How to Start Writing a Book or EBook

You have a great idea for a book, but aren’t sure how to start?  These 3 steps from a seasoned ghostwriter will get you over the initial humps that all writers face:

STEP 1:   Decide on the main truth you want to share.  In a way, this is like a mission statement.  Write a sentence that describes what you are trying to accomplish with your book.  Do you want it to change your readers’ minds?  Do you want to touch their hearts?  Are you trying to teach or demonstrate how to build or fix something?  Are you sharing a meaningful experience in your life?  Are you writing about someone who has impacted the world?  Write a sentence or two that expresses the purpose of your book.

STEP 2:   Make a list of all the points you want to make in your book.  Brainstorm a bit and write them down as soon as you think of them–day or night.  They do not have to be in any special order.  You will organize them later.   If you are planning to write a biography, for example, your list could be all the key events in that person’s life.  For a self-help book or a “How to” book, your list can be the steps you want to teach or demonstrate.  Then make a second list of any personal realizations that you have had as a result of the points or events you are listing.  An author needs to be honestly connected with what he or she is writing about.  By listing your own personal reactions to what you are writing, you will be able to integrate genuine emotions that your readers will respond to.

STEP 3:   Organize your list by topic, chronologically or for impact.  Your Table of Contents will emerge from this step.  The question you have to ask yourself is, “What approach do I want to take?  If you are writing a “How to” book, you will most likely take your reader logically through the steps.  If you are writing about your life or someone else’s, you may want to start at birth and go forward.  Or, to create impact and interest in the first chapter, you could start with an exciting or emotional event and then flash back to the beginning in the second chapter.  If you are writing a business or self-help book, you may want to have each chapter cover a different topic.

Once you have completed these three steps, you need to decide whether you want to write this book all by yourself or whether you think you’d like some help.

If you are a strong writer, you can just take it from here.

If, on the other hand, you think you might struggle with one of the three steps, or feel overwhelmed because writing is not your forte, you may want to enlist an experienced writer to help you.  Here are a couple of options open to you:

1. A Writing Coach may be all you need. 

Like a sports coach, a writing coach can help you focus, explain what you need to do next, give you perspective on your book and keep you on course.  Moreover, he/she will be your most enthusiastic cheerleader, keeping you from getting discouraged.  You still do the writing, but a writing coach will give you as much or as little help as you want, like getting you started, getting you past writer’s block, or offering ideas and ways of wording your thoughts that enhance what you are writing.  You can also ask your writing coach to critique your work as you go along, so that it clearly and awesomely expresses your message.

2. A Ghostwriter is the perfect fit for anyone who wants to write a book, but is short on time or whose expertise is in a field other than writing. 

A ghostwriter can take your notes and ideas and express them creatively so that they captivate your readers.  Good ghostwriters will take the time to get to know your perspective on life, your speaking style, and your passion for the topic you are writing about.  They then blend that with what you are trying to say in your book.  They are able to word your book so that it sounds like it is coming from you—AND IT IS!  These are YOUR thoughts, YOUR ideas touching the minds and hearts of your readers.  This is YOUR book.  The ghostwriter gets no credit for writing it.  Having a ghostwriter write parts or all of your book is the easiest and fastest way to get your book into the hands of your readers.

Get started with the above 3 STEPS.  If you decide that you want some help, browse through this website and then contact me at hi.impactghostwriting@gmail.com 

This is your chance to make a real impact.  Go for it!

Jinni Bradfield

► Email me anytime at: hi.impactghostwriting@gmail.com and let me know what you want to write about.   We can decide together whether a Writing Coach or a Ghostwriter will work better for you!

2 Great Tips for Writing your Book

Writing a book is a massive undertaking.  Even writing an eBook demands commitment, time and determination.  Here are two tips that can help you get started:

  1. Keep a pad of paper or your cell phone beside your bed. As soon as an idea or important point for your book pops into your mind, write it down.  If you don’t, it could be MIA by the time you wake up.  Actually, the best time to come up with creative ideas is as you are falling to sleep and while you are groggily waking up.  During this time your brain produces Theta waves.  These brain waves allow your mind to think creatively.  If you brainstorm about your book while falling asleep or waking up, the Theta waves in your brain “connect the dots” between bits of information that your brain has been collecting all day or sorting through at night.

In effect, Theta waves string together logic strands that may have been evading you while you have been trying to write.  You may suddenly know exactly how to say what you were trying to say.  Or you may discover a whole new line of thought.  Grab that pad of paper or open the Notepad on your smart phone and write it down!

Don’t assume that you will remember your “eureka” inspiration by the time you wake up.  If you don’t bother writing it down, most likely you will have missed your window of opportunity.  Creating memories is not automatic during theta wave production.  Rather than remembering, your brain will swiftly move on to another thought and your creative idea could be lost to you forever.  So, write it down as soon as you think of it!

The same goes for during the day while you are busy doing everyday activities.  As soon as you get an idea related to your book, capture it by jotting it down.

  1. Organize your overall book idea. This means breaking it down into smaller points and then putting them into a logical progression.  This is not always easy, but you cannot skip this part of the process.  Writing a book involves persuading your future readers to see things from your perspective.  This is true whether you are writing your memoirs or explaining how to do a project.  It’s just as critical if you are writing a self-help book.  Your audience must identify with you and come to trust you as the expert on your book’s main idea.

You have to build credibility with your readers.  Thus, it is crucial that the supporting points for your book idea are organized logically.  You are making a persuasive argument—similar to being in a debate.  If you skip a point or put it in the wrong order, the argument will not make sense and you will lose the attention of your readers.

Your main persuasive points will probably become chapters in your book.  The easiest way to lay out your book is to first create an outline.  Assign each main point a chapter number.  Under each chapter title, briefly describe what you want to say about that point and how it fits into your entire argument.

Your persuasive “argument” does not have to be hard-hitting or “in your face.”  Rather you are creating a narrative, telling your story.  It can be very low key and relaxed.  Or it can be enthusiastic and full of life.  It all depends on what your book idea is and what you are trying to accomplish.

For more book-writing tips, see my next blog.  If you feel you need help with parts of the book-writing process, enlist the expertise of a Writing Coach.  Or you can have a Ghostwriter write specific sections or the entire book. –Jinni Bradfield