Book Writing Tips
How Writing a Book Too Fast Can Hurt You
Making the shift from unpublished expert to published author lifts your status. It gives you a certain gravitas that signals to others that you are a true authority. Generally, authors outpace unpublished experts in invitations–to speak, to appear in the media, and to partner with high-level people and organizations. Most people understand this. But what…
Read MoreDon’t Lose Steam: The 2 Big Keys to Finishing Your Book
Eighty-one percent of Americans say that they plan to write a book “someday.” Yet, less than 1% actually do so. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times. A wannabe author starts a book project, has a lot of good energy around it, then it drags on, and they never finish. They lose momentum, and their…
Read MoreThe #1 Mistake Wannabe Authors Make
Back in 2002, I had breakfast at the San Diego State University Writer’s Conference with a highly regarded literary agent, and I asked him, “What is the biggest mistake you see authors make?” And he said, “Impatience.” He was right. When it comes to book publishing, if you allow impatience to drive your decisions, you…
Read MoreOvercome Writers Block
Writer’s block. We all know about it. It can seem like the writer’s worst enemy. That feeling when you’re staring at a blank screen and racking your mind to find the right opening sentence, or figure out what to say at all… It’s frustrating—maddening at times. And it happens to every writer. Often. It doesn’t…
Read MoreDevelop a Strong Bond with Your Reader
If you’ve ever had an all-consuming, obsessive feeling while reading a great novel, you probably didn’t ask yourself why. You just had that experience where you kept thinking, “just one more chapter,” until one became two, two became three, three became four, and next thing you knew the sun was rising, and you were still…
Read MoreHow to Write a Book that’s Current, Yet Timeless
One of the biggest challenges in writing a book is to figure out how to write a book that is current and in-step with the times, yet has a long shelf life. At first glance, this may seem impossible. “Current” means in the here and now. “Timeless” means everlasting. So, how do you write a…
Read MoreA Picture’s Worth 1000 Words
Of Jack Kerouac’s notable writing tips, the one my father made sure I learned was: “Don’t think of words when you stop but to see picture better”, because A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words. My dad would tell me, “Get an image in your mind of what you want to describe. See it clearly in your…
Read MorePlease Try Not to Say F*ck
I hate driving in the suburbs. I especially hate driving in Highlands Ranch, CO, but many years ago, I did it anyway to attend a friend’s party. My children were with me, nestled in the back seat—Dylan, age 6, and Maya, age 4. I’m also a very expressive person, and my children were well aware…
Read MoreLearn from NFL’s “Inspire Change” Ad Fumble: Acknowledge Your Mistakes
The NFL’s “Inspire Change” ad that aired during Super Bowl LV began with a few quick images of NFL players and a voiceover of Ladanian Tomlinson’s speech that he gave when he was inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame. This advertisement showed a bunch of images associated with the Black Lives Matter movement: players…
Read MoreShould You Write A Memoir?
A lot of people come to me with an idea or a desire to get a traditional book deal to write a memoir. More often than not, I steer them a different direction. You see, memoirs are tricky. They are true stories that need to have the dramatic tension and emotion of a page-turning novel.…
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