by Karen Newcombe
Recently I met an executive who had retired with the intention of writing a book. He is a leader in his industry, a great innovator, and made substantial changes to the way work in his field was conducted – he set the standards that industry now follows. He has a head full of knowledge, an office full of notes and history, a lifetime of experience that others would find invaluable to access, and he has compelling stories. But he can't get started. The reality of writing a book seems too big and daunting, so he is paralyzed.
It may not make sense that someone accustomed to leadership would find himself stuck like this, but it isn't uncommon. People have great stories and a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, but when faced with the actual work of telling their own story, they freeze up, or their doubts all come to the surface, or they just don't have time:
- It's just going to be too much work. I don't have the time.
- I don't know what to do first.
- I have a mountain of notes and ideas but don't know what to do with it all.
- I'm really excited about being a published author, but really bored with the idea of writing.
One bird at a time
Writer Anne Lamott tells a story in her book Bird by Bird about her brother. When he was about ten he was given the assignment to write a report about birds, but he whiled away the three months of lead time and the night before the report was due "he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulders, and said 'Bird by bird, buddy, just take it bird by bird.'"
Lamott's father was absolutely right, and that advice is something I use in my work every single day. As a professional writer I have stacks of dictionaries and reference books, dozens of books about writing, books on style, and books on how to kill your writer's block. The best advice in any of them is six words from Kenneth Lamott, "just take it bird by bird."
That's nice, but what do I DO?
The other thing I've learned as a writer is that most people don't enjoy writing any more than they enjoy cleaning their rain gutters. So what to do? Start with one thing, pull one idea out by itself and write it down. Don't think about it too much, just write it down, keep it to one page. Then tomorrow, do one more.
Write one page every day for a year and you've got a 365 page book. Done.
You may already have chapters written you can use. Have you given seminars or taught classes or webinars? Get your videotapes together and have them transcribed.
Do you have articles you've written for industry publications? A blog about your business? Pull them together and see what can be used – you may have entire chapters already written.
Get a stack of Post-It Notes and write on idea per note and stick them all up on the wall. Pick one and write it today. Tomorrow, pick another one.
Is it easier to talk about your ideas to someone than to sit in front of a blank screen, alone? Get someone to sit with you and a voice recorder and talk to them, have them ask you questions about what you're saying. Get those recordings transcribed and you'll have material to copy and paste into your manuscript. With some editing, all these sources can be extremely helpful.
I want to be a published author, but I don't have the time for all the writing.
That's where people like me can help you. A professional writer will help you organize yoru materials, outline your concepts, get the writing done through interviews and using your collected materials. We'll also make you sound good by editing your document so that it flows logically from one idea to the next. A writer can help you achieve the right tone and language for reaching executives or college students or eight-year-olds.
These days many professional writers will also help you get published. The publishing industry is now wide open to anyone, and through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or a variety of other services, you can reach a wide audience with a high quality book and/or eBook at a low cost.
Your book is worthwhile
Every person has a story to tell, experiences to share that are valuable, and knowledge that someone else can use. It is in the nature of higher mammals to share their experience with others, and we arent the only ones who do it: elephants and lions, whales and wolves, apes and house cats all teach others in their family group. But we alone have writing as a way to capture our stories for distant people we will never meet in person, and people in the future who aren't born yet. We live in a time when every person's story can be saved for the future – that's exciting stuff!
Help! I'm still stuck trying to get my book started!
If you want help writing your book (or an article, white paper, blog entry, or anything else), call me. I can get you through the entire process from panic to publication.
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