we may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)–a kind of numbness born of frequent exposure to traumatic experiences. Of course, we could be sociopaths–people who have no capacity for empathizing with other living beings. But, my guess, most of us suffer from neither of these troubling conditions.

Instead, feeling fear is quite ordinary even for the Einsteins, Dr. Kings, Aung San Suu Kyis and Anne Franks of the world. The fact is, we all feel fear and wish we would not get stopped by this tedious truism of human existence. But I’m here to tell you that while there is no way around what scares us, everybody can find ways to move through their fears.

With great frequency, I say to my memoir clients and to myself: “Just keep walking! All dark tunnels have openings.”

While comfort with fear is a contradiction in terms, we can learn to honor our fear, recognizing its arrival, listening to its intelligence, and respecting it as a harbinger of transformation. Indeed, it informs us that what we are doing (or about to do) is significant. On this occasion, we truly care.

“Do or do not… there is no try.” ~ Yoda, Star Wars

I dare you readers who are writers to experiment with this four-pronged method for walking through fear:

(1) Circle an end date in your calendar when you would like to have a finished manuscript or poem that is ready for publication. This commitment tells your “inner writer” that you are taking it seriously and want to follow its dictates. I’ve found that making this mental promise a physical one, in writing, is a magical act; (2) Write any part of your first draft (keep this action very simple); (3) Tell a friend what you have accomplished thus far, (or write and tell me); then (4) Get back to it the next day.

Everything I have ever completed has been supported by this four-step method–from passing graduate exams in Hebrew, Spanish, French and Ancient Greek, to learning to fly on a Trapeze (just once, thank God!), to publishing seven books. And, I swear, I’m no genius!

“Say it, Do it, Report it, Repeat it.” ~ Molly Gordon, Accidental Entrepreneur and Master Certified Coach

When we work with our fears, we can take the focus off resisting them, thus freeing up a ton of energy. Think about trying to hold under water a helium balloon for most of your waking life. Such resistance might be a major reason we’re all so exhausted, have TMJ, or buckets of chronic neck and shoulder pain.

After we have made the commitment and taken action to complete our book or other writing, we will have evidence that fears can be walked through, perhaps even worked through, at least for today.

Jennifer Manlowe (PhD, CPC) is an author, speaker and Certified Publishing Coach. People who hire Jennifer want to authorize their voice through writing and publishing their memoirs.

“Memoir is about finding your voice. Whether your goal be a full length book or a personal essay, the end product is always the writer’s voice.” ~ Lynne Griffin

Set up a sample session through Dr. Manlowe’s website: http://AuthorizeU.com. Should you sign up to work with her, you will instantly receive her eBooks, Writing from Life and Getting Into Print.

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For the most, part freelance writers were limited to the number of producers of media; such as newspapers and magazines. And, there was a cap on the number of jobs available at any point in time. If you wanted to be published you had to compete with other writers for the few jobs that weren’t taken by staff members.

Today, because of the internet, there are literally thousands of opportunities for good writers to find work every day. Just by its very nature, web sites need content, and that content is mostly made up of text.

There are literally millions of websites and blogs that need content. Of course they need that content to convey information about their product or service to their readers. But, they also need high-quality, relevant content in order to be found on the front page of a search engines so they can stay ahead of their competitors.

Now, let’s look at what this means to you – the writer. Each website needs content, and in order to keep being found, they need fresh, high-quality, relevant content. Now, if there are millions of websites – you can now begin to see the opportunities for you as a freelance writer.

And content for websites is just one type of writing that’s needed. There are also businesses that need articles, special reports, eBooks, email autoresponders and white papers written. Every day, more and more people are looking on the internet for information on every topic you can think of.

Some of the major topics are health and fitness, relationships, money issues, pet care; and so on. You can do a quick search in the books section of a site like Amazon to see what topics are selling the best to give you an idea of what content people are looking for.

And, you don’t need any special training or certificates to get a job as a freelance writer. According to a survey done in 1993 by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, the average adult in the U.S. reads between the 8th and 9th grade reading levels.

Once you know where to look, you’ll find more writing jobs than you physically have time to write. There are sites on the internet that cater to freelance writers that connect freelancers and the clients that want to hire them.

You can list yourself as a freelance writer on each site. When your potential customers have a writing job, they post the scope of the job on the site. You then submit a bid for that job and the client hires from those who bid.

Visit http://www.GhostwritingCash.com to download a solid business plan for earning freelance writing money so you can get paid to write at a decent rate.

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Why is there such a need for writers online? The internet is growing by leaps and bounds; more and more people are going online and creating businesses of their own, largely due to the fact that traditional jobs are disappearing. Websites need content, articles drive traffic to those sites and help build page rank. When you think about it, what’s the web made up of? Content! There’s plenty to be written, and writing for money is a genuine, legitimate opportunity that’s just waiting for you.

You’re thinking “but I’ve never written anything! I don’t know where to start.” That’s normal. For the most part, website owners and content sites that pay you to write want articles that average about 300 to 500 words – some shorter, some longer.

All you need to do is make a list of topics you have some knowledge on; this can be hobbies, passions and interests. Go online and do some research on your topics, then write up an article in your own words. Study how other people write – the titles, opening paragraphs, etc. Write a few of your own, and once you feel comfortable with your work submit your articles to some of the online sites that are similar to consignment shops. When your article sells, you make money!

Another thought is to contact website owners and offer them a free article for their site. If your article is what they are looking for, they’re likely to hire you to write fresh content for their site on a regular basis. A few of these, and you’re in business!

Hundreds of thousands of people just like you get paid to write online, and most have no special training or education in writing. Are you ready to set your own hours, work from home and live comfortably? This is the ONE opportunity online that allows absolutely anyone to create their own destiny. Will you be next?

Discover how easy it is to make money writing online with Tess Tackett’s ebook, Write for Prosperity at http://writeforprosperity.yolasite.com. If you’re ready to make money writing this book offers step by step instructions, and tips to make your writing easier.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Tackett

While there are plenty of ways you can make money writing online, we will talk about 3 of them here. The fact is, anyone who can talk or write words that form a sentence can do this! Here are some ideas for those looking for a fantastic opportunity to start a writing career.

1. Write articles and submit them to website owners. If you’ve surfed the web, you know there are websites on nearly any topic imaginable. Write a few articles, contact the web master and offer an article or two free. If they like your articles, they will likely pay you to write content for them in the future.

2. Write ebooks. Information sells online, and lots of it. Have a hobby or passion that you know a great deal about? Write an ebook and sell it on the web. This is one of the most popular ways that people make money writing online.

3. Write for content providers. There are dozens of content providers on the internet that offer articles, web pages and other content on every topic to those business owners who need them. You can become a writer for these sites by simply signing up and providing a sample of your work.

In all honesty, even a beginner can earn money writing online. The internet is a goldmine when it comes to opportunities for writing content, and someone has to do the work – so why shouldn’t it be you? If you want to build an incredible income for yourself, learn more about the opportunities right now.

Discover how you can make money writing online with Tess Tackett’s “Write for Prosperity” ebook at http://writeforprosperity.yolasite.com. Even beginners can make money writing online, no experience required.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Tackett

This is the first opportunity for you as a freelance writer. You can connect with website owners and write web content for them. With millions of websites on millions of different topics there is more than enough demand. The way the internet works also means that there is a constant demand for fresh content and for you as a writer this means that there is virtually a never ending supply of work.

While creating web content is one opportunity there is also a lot of more traditional writing jobs that you can find online. Many “real businesses” are turning online to find quality writers to fulfill their writing needs. A typical example is transcribing work where you simply transcribe audio or video content. More advanced versions is with technical writers that compile manuals or technical documents.

The concept of a ghost writer is also something that’s become very popular online – even though its been around for a long time. You basically author a book, a story or a manual as a ghost writer and sell it on to someone who takes over the authorship. With millions of e-books going online there is indeed a huge opportunity for ghost writers.

Obviously payment needs to be addressed. There are no hard and fast rules for how much you can earn. In theory you can earn just as much online as you could offline but the main benefit is the flexibility that an online job offers. There are a number of options available to you. You can register at freelance website to sell your services, you can find long term contracts or you can wind permanent employment with writing agencies. Its up to you and you need to weight up all the pro’s and con’s to see what works best for you. In the end the opportunity is there and you need to take it and run with it.

Read more about finding high paying writing jobs online and learn more about writing articles for money…

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Skip skimming: On attempting to emulate content available already on a site, writers most likely begin to skim at their own peril. On the contrary, before even starting with your diligent website copy writing services, you must read as much content present on the website as possible. Try to figure out if the content is written in one style or has different patterns, which actually means that the content has been created unitedly by multiple writers. If it has different writings styles, ensure to check with your client the style he prefers the most. Your client, in fact may also demand for a complete new writing style.

Take Note of Length: You need to measure everything about the content. From its intensity, style and pattern to length of the sentences as well as paragraphs. The advanced technique of writing writing crisp, concise sentences may not work with all websites that have the need of long-winded content. In addition, take notes regarding the usage of words. As for example, many websites do not prefer to use “wont” in place of “would not”. Secondly, check if the content is weighed heavily in terms of SEO and paying lot of heed to keywords, keyword density, readability, etc.
Recurring Elements: For offering experienced website copy writing services, you must look out for consistently appearing phrases in the website. Make efforts to understand the terminology used on the site. It is important for you to be familiar with client’s industry terms in order to employ those terms in suitable contexts. While gauging the content, clients actually accept or reject content on the basis of calls to action. It is the most integral promotional element on a page reflects business approach towards getting branded.

The Black Listed items: Ask your clients thing or elements he does not want to have on his website. Every client has his “black list” of prohibited words. In addition, various companies have their own quality control rules regarding stuff that can and can’t be placed on the website. As for instance, many businesses do not believe in superlatives, such as, “the best” or “one of the top companies.” On the other hand, few choose to live by the rules of SEC regulations because of their status as a publicly traded company. Hence, ensure to have a meeting with your client to sincerely crosscheck all these points that if left unnoticed, can create troubles later.

These are some of the points that a sincere website copywriter must take into considerations before starting with nay project. Absolutely, the job of delivering quality website copy writing services is tremendously daunting and hence, one must focus on all its aspects primarily to stay safe from making mistakes.

SEO Content Writers (SCW) offers cheap SEO Content Writing Services. Request a quote to get the best SEO friendly copies which are targeted to your customers and defines your service in its best.

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Think about what your audience looks like, believes, rejects, and values. Remember their age, gender, and other relevant characteristics. Most importantly, get in touch with their more difficult emotions: discouragement, frustration, guilt, shame and so forth. Then concentrate on the feelings you want them to feel: hope, competency, success and pride in a job well done. The more you understand your audience, how they think, what moves and motivates them, the better you will be at selecting most compelling stories.

Where can you find relevant stories?

I’ve used stories in all of my books and no doubt your favorite self-help book authors have as well. You may have wondered when reading self-help books, where do these stories come from? Stories can be found all around you. Let’s start with your story and how you can use it in your book.

1. Your story

If you want to develop a more intimate relationship you’re your readers, it’s a good to include it at the beginning of your book, such as in your introduction or in the first chapter. In Take the U Out of Clutter, Mark Brunetz and I each told our stories in the first chapter. You can also include snippets of your story throughout the book when your experiences are relevant.

Since your story is about you, it can be one of the easiest ways to illustrate your message. Most readers are curious about the author’s experiences. Occasionally, authors get overly obsessed with themselves and turn off their readers. But one of the most effectively way to create a personal connection between yourself and your readers is to describe your own foibles and achievements, and poke a little fun at yourself.

2. Your story in disguise

In addition to including stories about yourself, you can disguise your experiences and present the story as if it happened to someone else. In my first book, When Helping You Is Hurting Me, the clients I described were actually based on my own issues, inner conflicts and challenges. To the extent that the stories reflected my personal experiences, they were “true”. But I embodied these aspects in characters that I created.

A word of warning belongs here:Because an engaging story centers on conflict, your story will often include other people. Be careful about telling someone else’s story without their permission. Yes, you may have gone through a divorce and you want to draw from that experience. But chances are your ex won’t be too keen on you exposing his or her personal life for all the world to see. If you use someone else’s story in a way that can be identified, whether it’s a part of your story or not, it’s important that you get a signed release form that person.

3. Observation

Where else can you find stories? From both your personal and professional worlds. You can include stories from your clients, patients and customers. No doubt someone in your family has had an experience relevant to your topic. Round this out with experiences your friends have had and there’s quite a large pool to draw from. As with the previous section, stories that are about other people should be told only once a signed release form is obtained.

4. Interviews

I’ve interviewed hundreds of people over my career for the specific purpose of getting real stories to include in my books. I bend over backwards to make sure that those I interview are happy with the way they are portrayed.

I’ve never had any difficulty with using real stories because I work so closely with those I interview, and I have everyone sign a release form. However, it only takes one disgruntled person to file a law suit, and who has time for that? Search online for sample forms, or request that your publishing house provide you with appropriate forms. But it is a good idea to get something in writing as close to the beginning of the project as possible.

5. Someone else’s story in disguise

A way to sidestep having to get signed release forms is to disguise the identity of the people in the story. Similar to basing the stories and characters in your own story, you can change specific features such as gender, location, age, and their relationship to you. It’s important to change enough of the features so that no one, even those closest to you, can figure out who you’re referring to.

6. Composites

Another popular way to get the stories you need while protecting confidentiality and privacy is to combine features from two or more people you know. This can be helpful if the true story doesn’t illustrate the point you want to make as well as you’d like. Often, reality doesn’t fit into the nice, tidy categories we authors have created. As long as you’re up front with your audience about the nature of your stories, you can blend several people into one illustration.

7. Pure Fiction

There is a fine line between creating a composite and writing pure fiction. Basic honesty would restrict you from “making up” success stories when, in fact, no one has ever been helped by your program. It’s unethical to claim that Mary lost 50 pounds when no one has ever lost that much weight on your diet, or to report that your conflict resolution program saved Charlie and Pamela’s marriage when your clients have ended up divorced. Create your composite stories carefully, with a keen eye on illustrating what is true. You can run into problems if your stories are more fiction than genuine experiences people have had.

Acknowledge your story process

I’m often asked by readers I meet if the stories in my books are true. Since readers often identify with the people in the stories, they are naturally curious about how “real” these people are. I tell them the truth, whatever that may be for the book in question. Sometimes all of the characters are parts of myself, some stories give identifying features and I use people’s real names, and some of my stories are based in fact but told in a way that is not exploitive. I’ve never had anyone express concern about the stories I’ve used as long as I’m up front with them. To strengthen the credibility of your stories, I recommend that you acknowledge your process somewhere in the book.

To learn how to get your book published download my free article, “The 3 Most Important Questions You Must Answer to Land a Book Contract” at http://www.carmenreneeberry.com/untitled16.html

Carmen Berry, MSW is a New York Times bestselling author who has taught aspiring authors how to get published for 10 years. Her coaching draws, not only from her successes, but also from the many mistakes she has made during her 25-year writing career. As a result, her clients can avoid making common-sense blunders that many first-time authors make. It’s okay to be a first-time author as long as you don’t act like an amateur. She works with aspiring writers who love helping people such as mental health professionals, educators, medical professionals, pastors, fitness experts and craft enthusiasts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_Berry

Take the U Out of Clutter

I will use the book I co-authored with Mark Brunetz, Emmy award-winning co-host of Clean House on Style Network. Our book was divided into three sections and we used a different structure in each part:

Part One: You Make the Meaning / We used the Developmental Model

Part Two: Stories That Hold Us All Back / We used the Modular Model

Part Three: Clear the Clutter from the Inside Out / We used the Step-by-step Model

Even though the book used different types of book structure, our chapters followed a similar pattern, except for the first and last chapters. In the first chapter, we introduced ourselves and told our own stories about clutter to engage the reader. In the last chapter we briefly summarized the book and invited readers to contact us through our web sites.

For the chapters in between, we selected one story to be used throughout that chapter. Usually the story opened the chapter, but occasionally we made a few points prior to starting the story. Each story was presented in the first person by the main character in that story and a client of Mark’s and included details of their interaction. The stories we used were based on real clients that Mark or I had worked with, but the identifying features were changed. Our chapters were short and easy to read with a structure that followed this basic pattern:

* Opening Story

* 2 or more points we presented that were identified by chapter subheads

* Practices to Live Out, Follow, or Apply (Exercises)

* Affirmations

Here is the opening of chapter 7: Sort Your Stories, Not Your Stuff

An airline pilot who has traveled the world many times over, Jorge has collected souvenirs from every place he has flown. When we met him, many of these items were still in their boxes, unopened. In addition to his stash of mementos, Jorge’s garage held furniture, boxes of photos, gardening tools, and just plain junk.

Jorge told us:

I know that Mark has worked with a lot of people with clutter problems, but I think even he was surprised at how many things I was able to get into my garage. My wife, Arianna, is so irritated with me. We just bought her a new car and she wants to be able to park it in the garage. She told me if I didn’t have it cleaned out by her deadline, she’d call in an expert. I missed the deadline. The next thing I new, Mark was here

Mark said, “Don’t worry, Jorge. We’ll get this garage in order in no time.”

I liked his optimism but I had one question. “Where do we start?”

So, how many stories did Mark and I need for our book? We needed our two stories and then one story for chapters 2 – 15. Due to the fact that our book was highly structured, it was very easy to determine how many stories we needed. We needed 13 stories.

4-Hour Workweek

In contrast, is the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Tim writes with high-powered sales energy from start to finish, with a style all his own. Before his first chapter, he includes three introductory pieces that focused on his personal success story. Due to their unique nature, each piece had its own structure. They are:

FAQ-Doubters Read This

My Story and Why You Need This Book

Chronology of a Pathology

The remainder of his book is divided into four steps. The first letter of the titles of each section spell out the word DEAL. His last chapter is three pages long. It starts with an email, has a few remarks from Tim and then ends with a poem.

After the “last chapter” he includes a reading list and 7 bonus chapters. When you flip to the back of the book to read these bonus chapters, Tim informs you that in order to get them, you’ll have to visit his web site. Very clever.

Without following the rules too stringently, most of his chapters are short, usually opening with a quote with two or more subheads. He ends most of his chapters with “Q&A: Questions and Actions” in which he gives assignments, answers FAQ and gives a pep talk to the reader. The stories Ferriss includes, and the way they are presented, are as varied as the rest of his book. Some chapters are devoted to one person’s story. Other chapters he uses snippets of he tells in the first or third person.

Here’s a short sample:

I once asked my mom how she decided when to have her first child, little ol’ me. The answer was simple: “It was something we wanted, and we decided there was no point in putting it off. The timing is never right to have a baby.” And so it is.

How many stories did Ferriss need? Since he used so many different approaches throughout his book, it would be very hard to predict all of the stories included. If your book follows in Ferriss’s footsteps, a more accurate way of determining the number of stories you will need is to walk through a chapter and make a notation whenever you think one is needed.

The choice is yours to make. Will you use different stories in every chapter? Will you use one story per chapter? Will you use the same stories in all of your chapters? Decide upon a story strategy that aids your reader to better understand and apply your program.

Writing stories is my favorite part of authoring a self-help book. They bring a dimension of real life drama into an otherwise “instructional” narrative.

To learn how to get your book published download my free article, “The 3 Most Important Questions You Must Answer to Land a Book Contract” at http://www.carmenreneeberry.com/untitled16.html

Carmen Berry, MSW is a New York Times bestselling author who has taught aspiring authors how to get published for 10 years. Her coaching draws, not only from her successes, but also from the many mistakes she has made during her 25-year writing career. As a result, her clients can avoid making common-sense blunders that many first-time authors make. It’s okay to be a first-time author as long as you don’t act like an amateur. She works with aspiring writers who love helping people such as mental health professionals, educators, medical professionals, pastors, fitness experts and craft enthusiasts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_Berry

There are some writers who are masters at catching their readers attention, but there are also many writers who tend to make things unnecessarily complex. How then can you keep your writing simple?

1. Focus on the core point in your text. If you write about a topic you know really well you might have a lot to say about it, but your reader might not have as much knowledge as you and if you give him or her too much stuff he or she might get lost.

2. Keep it short and well structured. There is so much to read out there today so if your text is very long people might skip it for some shorter text. Also if it is very tight and with small letters it will make people turn away from it. There are for example some pocket books on the market with very small text, and although the subject might interest me the layout makes me choose another book instead. On the internet a text should be easily skimmed through and preferably with a lot of spacing throughout.

3. Make it a list. I have been sceptical about lists myself, but I have had to change my mind. Especially on the internet this is an effective way to get your message through. It means you can divide your text into well structured parts.

4. Know what you write about. You might lose people if you have much more knowledge than them about the topic, but you might also lose them if you know too little about it. If you don´t have a clear picture of what you want to say your text might become very confusing. Usually the more clear your picture is of what you want to say the easier it is to write a simple, understandable text.

5. Know your point. Everything has many angles and can be seen from many perspectives, and you should know what your point is with the text. If you try to cover all angles you will most likely end up losing not only your readers, but also yourself. If you cover one angle this time you can cover another angle next time.

6. Put yourself into the text. Using only facts and figures is an effective way of boring your reader. Well, there are some people who get turned on by these, but most people like a good story and like to get a humane view of the subject.

7. Talk to your reader. Don´t talk above your reader, talk to him or her. Think of your writing as if you were having a dialogue with the other person. In a dialogue your partner learn something, but you learn something too. Try to picture your reader and his or her questions to your writing. If you show an interest in your reader you will catch his or her attention.

How do you keep your writing simple?

Tom Sorhannus is writing and blogging about personal development and life at Experience And Grow —-> go there experienceandgrow.com

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You know writing your book will be good for you–it will attract more ideal clients to you, it will make your business more visible, it will allow you to make more money, and it will get your message out to much bigger audiences. You want to write the book and you have lots of ideas, but when you sit down to do it, you just can’t seem to get anything done.

Why is it such a struggle when the desire is there? Because writing a book is such a big project that if you sit down thinking, “I’m going to write my book,” you’ll end up overwhelmed. You won’t see an easy entry point. It’s like trying to see individual trees in a vast and dense forest–the task seems so big that it’s hard to see it for its smaller pieces. But forests aren’t just one big thing; they’re a collection of many smaller things all working together.

Books are the same way. They’re not just a big idea written out; they’re many smaller ideas compiled and arranged so they communicate something larger. Books are created sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, and chapter by chapter. When you understand this, the idea of writing a book is more manageable. Just like you’d have to plant a forest one tree at a time, you can’t write a book by sitting down to write a book-you have to break it down into smaller pieces and write them one at a time.

So where do you start? Once you understand that a book is several smaller pieces put together, you just need to figure out what your smaller pieces are. What stories are you going to use? What strategies are you going to teach? What examples are you going to give? Then when you sit down to write, you work on one of those small assignments.

You’re not writing an entire book; you’re writing an example of how your readers can apply your first strategy, or you’re writing about the importance of the third step in your system, or whatever your assignment is for that day. Only after you break the bigger task down can you truly grasp where to start and what it will take to get it done.

When you approach writing a book as many small pieces, the task is no longer overwhelming. You can sit down to write with a sense of purpose and a manageable task to complete. Then you can come back and do the same thing the next day. And before you know it, you’re no longer thinking about writing your book-it’s actually done.

Melinda Copp helps aspiring nonfiction, business, and self-help authors get clear on their story and book idea, and figure out how to put it all together so their ideal readers love it. Visit http://www.writerssherpaprograms.com/writeabook.html for a free copy of her “Jumpstart Your Book E-course!” and get your book started now.

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