Let’s Write a Book Together
Are You Up For The Challenge?
New year, new book. At least for me. If you’ve been playing with the idea of writing your own story, maybe a novel or maybe a memoir or perhaps a non-fiction book to support your “thing” whatever that is, then maybe you’d like to join me on this journey. So, no we won’t be writing the same book together (though that might be fun), we will commit to writing our book this year and to support each other along the way.
Last year, I posted a blog almost every day. It was a challenge to myself to see if I actually had enough to say to be able to write about writing every day, and good news, I did! The days I missed were not because I didn’t have something to say, but because I didn’t have time to write. My teaching schedule and releasing a book last year left me with days where I just couldn’t make it to my computer to write an effective article.
This year, I will be starting a new novel, so my goal is not to blog every day. I will be posting three days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I may publish an extra blog with a publication occasionally.
On those days, I will share tips about how to write a book, as I have in the past, but more systematic rather than random writing topics. I’d like us to go from having nothing to having a finished book sometime this year. My goal is to finish my book by summer. But yours might be to take a full year to write it. Or you might decide that you’ll have it finished in 90 days. Perfect! You don’t have to go by my timeline.
Why Should You Write a Book
1. Because everyone wants to write a book. Seriously. EVERYONE I meet tells me they want to write a book “someday”, so why not make this year the year to do it?
2. Writing the story that has been inside you for years will bring a type of satisfaction to your life that is difficult to explain until you do it. You felt it the day you stood up and took your first step as a baby, like a whole world has just opened up, like you can’t be stopped. Why does it feel like this when you write a book? I don’t know. Maybe because you released a part of yourself that has been trapped inside and you’ve given it a voice.
3. It can be profitable. I’m not saying you will become an instant bestseller and earn a million dollars, but depending on the type of book you write, you can make money from the sale of the book or from the business related to your book. For example, if you are a psychologist, and write a great book to help us understand ourselves better, your practice and your clout might grow.
4. The act of writing is pleasurable and meditative. Writing takes you to another world, your mind leaves this place and time and all the troubles you might have. You will feel better and happier when you write.
5. It will help you expand your creativity. Writing stimulates your creative mind and spirit, and we all need a creative outlet. It’s the opportunity to try something new and play with our favorite hobby — writing.
6. Writing a book gives you a sense of purpose. A large project like a book takes time to develop and write, and having a goal that you accomplish a little at a time gives you that great feeling of purpose and achievement when you finish the project. We all need something big and challenging to look forward to in our life and writing a book can be that thing.
But, if you have no desire to write a book, that’s okay too; you’ll benefit from my writing tips as well if you’re a writer.
What Is The Plan?
I like to be a little loose with my topics, but I’ll alternate from motivational, mindset posts to articles about craft. If there are specific issues you want to discuss or would like me to write about, please suggest them. You may be having challenges that I’m not having, and I may fail to cover those issues, but if you share them with me, I’ll happily post about that topic.
You can leave comments here, and you can also join me on my Facebook group: How to Write a Book. I started it last year and so far, have only shared my Medium articles, but hopefully, it will grow into a great place to talk about writing a book and to encourage each other.
Let’s begin on Friday! If you haven’t already, subscribe to get an email when my next post pops up, so you don’t miss a day.
Have a story to tell? Want to learn how to record personal experiences before they’re lost or write a novel? Consider taking one of Julia’s beginning writing or publishing courses.
Also check out Julia’s new book, This Is Now!
