How do you start writing your own book? Do you know in advance how to begin? What and how do you want to tell your story? Do you know the purpose of your book before the first letter is on paper?
I know authors who sit down at their computer one day. They start typing and see where it goes... risking an overload of sentences, of paper, of nonsense.
Others want to know first what they are going to write, how they want their story to start, and how they want to engage the reader until the end.
Sketch, write and piece your book together
They sketch large papers full of words, arrows, colours,... Redrawing and piecing together until the structure of their book is right. Only then do they start writing.
I am a fan of this method.
Find a writer for your book
Another method is to give separately written blogs, newsletters and opinion pieces to a ghostwriter with the request to bundle them into one book.
Because yes, you can also have your book written! Ghostwriting occurs quite often. This is how I often write behind the scenes for management and entrepreneurship books.
Write with a concrete goal
Every method has its pros and cons. Every little bird writes as it is beaked.
But how do you think the strongest books come about? Indeed. With an eye on the finish line, as management guru Stephen R. Covey once taught me.
"Begin with the end in mind."
Answer 99 questions
I recently found a great tool for authors. The questionnaire from a compatriot of Covey, the American Roger C. Parker. He asks you 99 questions about the book you want to write and publish.
- What are the most important reasons why you want to write a book?
- How can a book create new business and profit for you?
- How will you measure the success of your own book?
- How much do you want to write and publish your own book?
- Who is your ideal reader?
And so it goes on with 99 questions.
Do you want to start writing your own book? Then the very extensive list of questions from Roger C. Parker is an interesting starting exercise. Use this to clarify your book project. Select the questions that can make your book more concrete and goal-oriented. Because with a concrete answer to 10 or 20 questions, you can also get quite far.
Start writing a book yourself
Start today.
Get to work with the 99 Questions to Ask workbook by Roger C. Parker.
Download free ebook and start writing →
Or contact me. Ask how I can contribute as a ghostwriter to your book.
