I Want To Write A Book—But How Do I Get Started?

If you have ever wanted to write a book, you are not alone. Surveys show that over 80% of people want to write a book, but most of them never get around to doing it.

Why?

There are several reasons, some of which include not having time, the skill set, or the patience to get it done. Here’s my answer to these:

• You’ll make the time for things that are important to you, and time will pass whether you do it or not. If this is a burning goal then why not go for it?
• If you don’t have the skill set, then work with a really good editor or hire a coach/ghostwriter (I can help!)
• Be kind to yourself. Nothing worth doing is easy at first. Have a great support system around you to encourage you when things get difficult. Create an outline to keep you on track.

Let’s assume you are one of the many who really wants to write a book but you feel stuck on how to get started.

The first thing, of course, is to have a topic that: 1) You know a lot about; 2) Your audience is interested in; and 3) Your audience is willing to pay for.

Once you have identified your topic, you need to figure our exactly what you want to say. Ask yourself, “What do people want to know more about regarding this topic?” “What do people keep asking me about this topic?” “What is my unique perspective on this topic?”

When I wrote my first book Student Leadership Strategies: 21 Ways Ways To Become A Center Of Influence In Your Group, I wrote a simple question at the top of my notepad: “What makes an excellent leader?” Then my goal was to write down at least 21 answers to this question, and those became my short chapters. I came up with 30. As I began to write the book, I realized that some of my answers were very similar to one another, and that list of 30 became 21, so I met my goal.

The other important thing to do is to have stories that resonate with people. The mistake people make is that they tell stories for the sake of telling stories. In reality, the stories should support the idea you are discussing. Therefore, the stories have to be there for a reason.

Finally, having an introduction to set the whole thing up and a conclusion to tie it all together at the end will make the book more complete. In fact, I don’t always write either one of these chapters until I have written the rest because the direction of the book might change before it is finished.

These ideas are the starting point to writing a great book. Of course, there’s more that goes into it than this, but it’s a good starting place. If you want help on getting your book started, I am glad to talk to you about that. Reach out to me anytime at brian@briankwright.com.

Brian K Wright has been a Public Speaking and English Composition instructor at the college level, and is now the host of the popular Success Profiles Radio. He also publishes Success Profiles Magazine, and is a ghostwriter and book writing coach for his clients. You can learn more about him at www.briankwright.com or email him at brian@briankwright.com.