I thought it would be a great project. Graham started strong.
I’ve got a structured process that I work through with new clients. In the first step of the process, we evaluate the client’s idea for a book. Graham aced the first parts of that. Then we ran into trouble.
The final step in idea analysis is for the author to write one paragraph of marketing copy for their book. This helps us remember what’s most important about the book when we get into the grind of writing the manuscript. Graham just couldn’t get the marketing copy done.
Every day or so, he’d shoot me an email or leave me a text and tell me about a new idea he had for the book and the way it should develop. All those ideas were good, but we only needed one. Finally, Graham told me he was going to sort through his good ideas and get back to me. It’s been over five years, and that hasn’t happened yet.
Despite great promise, Graham never wrote the book he was capable of. His creativity killed his productivity.
One at a Time, Please
Peter Drucker and a host of other sages have advised us to do one thing at a time. That means you must say no to a lot of good ideas. That’s possible, but it’s not easy. Developing the habits that will help you stay on track takes discipline.
Just Say No
Turning down the opportunity to work on a good idea is tough. That’s why I like Derek Sivers’ simple standard. If you have an idea that is not a “hell yes!” turn it down.
Compost Files
Some ideas don’t fit your current project but are too good to let go entirely. To stay focused, you must get them out of your head.
Set up a file for the good ideas you want to remember but can’t use right now. I call mine a compost file. You can call yours whatever you want. Capture your ideas and put them in the compost file.
If you want to finish your book, you must learn to say no to ideas that distract you. Use an idea if it passes the “Hell, yes!” test. Otherwise ignore it or set it aside and move on.
~
I’m Wally Bock. I’m the author’s player-coach. I use a mix of coaching, developmental editing, and writing to help you create a book you’re proud of that accomplishes your goals. Contact me if you’re ready to evaluate your idea and move ahead.
