Day 4
Well … today’s the day you actually start writing! Now's a good time…before you get all involved in the writing…to think back and see what we've covered since day one. You’ve covered a lot of stuff … learned some techniques that were new to you…and, probably were a little strange to you as well!
You may be getting tired of all of the review we do at the beginning of each chapter. I'm doing that for a very good reason! What you’re really trying to learn here is the process…the process of how to write a book! Sure, this time around I’m sort of holding your hand through that process, but the next time, you’ll be on your own.
It’s sort of like when you were first learning to drive. You had to concentrate on each step as you took it. Put your foot on the brake, put it in reverse, check and see if anything's behind you … you remember having to think about all of that. After a while, you just jumped in the car and took off! That’s what I want you to be able to do when you start your next book.
So, up to this point, we've talked about what you think about your writing ability … and given you some powerful reasons to think more highly of it. I’ve also given you an exceptional tool to grab ideas out of your sub-conscious and get them on paper where you can work with them and make them come to life. You’ve learned ways to work in niches, to find out if your ideas are profitable, and to start filling your head with the first thoughts of your new e-book. Man! That’s a lot in just 30 pages. Now it all starts to pay off…it’s time to write! Let’s get going!
First of all, wipe that sweat off your forehead, wipe those sweaty palms on your jeans and stop feeling that knot in your stomach! This is going to be a lot better … and easier than you think it is. Remember that “stinkin’ thinkin’” thing and look up at the side of your computer monitor and see that piece of paper with those promises you made yourself back a few days ago. Relax! This is gonna be fun!
First of all, let’s think up a catchy title for your new book. Grab that legal pad…and pen! For the rest of this book, we’re going to say that your book will be about diets for dachshunds. Whatever your topic is, write it down at the top of a blank yellow pad page … right in the middle…and in BIG LETTERS.
DIETS FOR DUCKS
Although that phrase alone may be a good title for a book, we’re looking for a title that will make people want to read this book … not even want to…HAVE to read this book!
The best way to do that is to insert some other words in there to grab their attention. Words like, delicious, easy-to-do, cheap, healthy,
… can all go before the word diets. Words like your darling, your fat, overweight, older, …can go in front of duck. Here’s what you need to do.
Right below that big topic title write a list of descriptive words that will work with your topic … make it at least 10 words long. Then, right below the big lettered topic, start writing the new titles.
Delicious Diets For Your Darling Duck…Easy-To-Do Diets For Your Fat Duck…Healthy Diets For Your Older Duck…and so on.
Do that with your title. Have some fun with it. You probably will come up with some really funny ones, and some really smelly ones! Doesn't matter. Just put them down on paper till you've used all of your words.
Now, sit back and read each of them out loud! One or two of them will really sound good…really sound like the title of a book that you’d probably buy. Those are the ones to work with. All you have to do now is pick your favorite and you’ve just come up with the title for your first book!
Here's a little trick that always gets me really going when I'm first starting a book. It may work for you as well.
Go to Google and type in your topic…duck, in our example book. Then, click on the “Images” link right above the search box. You’ll find all kinds of pictures of your or anyone else's daughters. Take a few minutes and pick one that really catches your eye.
You have to know right here that you probably won't be able to use that exact picture for your book cover since it probably is copyrighted…I’ll tell you a couple of places to get some great pictures that are copyright free here in a minute … but just having a picture helps this process along tremendously! Leave it up on your screen and continue.
Your next step is to start an outline. How do you do that? Well, the best way to show you is to refer you to the Table Of Contents for this book.
That’s what we want to end up with…a list of chapters.
But for now, we need an outline before we get it in that shape. The first shape your outline will take is just a list of everything you want to tell me about diets for ducks. Do you want to tell me a little history of ducks? Do you want to tell me how many ducks are registered in the world? Do you want to tell me about the different kinds of ducks?
How about health problems that ducks routinely suffer from? Just write down everything you can think of to tell me about ducks right there on your legal pad. Put each thing on a separate line and leave a few … 3-4 … lines between them. We'll fill those spaces in momentarily. Don’t edit yourself here! Just write