We wrap up the writing series with a recap and review of the writing series. Part 1 of 2. More at www.bemovingforward.com.
Moving Forward is also available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Wrap-up (part 1)
Over the past several months, I’ve gotten to speak with talented authors from across many genres and from different parts of the world. For the recap and review, I’m extracting and summarizing two major takeaways that resonated with me and may be helpful to you on your writing journey. Obviously, there are many more contained within each episode and conversation, so I encourage you to listen to the full episodes and visit those write-ups.
Don O’Connor (MF 372):
Don is the author of Failing Spectacularly and its sequel with a portion of the proceeds donated to charity. Tips for writing non-fiction books that draw on your life’s story.
Don’t be afraid to revisit your past and your biggest failures when writing a non-fiction book that documents your life experiences. Putting those events into perspective can help you turn them into triumphs and serve as an inspiration to others.
The self-publishing process has many moving parts, each with a steep learning curve. You don’t have to be a one-person show. Don’t be afraid to seek or hire outside assistance for the technical aspects of publishing your book on KDP or other self-publish platform.
For more, check out MF 372.
Suzanne Brown (MF 373):
Suzanne is the author the Mompowerment book series. Tips for writing non-fiction books in the business and self-improvement categories.
Use a mind-map to plan out your books. A mind-map is a type of chart in which you start with the central idea and branch off topics and subtopics which can turn into chapters. This makes it easier to write, edit, and to focus your energies where they happen to be on a particular day without having to follow a traditional linear A-Z outline.
Listen to your audience and treat your book as an extension of your business.
For more, check out MF 373.
Sheila Young (MF 374):
Sheila is the author of MAC. Tips for writing your first novel.
Writing is part of the chaos of life. Rather than try to separate and compartmentalize it into a block, it may simple become one of many plates you’re spinning while juggling family, work and other responsibilities. Your workflow may be writing at the dining room table while being interrupted every other sentence.
Put it out there. Don’t spend forever polishing that first draft to perfection. This can often kill a writer’s momentum, especially for self-published authors. Make it good enough and then let it go. Don’t worry about pleasing every reader out there because you won’t.
For more, check out MF 374.
Nicola Lowe (MF 375):
Nicola is the author of the KISS book series. Tips for writing fiction and romance novels.
Inspiration for characters and story elements can come from anywhere, whether you’re walking down the street or stuck in traffic. Have a way of jotting down ideas that come to you at a moment’s notice whether through the notes app or a voice recorder.
Write what you love and develop characters you will fall in love with because inevitably you’re going to be spending a lot of time with it and them in the rewriting and editing stages. Also, the more defined your characters are the more you can let them tell the story.
For more, check out MF 375.
Aaron Bossig (MF 376):
Aaron is currently working on his first sci-fi novel. Tips for your work-in-progress (WIP).
Inspiration doesn’t just come from sources you love. Look at shows, movies, books or other media that had interesting concepts but disappointed you in their execution. Sometimes, you can get inspired to write the story you wanted to see happen.
Know your end game with any project. Confused about whether to write a novel, graphic novel or screenplay? Map it out to its logical conclusion and understand what will be required to see it come to fruition. Choose the most sensible and realistic path to make it happen.
For more, check out MF 376.
Rich Perry (MF 377):
Rich is a contributor to a joint-venture (JV) non-fiction book in the self-help space, and co-author of Bankroll your Mind. Tips for starting out as a writer.
JVs and short form pieces are a great place to test the waters. Get experience with short form and contributor pieces before tackling your first book.
Invest in your network. Seek out communities and opportunities. There are plenty of the latter to write short form pieces to earn your writing chops.
For more, check out MF 377.
Check out the Moving Forward mini-series collection
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