Do You Really Know Your Audience?
While speaking with a client about her audience, I had a sense that the audience for her book was different from the audience for the high-end program she was developing. So, we went to the source, her muse, and asked her muse (during a guided visualization) to show her the audience for the program. The author had thought of her audience as a cross between herself and the people in another program—people who were overweight. In contrast, her muse showed her people who looked more fit, a woman and a man. The man held a briefcase. Both looked professional and… Read more
Here’s How to Finish Writing a Book
How to Finish Writing a Book: My Breakthrough A few weeks ago, I attended a “deep writing” retreat with creativity coach Eric Maisel at Kripalu yoga center in the Berkshires, in order to finish writing a book. I came to class with less than a third of my first draft. In 5 days I completed: Most of the first draft, with just a few details to add (which require research) A chunk of the bare bones of my book proposal Ideas for book promotion A rough query letter What gets in the way? How can you overcome that in order… Read more
Writer’s Block? Maybe You’re Not Stuck at All
“I was really stuck last week, but now I’m not as much.” I probed Strategic Planning Consultant Karen Barth a bit about the word “stuck” because I had a hunch she’d find herself in a similar state again, and maybe it wasn’t exactly stuck but in need of something. As Karen put it, “If I don’t know what I’m writing. I can’t write it.” Karen needed to do some research, get clear on the points she wanted to make and add more stories. Then she could develop a detailed outline. And, then, she could write the next chapter in her… Read more
After a First Draft: Developmental Editing, Digging Deeper and Interviewing
After Your Finish Your First Draft, Consider Developmental Editing What comes next after writing a first draft? One thing you probably need is developmental editing: Read through the first draft. Consider whether the overall structure works or whether it may need to be structured differently (Note: here’s where an experienced, objective editor can help) Move around sections or chapters to create a better flow Cut material that feels extraneous, breaks the flow or belongs in a different book Identify where you need to develop more (adding details or new information) Identify any additional research that needs to be done and… Read more
Writer Derailed! Curing Writer’s Block
Got writer’s block? Were you on a roll only to crash and burn? How do you get back on track when you’ve stopped writing? Writer Derailed! When Board Advisory and Executive Coach Marina Cvetkovic joined my Bring Your Book to Life® Program to write her book, she dove into the Quick Start exercises and sent me a writing sample almost immediately. She continued to write in the flow. And then… A 10 day vacation derailed her. The dreaded “Writer’s Block” set in. “I just haven’t opened that word document since.” I asked Marina to open the document while we were… Read more
