Ever since my book came out people have been asking me for advice. There’s a lot of little things I learned along the way but they’re probably not going to be effective for everyone. It’s just what worked for me.
There are, however, 4 nonnegotiable things you must do if you want to write a book. In my mind, these are universal. No exception.
You want to write a book? Here’s what you have to do.
1. Read
You need to have time to read a lot. You can’t be a writer without being a reader. If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write. Read a wide variety of books. Don’t just read one author or one genre or you’ll end up sounding just like them. Spend time reading outside your comfort zone. Who knows what you can learn from books outside thee field you’re hoping to write in.
You know the old sayings. Leaders are readers. Writers are readers. Breeders are readers. Feeders are eaters.
Just go read.
2. Write Everyday
EVERYDAY. 1000 words a day. At least. If not, you’ll get rusty. You’ll lose your groove, your rhythm. You’ve got to build that muscle by working out every day.
3. Set Deadlines
Real deadlines. Reasonable deadlines but ones that still kind of scare you. That was the biggest help for me. Before I sat down to write I decided when I wanted my book to come out and then I worked backwards, setting all my deadlines. If I wanted it out on Sept 16, that meant I needed to have the text finished by this date. That means I’d need to finish my 4th draft by this date. That means I’d have to start my 4th draft by _______. You need to have clear and specific deadlines. Without them it’s so much easier to lose focus and give up.
4. Tell People!
You can’t keep it a secret. Tell people you’re working on a book because that way there’s some accountability. People will check up on you. They’ll encourage you. Hearing “I’m excited to read your book” is an incredible motivator.