Tag: writing process

  • Trelani’s book-idea breakdown: The first chapter

    Two weeks ago, I shared the first three steps of breaking down your book idea. In short, it’s this: Step 1: Make a list of everything you wanna add (and might wanna add) to the book. Step 2: Expound on that list. Step 3: Add due-by dates to everything you have…

  • The benefit of seeing book writing as a process versus a product

      Aspiring author: How do you write a book? Me: What’s holding you up? Aspirer: Everything. Me: The first step of writing a book is knowing what you want to write about. Are you stuck on that part? Aspirer: No, mainly what to do after I write it. Where do…

  • Don’t feel like writing, but wanna finish

    First consider why you don’t feel like writing. Are you tired? Sick? Overwhelmed? Confused?  When visiting the ER, triage asks you to rate the pain on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most painful. Use a similar gauge when determining just how bad you don’t feel like writing, then…

  • How perfectionists ruin the first draft

    By making the process unnecessarily difficult. The “working under pressure” strategy that worked in high school and undergrad don’t work with the book writing process. Perfectionism murders first drafts, which are actually designed to be full of feel good. This is the enjoyable part. The beautiful thing about a first…

  • Three reasons to revisit how you revise

    If you believe that you’re already revising because you edit, then STOP now and peep my previous post on the difference between revision and editing. This was written specifically for those who already revise and believe that they’re good to go in that department. I thought I was too, but in order to…