how to write a book
TRANSCRIPT
Have something to say
What do you know that others do not?What is your expertise?What is the trend in your industry?What are you most known for?What do you do that is different from everyone else?What isn’t being said about your industry?
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Conquer Your Fear
• Break down into sub-categories• Find a reason• Face the challenge and do it anyway• Take small steps to build stamina• Mix it up• Look at other formats: audio, visual…
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Getting Kick-started
• Watch people, commercials, TV, YouTube, birds, pictures…shop
• Blend: poetry and songs; pick a song you like and Google the lyrics, write your own words
• Re-write something• Find a novel and copy part of a
chapter and write what you think will happen next
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Your book’s resume
TitleDescription – general overviewWhat’s on the marketTarget audienceAuthor’s qualificationsPreliminary table of contentsMarketing plan
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• Be meticulous in your proofing. Don’t let anything leave your possession until you know it’s your best work.
• The good writer seems to communicate without exertion.
• Grow a thick skin.• Really mean every word you write.
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Fiction: keep track of characters
Terry Clark• Career minor leaguer• First shot at pros for 6 games – 6 wins
Jamie McLennan• Career back-up goalie• Goaltending coach
Theoren Fleury• Nearly didn’t get drafted• Suspended and reinstated at age 41
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Writing
• Practice writing• The first draft will have errors and
flaws• Your work is more than likely great, it
just needs polishing• There is no right or wrong way—it’s
about developing the story the best way you can
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Writing
• Show, don’t tell• Use all five senses• Give your eyes a break after a long
stretch of writing• You don’t have to write in sequence
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Editing
Grammar and punctuationSpellingPoor constructionFlowRedundancy
Writing is 99 percent sweat equity
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Common Errors
• .” not “. -- quotation AFTER period, comma
• Mom, my mom• Language• Tense• Spacing after period• Spelling consistency
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Editing tips
Simplify your language. Don’t use five words when one word will do. Never assume everyone knows your industry jargon or is impressed with fancy foreign phrases and scientific words. Be consistent. Commas, dashes, quotations, possessives, and titles – when in doubt, look it up. All right is two words not one. Don’t take words and names for granted. Practice your editing on emails & social media.
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