Why We Don't Write Our Books

By Suzanne Falter-Barns

In the ten years that I’ve taught people how to get on with their books, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that I’ll call “Author’s Block.” Would-be writers can, indeed, sit down and work when pressed to it. The problem is that they’re not so sure they want the pressure of being an author. But they do want to. But they don’t. And so on.

Ah, the agony of getting on with your book.

Well, I’m here to diffuse that situation with a list of what I think are the key reasons we don’t immediately set down to write. Perhaps this will help the next time you find yourself polishing doorknobs instead of sitting down to write.

 We lie to ourselves about why we can’t write the book. We think our stalling is about lack of time, or too much pressure at work, or not enough solitude in the evening. But guess what? Chances are a deeper, darker reason may be at play, like ‘I’m not supposed to be bigger than Mom’ or ‘What if this thing really takes off?’

 We fear the impact our book could have. Sometimes when I coach writers in my self-help author’s crash course, I’ll ask them what’s impeding progress. And after some probing, it will come out that they’re afraid of the big exposure a book can have if it takes off. I’m here to assure you that should that happen, (and chances are your book will not unleash wild mobs of millions) you will be able to handle it. How do I know? On that deep level where psyche meets karma, you won’t create a reader more than you’re ready to receive.

 We think our book doesn’t matter, so why bother? One writer I know put this so succinctly: “I’ve tried getting up at 5AM to write, and staying up late, and leaving my home, but none of it works. I have this tired feeling that none of it’s going to amount to a hill of beans.” In fact, writing and publication can be an entirely self-determined activity these days. If the publishing pundits don’t go for your book, there’s always self-publishing and e-books on your website. In other words, your book does matter, and you really have no excuse. (Acid test: if the book keeps on patiently urging you to sit down and write it for months and even years, chances are you’d better do it.)

 We think we don’t know how to write a book. Guess what? Neither does any other first time writer. And that may be a wonderful thing because you don’t com in with a carload of expectations and demands from your process. You’re just open, like… well, a nice blank book. All you really need is your intuition, and the will to write your book as honestly as you can.

 We have no support. You need someone in your corner, cheering you on, to get through the long and somewhat tiring process of birthing a book. That’s why my Self-Help Author’s Crash Course is not an e-book (believe me, it would be easier!) but a 12-week teleclass series. Because these writers need a place to show up and be accountable for their progress. They need someone to keep saying, ‘Yes, you really can do this.” That’s how tricky and difficult our minds are when it comes to big challenges.

 We’re afraid we’ll run out of material. There isn’t a writer out there who hasn’t had this fear. And I’m here to say that if you just stay loose and open, and willing to receive the ideas, they will show up. All you have to do is commit – really sit down, and begin to bring that book into being – and the work will magically appear. Sometimes it won’t flow that easily, and sometimes it will scare you with it’s speed and power. But it will, indeed, show up.

 We think ‘Who am I to write a book?’ And yet, you are the perfect person to write your book, because you’re the one chosen to receive this material. (You don’t have to be spiritually inclined to believe this.) I personally believe that books are given to us when we’re ready to receive them… and when we do, our lives are changed by that process.

 We fear uncomfortable moments. Ah, but that’s the most exciting thing about writing your book. You will be given challenges and lessons that just seem untenable along the way. And if you’re committed enough, you’ll rise above them and so become stronger in the process. This is especially true for self-help books: we write what we need to learn.

I’m here to urge you to just get on with your book. Not only do you deserve it – so do we.

About The Author: For more information on how you can find the support to turn your book idea into a publisher-ready book proposal, go to http://www.howmuchjoy.com/selfhelpbook.html info@howmuchjoy.com

Write Your Book Now and Conquer the Giant Called Procrastination

By earmabrown

Write your best book now! Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project, lately? Many writers get hung up with wrong thinking about writing and completing their books.

Knowledge and know-how can be formed into easy steps that will destroy the power of procrastination. Using the amazingly easy steps below writers can conquer the giant procrastination and speedily write their best book now:

1. Maintain your momentum. 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; pull out your chapter outline and choose another chapter.

Don't give in to writers block. Move on to work on the chapter you feel passion bubbling for at that moment.

2. Rewrite and Re-organize. Be a professional. Don't be lazy and save all the editing for your editor. Make your manuscript the best it can be. 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.

3. Learn to Delegate. Don't succumb to the idea that you have to do it all yourself if you want it done right. Discern your talents and delegate the rest. 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. Let go faster and profit sooner.

4. Work Efficiently. Embrace technology. If you don't know how something works, find out. Take a class. Read articles. Learn how to use your software to make things easier and faster. At least take the time to learn about the shortcuts in your current software. Welcome to the new millennium! Remember, don't run from technology; make your software work efficiently for you.
5. Print Out and Back Up Daily. Don't believe a computer crash can never happen to you. Save your work somewhere besides your computer hard drive, floppy disk, cd, DVD. Make a hard copy of your manuscript. Print out changes as you work.

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. Go now; sign-up for a free course, pin-point your topic, write your table of contents or simply write your first draft.

Whatever you do, do it now and release your important message to the world. Best wishes for your greatest success yet.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

About the AuthorEarma Brown, 12 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine "iScribe." Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course "Jumpstart Writing Your Book" or visit her at http://www.bookwritinghelp.com/

Sources Of Ideas For Writing Your Books

By: Adam Khoo

Here's a question most budding writers encounter before writing a book, and that is, "Where did you get your ideas from?"

Ideas do not come out of thin air. No matter how good, creative or original an idea is, we must understand that it came from somewhere else. It is often a result or a combination or substitution of something else.

Here's a strategy for anyone who wants to write a book. For example, if you want to write a book on gardening, it has got to be your passion, you must know something about gardening. You must have a lot of love for gardening

The first thing you need to do is to fill your mind with a huge knowledge base. So for example, if you want to write a book on gardening, you have to go out there and read every single book ever written on gardening.

Here's my real life example. Before I wrote my book on accelerated learning, "I Am Gifted, So Are You", I read all the books on accelerated learning by Colin Rose, Sheila Ostrander, Lynn Schroeder, Tony Buzan, Eric Jansen, Michael Gelb.

And as I read each of these books, what I would do is that I won't read it passively, I would read it very actively, circling the key points in that book. And from the entire book of 300 pages, I would derive 10 key points, which I would summarize in mind maps.

The next thing I would do is to make the information my own. Now what do I mean by that? The only way to make information yours is to use it. So for example, if I read a book that teaches me to use a certain technique in reading, I would apply it in my reading. And by doing that, I would find a better way of doing it.

And as a result of applying the information firsthand, I find that there's always a better way of doing it. This would result in me having an entirely personal experience of it thus adding new and added information to my knowledge base. A lot of people have this mistaken mindset that people who write books are so smart, and that we as individuals cannot think of anything better".

So I increased and flooded my mind with all the base knowledge that was assimilated by hundreds of books and videos I watched and also through my personal experiences of application of the techniques taught.

By doing exactly what I have listed above, one will never be short of ideas to begin on their writing journey. So get started right away on increasing your knowledge base and applying the information firsthand to give you insights and ideas to write your book!

Article Source: http://www.article.e-booksdownload.com

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and a self-made millionaire by the age of 26. Discover his million dollar secrets and claim your FREE bonus CD '6 Ways To Achieve Anything In Life' at Paving The Way To The Top.

Write a Book and Catapult Your Career to the Next Level

By: Earma Brown

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? If you are a speaker, seminar leader, consultant, coach, writer, service business owner or an expert in your field you might be interested in writing a book.

Put your insightful message in book form and watch it catapult your career to the next level. Interested? Here are 10 good reasons you should write a book:

1. A book captures your unique insightful information. You have specific skills and information. Thousands of people search for specific information daily. They want simple to read and easy to understand information.

Write a book to educate your audience; include engagement tools in your book. Help them make more money, cut costs or solve their problems. Examples include: online assessments, how to tips, short reports, resource lists, how-to tutorials, dictionary of terms in your field, etc.

2. A book builds extra credibility to your message. People are more likely to value your message in book form. People want to listen to what you have to say. It carries status that's not quite captured in other formats like tapes, cds or even video.

3. A book crystallizes your message. Write a book and it will focus your personal or even professional mission. People will take notice because author stands behind your name. Your book expresses your message in a clear permanent format.

4. A book expands you audience. Speakers reach 100s through the speaker's circuit on a regular basis. A book will potentially reach 1000s. It takes on a life of its own. Even in the 21st century a book may travel and capture an audience that even televised media can't go.

5. A book distinguishes you in a crowd. Your professional associates may be used to competing and winning more business. Write a book and leverage higher fees for the same amount of work. Leave your pro associates in the dust with author behind your name.

6. A book brings a new level of fame. Write a book to elevate your name in your field. More people will know about you and gain respect for your expert knowledge through a book.

7. A book creates greater opportunities for profit. Write your book and create other products that complement or follow up your original work. You can create cds, courses or podcasts from the material in your book.

8. A book is your new business card. Write a book to provide your original, different information. Have you wondered what makes a new diet book sell well even when there are scores of diet books on the market?

The author presents their unique set of successful diet rules, their exercise program, their perspective, their testimonials and their credentials. They use original, different information for the same results. Make your book your best business card.

9. A book creates a world of opportunities. Offer your readers an opportunity to learn something new or interesting. Sprinkle your book with little known interesting facts about your topic.

Be careful to avoid information overload with pages of detailed statistics. But if you sprinkle them as morsels throughout your book, you create anticipation that will lead your readers through to the end. People love statistics and bite-sized trivia about just about any topic.

10. A book makes it simple. Give your readers an easy to read style to learn about something. Take a complex subject in your field and make it simple. Most people enjoy an easy reading language. They will not only reward you by reading to the end but your readers will be happy to tell all their friends about your insightful easy to read book.

Don't put it off any longer. Focus in on your good reasons to write a book. Your audience needs your insightful advice. Just do it and watch your career take off to new levels.

Article Source: http://www.article.e-booksdownload.com

Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine "iScribe." Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course "Jumpstart Writing Your Book" or visit her at www.bookwritinghelp.com