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April 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

What to write when you are pressed for time

If you follow the method I describe in my free book, “The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day!” (click on the link at the top of the blog to get it), you’ll create the detailed structure of your book before writing andy of it, down to the level of subchapters.

A subchapter is only 300-600 words long. So if you find yourself with just a few minutes, you can pick one and ZipWrite it (also described in the book), without having to think much or plan. You just write. And it fits in the overall structure.

So here I am at a conference I host with my friend Brad Holtz each year (www.cofes.com). It’s the end of the first day, and I am zonked–and I haven’t written my blog entry for today. What’s a committed blogger to do?

What I am doing is writing about this pressing situation in hopes that my reader–that’s you–will find a lesson in it that will serve them in their book-writing efforts.

Now, you can’t structure a blog the way you do a book. It doesn’t have a beginning, middle, and end; it’s kind of a journal, ongoing. But you can always write about what’s going on just now. And because this is simply what’s happening in my life at the moment, it “fits,” at least in the sense of being part of a coherent chronology.

Is it helpful? Useful? Comment below and let me know. (By the way, if it’s not clear where to comment, click on the name of the blog post to go to its page. There the “Reply” box is clearly in evidence.)

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April 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

5 ways to start your book with the end in mind

Stephen Covey’s second habit of successful people (from his 7 Habits of Highly Successful People) is, “Begin with the end in mind.” Besides the fact that it echoes similar admonishments in the wisdom of many cultures, I have always been fascinated by the dual meaning of “end” in this statement. “End” can mean “terminus,” final point. It can also mean “purpose”–”To what end?”

Both are relevant to book-writing. You should think through the process to its last stage, and you should also think it through in terms of its purpose.

Here are 5 specific ways to do this:

  1. To whom are you writing? Who is your audience? What  do they care about? What language, what terminology will be familiar and clear to them? This is a biggie, and worth spending time on.
  2. Problem/solution. What “pain” are you addressing in your reader’s life? What are you offering to address that pain? Does the book’s title reflect the problem or pain it addresses, so that readers will be able to easily identify it? Are you able to offer clear steps to resolve the pain?
  3. How will the book be published? Are you going after a publishing house? Will you self-publish? Might you use print-on-demand, like Lulu.com or Createspace.com? Will you create a matching website?
  4. How will your book be promoted? How will you let people know of its existence? Ads? Press releases? SEO? Joint ventures?
  5. What role will the book play in your business? Will you sell it “back of room” at your talks? Will you sell in bulk to meeting organizers who retain you to speak? Offer it on your website? Put it on Amazon.com? Will it serve as an invitation to explore your other products and services on your website? Can it replace your business brochure? Will you give it away as a “thick business card”?

If you address these points before you begin your book project, your work will be focused and your results will be to your liking.

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April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Can you dictate to your iPhone?

I downloaded Dragon Dictate for the iPhone a few weeks ago, tried it for a few minutes–then wrote it off as fatally flawed. First, I spoke into it, and it understood me fairly well. I tried it again, and was further impressed. But the third time, I spoke 3 or 4 sentences–and after a while, it came back and said something like, “Sorry, couldn’t understand you.” I looked around to see where the voice file was. It wasn’t to be found.

So I thought, I get this great idea; click on Dragon Dictate; speak it into the phone; go back to paying attention to whatever I was doing (hopefully not driving). Then when I look at the phone again–it’s gone without a trace.

I didn’t delete the app, but I went back to using one of the many voice recorder apps for that purpose. Yeah, I have to type it if I want it typed–but at least I have it. (Actually, I speak directly into Evernote, because that syncs with my other computers without me having to do anything. And I can easily tag the recording, too.)

I had some downtime while waiting somewhere yesterday, so I tried Dragon Dictate on my iPhone again. It had been updated a couple of times.

While it still doesn’t save the recording, its speech-to-text seems to have been sped up and significantly improved. Just to test its boundaries, I said:

‘Twas brillig, and the slithey toves
Did gyre and gimbal in the wabe.
All mimsy were the borogoves
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son–
The jaws that bite, the claws that snatch–
Beware the jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

Here’s what Dragon Dictate yielded:

What’s really, and the sleeping toll
good guy here and getting pulled in the way.
I’ll miss see where the parables
and the mobile rats out great.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son;
the jaws that bite the clause that snatch.
Beware the chuck chuck burn and shut
the from you spend your snatch.

When you’re done giggling–I chortled for quite a while–you’ll probably be as amazed as I am. This app did an incredible job of making sense out of nonsense.

It’s far from perfect. But did I mention that it is free? So when you are in the ZipWriting part of my book-writing process, you might try dictating pieces into your iPhone.

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April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Depth perception

A few years ago, I lost the sight of my left eye due to a detached retina.

The most obvious loss of sensory ability was stereoscopy–seeing things as three-dimensional. It took me a long time to regain my ability to park, and I still occasionally pour water outside a glass instead of inside. (I do better with wine because of its color). I’ve learned to compensate in a variety of ways.

This morning, in the shower, I was looking at the row of Armenian tiles on the wall. They have a beautiful pattern that I’ve always loved. Suddenly, the pattern took on depth for me; the lighter portions seemed nearer, and the darker, further away.

Shower tile

Shower tile

I noticed that there was some steam in the shower; that I wasn’t wearing my glasses; and that I was rocking unconsciously from one foot to the other. All three of these circumstances seemed to be contributing to the effect.

When I stepped out of the shower, I put my glasses on. The steam had dissipated. And I could see the 3D effect, but I had to defocus my eyes a bit, and rock from one foot to the other.

Apparently, my brain is compensating for the lack of binocular vision by using the different angles of view caused by my rocking to create a 3D sense in my mind. (I’m using “brain” and “mind” very loosely here; I actually see them as “hardware” and “software.” But that’s a topic for another article.)

What’s the application of this observation to book writing? Simply this: The more realism you can insert into your writing, the more your readers will like it. You can do this “binocularly,” by showing what you are writing about–describing relevant details as seeing them all at once.

Or you can show what you are talking about “monocularly,” describing your scene–or even your concept–from a sequence of different views. Some readers will relate more to sequential, rather than synoptic (seeing all at the same time), detail.

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April 9, 2010 By 2 Comments

Start with a cluster

the writing is on the wall
Image by flash_nerd via Flickr

Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spent the rest of the day putting the pieces together.

–Ray Bradbury

I wrote yesterday (see entry directly below) about the need for a book writer (any writer, really) to work their “writing muscles” by writing daily. Now I want to add a bit of advice: Begin with a cluster.

I’ve discussed clustering (here and here), so I won’t repeat the instructions. I just want to remind you what clustering does for you:

  • The stuff you know, think, and feel seems to be floating at different levels in a viscous fluid. The closer to the surface something is, the more accessible it is. When you cluster, all that you know about the topic at the center of your cluster comes to the top, where you can find it easily.
  • Clusters sometimes grow like fractal flowers, branching off in unexpected ways, surprising you.
  • If you write first thing in the morning, you have easier access to all the great stuff your subconscious worked on all night. Sometimes dream sequences are recalled; often forgotten or unnoticed associations are brought forth.

Warning: I’m not saying to write your book this way. That’s all in the process described in detail in the free book you can get here. This clustering-and-writing is about a daily workout to make you a better writer. The process of writing a good book is simple and structured. But the stronger your “writing muscles,” the better your good book will be. You can make it great.

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April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Write daily to improve your writing

If you want to eventually run a marathon, you must run daily. If you want to be ready for any kind of activity, you have to train your body and mind to it by frequent practice.

Marathon de New-York : {{w|Verrazano-Narrows B...
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In Outliers, a wonderful book about what it means to excel, with speculations on what it takes, author Malcolm Gladwell points out that real mastery–whether of swimming, hockey, the violin, or rock music–takes about 10,000 hours of practice.

Now, you may not have that level of mastery in mind for your writing. And you really don’t have to have it, to write a good book. But the more you write, the easier it gets.

If you’re worried about your grammar or sentence structure–don’t. Today’s email- and SMS-trained readers are looking for content, not perfectly constructed sentences. They want authenticity; they want to hear the real you, “speaking” in your true voice. (If your spelling and grammar are truly atrocious, get help. Take a course or find a virtual assistant who can write for you.)

Of course, “true voice” is something to which serious writers aspire, and it can be elusive. Don’t obsess over that either. Just write. Daily.

My cousin is a runner. She’s 58, and feels incomplete if she doesn’t run daily. Running is not only easy for her; it scratches deep itches.

I feel that way about writing. When I don’t write, I feel as if something is wrong, as if I am not fully expressed. Not everything I write is wonderful, but I can do enough of it, easily, so that I can find good stuff in it.

That’s the facility I want you to have with writing. When the prospect of writing a blog post, a book subchapter, or a sales letter does not fill you with dread, but rather gives you anticipatory tingles.

Part of my method for writing books is ZipWriting; reading about how to do it may help you. It’s in the free book you can get here.

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April 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The power of good craftsmanship

My friend Freddy Clarke plays the guitar–very well. VERY well:

There is so much for a book writer to learn from watching Freddy’s fingers. They do the right thing at the right time. This kind of musicianship doesn’t just happen; it is the product of many hours of practice, good genetics, and talent.

In some ways, writing is easier. You can become a writer of good books by following my method (get my free book, see tab above). But to become a good writer of good books, you have to refine your craft.

Freddy’s performances inspire me. (See him perform in the SF Bay Area.)

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April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Perspective

Got an email from my friend: “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, I’ve been given a great opportunity to focus. The bad news: Cancer in my liver, spine, and brain.”

The prognosis is pretty negative–a few months, perhaps.

Because my friend is a private person, I won’t share my friend’s decisions about plans for the remaining time. (Notice I’m avoiding gender references.) Suffice it to say the plans are inspiring, brave, and loving.

Whenever I hear this type of news, it makes me think of my own mortality. I’m 62. I expect to be around for a while yet. I feel good.

But I have to ask myself: What do I want to do in the time that is left to me? What message do I want to share with you, with my family members? What impression do I want to leave here, when I move on?

I want to encourage you to ask yourself these questions. I think they help us leave more congruently, so that our intentions match our actions and values.

Take some time. Think. Write. Express your love.

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April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

What do you think about a template-based book kit?

I have a question for you. But first, I need to describe one of my products to you. Please read the description, especially if you are NOT a coach.

If you look at the tabs above the header of this site, you’ll see one that says Coach Book Kit! If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a long sales letter that leads up to a free 26-minute video, explaining why every coach should write a book–and how my template-based coach book kit is a powerful shortcut.

My kit works like this: Based on the principles I write about in my book, The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day!, I teach coaches how to write a book that will explain their “special sauce.” Then I give them all the words that need to be in every coaching book–sections defining coaching; distinguishing it from therapy and consulting; relating how the coaching relationship works; offering examples; and more.

All of this is delivered in a Microsoft Word document, with blank pages that include my instructions for what THEY need to fill in.

Now, a coach could take my free book, and write a book fairly quickly. But the template-based kit greatly accelerates the process. One coach, Bud Bilanich, used the kit to write a book in 5 hours.

Here’s my question: Do you think a GENERIC book-writing template, with step-by-step instructions, would help you write your book? If using it would give you some assurance of completing your book in less than 30 days, at no more than an hour a day, would you want it?

How much would it be worth to you?

I’ve been brainstorming the content of such a kit, and I’m starting to get excited about it. I think it could be a breakthrough for many would-be authors.

But then, I love writing books.

What are your thoughts? Would you want to hear more about such a product? Please comment below.

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April 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

iPad, take 2 (or 3; they’re small…)

SAN FRANCISCO - JANUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: Re...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Actually, it’s the headlines that are most entertaining–at least here in Silicon Valley. First there was the Steve Jobs performance at the announcement–speculations about his health; comments on his presentation style; and ultimately, admission by Valley and industry insiders of their own iPad lust.

Act 2: Between the announcement and the delivery, all the comments on what’s missing from the device–multitasking; built-in camera; Flash…

Act 3: Press and commentators love the iPad, gushing over it. But yesterday’s San Jose Mercury-News: “Not clear if consumers will like it.” Oh, yeah? Just let them at it, and we’ll see…

I think it’s a milestone. Yeah, it is a bigger iPhone, without a 2-year contract. But it’s more than that: It’s a gorgeous, light, sexy, powerful thingy that does video and audio, has a decent typing solution, and just makes you want to touch it. It is the Kindle you fantasized about (and the Kindle app is one of the first on the device).

What does it mean to the world of books? It adds acceleration to the ebook phenomenon. It opens up the market for multimedia books, with movies, sound, and links built-in. Personally, that excites me; much as I love print books, and love to write them, being able to include sound, movies, and links in my creations really gets my creative juices flowing.

So, yeah, it’s expensive, and the early adopters will be the gadget-lovers. But if it really can bring the sensuous iPhone experience to more-efficient typing and browsing than you can do on the small iPhone screen, and it sure looks like it can, I think it will quickly capture many hearts and minds and credit cards. Amazon has sold over 1.5 million Kindles at $300-$400, with no color and much less functionality. I don’t think the current exuberant estimate of 6 million iPads by the end of 2010 is unbelievable. (Actually, I just checked–Morgan Stanley is projecting over 10 million!)

And yes, I want one.

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