TODAY marks the official start of work on my book #2. And if I learned anything from my first book, I learned this: organization and having a writing framework for your book is so crucial to assisting you along this journey of book creation. However, I will say that one size doesn’t fit all. The thought processes I’m laying out for you are what I’m using to help organize my book writing efforts this second go-around. They’re meant to give you some guidance for set-up and preparation for your book baby. As a matter of fact, I’ll be posing some questions to help you craft the types of items you may want to include in your framework. I’ll be sharing my tentative set-up and prep plan with you in tomorrow’s blog post. Generally speaking, here’s roughly what your framework should include:
- a specific work area/working environment. Do you write best in a quiet or noisy environment? Is it easier for you to work at home in your office or some other room or do you find your creative flow away from home . . . in a bookstore, library, or cafe-type setting?
- a designated time of the day to write along with the time range the writing should take place. Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening writer? When do you have the most author-minded energy kicking in on all cylinders? Do you have a range of times each day (or sections of the day) that you can consistently set aside for writing purposes?
- a determination as to the number of writing sessions and length of the writing sessions. Will you write in one continuous writing session? If so, how long will that be? Do you find that you can more effectively arrive at your daily word count goal by breaking up a long, continuous session into small, multiple sessions in a certain time frame or throughout the day? (WOW! And that was an example of a long, continuous sentence!) What will the daily writing schedule look like with multiple mini-sessions?
- the method of writing you will use. Do you prefer to handwrite your manuscript with pen/pencil and paper, use a dictation system, or typewrite and save on your computer? Or, do you like to spice things up by using a combination of two or all of the preceding methods for writing a book?
- the equipment and supplies you’ll need in your writing sessions. What will your ideal writing inventory list include . . . pens, paper, pencils, desktop computer, laptop, dictation software, recorder, word processing programs, timer, comfy chair, desk, reference and supplemental materials, and so on?
- the health routines you must initiate in order to be in optimal writing shape each writing session. For example, what will your daily or weekly eating/drinking, exercise, and sleeping regimens consist of? To function efficiently during your writing, you must treat the body good. So, determine what moves you must make (actions you must take) to create a healthy atmosphere for your writing.
- an outline of what you will be writing about. For most writers, having some general idea of what subjects, characters, chapters, or scenes you want to cover on any given day is a great way to stay on track with your writing. Not everyone functions in this respect, though. Do you need a little structure and guidance for your daily writing mission? If so, make sure to create an outline for your week. You can prepare the outline the day before or plan it out at the beginning of the week for the entire week. On the other hand, do you prefer to “pants” it (fly by the seat of your pants – no outline necessary)? If so, let ‘er flow. Do what works for you.
- a tracking system for determining if you’re on target with your book writing goals. Write it up, type it up, tally it up . . . just make sure you record your progress, so you can monitor if you’re staying on task (or not) and whether you’re hitting your milestones (or not).
- an incentives system for reaching critical milestones toward the completion of your book. If you’ve been appropriately tracking your progress, you’ll be able to easily identify those times when some special self-recognition is in order. So, what floats your boat? Do you like sweet motivation of the delectably edible varieties, rest and relaxation treat days, or purchase parties? Set up your incentives system to reward yourself for a job well done.
- the right to tweak any item to better fit your writing needs as you progress through the writing process. Build some flexibility into your framework. You might have to adjust things daily to fit your schedule, because life happens. And depending upon the day, you may have to be creative in figuring out how to keep your framework somewhat intact according to your best-laid plans. Do the best you can, but remember that guidelines are just that. You have some wiggle room for how you operate as long as you try to maneuver within the lines.
The thought processes behind the items above are to get you started on your upcoming book. I may have left off items that you’d like to include or have included items you’d like to drop. Feel free to use what you can and make the plan your own. Create a checklist of sorts and make sure you have it visibly housed. You want it to be in a place where you can easily access it as your daily reminder as to your organized framework for writing.
degreesofmaternity.com 