3 Ways to Evaluate Your Book Idea
It may not be true that everyone has a book inside them, but it sure seems like it’s true that everyone you meet has got at least a dozen good ideas for a book. Alas, a good idea is essential, but it’s not enough. You’ve got to write the book. That’s going to take a...
The Puccini Principle of Communication
David Belasco was one of the great figures in American theater history. He wrote, directed, or produced over a hundred plays, launched the careers of many stars, and pioneered lighting and set design techniques still in use almost a century after his death. He was...
Know Your Reader: Write for a Real Person
“Who’s your ideal reader?” That’s a question I ask in the early stages of coaching an author through a book. Most of my clients give me a demographic description. That’s great, and we may need it later to determine the size of the audience, but you shouldn’t write to...
How Long Should It Take to Write My Book?
“Beats me.” That was my standard reply when a prospective book coaching client asked me how long it would take to write their book. I wasn’t being a smartmouth; I didn’t know. It seemed that every book project and every author was different, and there were a lot of...
3 Ways To Create Better Book Plans
Jerry was an interesting case. He didn’t want full-on coaching, just the answer to a simple problem. Jerry had started writing his book three times. Each time, he got partway into it, and things quit working. He wanted to know why. Jerry had tried writing from a...
Choose Your Publishing Path. Traditional, Hybrid, or Self-Publishing?
What’s the difference between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing? A person thinking about writing a book asked me that question last week. I gave her a quick answer, but later, I felt she deserved something more comprehensive than a quick...
The Active Muse: 3 Ways Exercise Will Make You a Better Writer
I figure there’s probably a gazillion writing tips on the internet. They’re about research, structure, plotting, and character development. They suggest ways you can write better dialogue, craft better paragraphs, and use adverbs (or not). As abundant as those tips...
Book Writing Lessons From the Velveteen Rabbit
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up, or bit by bit?” The Velveteen Rabbit asks that question in Margery Williams's book. The rabbit wants to become real, and I’m sure it hopes the answer to the question will be that it happens all at once. That’s not the...
Music Has Charms To Make You a Better Writer
When my son Dave was in high school, he had a long walk every morning from our house to the BART station. He loves music, so he listened to music while he walked. One day, he noticed that walking to the train station with some music took him less time than with...
Finding Time To Write Is the Biggest Challenge for Nonfiction Authors: Here’s Why and What To Do About It
In 2020, Anne Janzer surveyed over 400 nonfiction writers about their experiences and problems writing their books. She asked writers where they were stuck. One answer stood out. Can you guess what it was? “Finding time to write” was the biggest challenge by far. Well...
