November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and thousands of would-be authors are hard at work punching away at their keyboards to get their book done by the end-of-month deadline. There’s money in it for some, who might win competitions or get published thereafter.
Writing a book in a month sounds like a long shot, and many of us look at these writers with star-studded eyes because in all honesty we admire such perseverance and skill.
And we wistfully wish that we had that sort of dedication and ability.
Don’t they say that we all have at least ONE book in us? The question is, how do we get that book out? Onto paper or screen, and into the hands of readers?
- Go it alone – You can do it all on your own. Plan it, and just get down to it.
- Find a ghostwriter or co-writer – These are the mechanics of the writing world. They know how the word engine runs and can take your jalopy and turn it into a sports model. They can also take your outline or bare-bones ideas and build a custom job for you. It’s still your ideas, and your oversight of it all, but they do the nuts-and-bolts work for you.
- Get in with a writing club or course – Writing alongside others, with mini-deadlines and a lot of peer or mentor assistance can help you write more consistently.
- Find yourself a writing coach – same as a club or course, this person will work with you to plan, outline, develop, and write your book in a very hands-on and supportive way. They will hold you to deadlines and help motivate you to the finish line.
These are all credible and acceptable options. Of course, the actual work of writing, and staying on course, is another matter.
Because, in the end, every writer must start somewhere, and getting words down is a step further than staring at a blank page, or just living in writing dreamland. The top piece of advice I give every would-be writer is just to start. Start where you are, with what you have. Even if it’s only 500 nonsense words at first, every day.
To discover how to start and stay in writing mode, and slay the dreaded dragon of writer’s block, watch out for our next post about How to Make a Productive Writing Habit.
If you would like to chat about your options, from ghost-writing assistance to online coaching sessions, please feel free to get in touch with us: in**@ha********.com
Your book could be our next amazing publishing project!
