book writing

What Will It Take to Finish Writing Your Book?

August 27, 2026 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

When an aspiring author contacts me, one of the first things they often share is, “I’ve been working on this book for years.” They started, got stuck, and tabled the book. Maybe later, they returned to the project only to lose momentum once again.

Or life just got in the way. They don’t seem stuck, just distracted.

Does that sound like you? If so, read on!

You Need a Plan

Without a solid plan, many a writer’s book dreams(opens in new tab) slip away. Most people who complete their books and publish successfully start by putting together a plan. Their plan goes something like this:

Here’s who this book is for.
Here’s what I want to accomplish with this book (vision/goals)
Here’s why people will want to read and recommend my book!
Here’s how my book will support my readers’ transformation and/or accomplishments.

And then there are the logistical parts of the plan:

Here’s when I’m going to write (days, times).
Here’s how I’m going to be accountable.
Here’s what I need to learn and how I’m going to learn it.
Here’s how I’ll get feedback.
Here’s how I’ll make sure the writing is clear, engaging, entertaining, valuable, compelling.
Here’s how I’m going to determine my next steps to publish.

etc.

And then, you’ll plan the content:

The tone that will resonate for your readers.
The version of your authentic voice that empowers and engages your readers.
The features of your book that will make it most effective and valuable to your readers.
The structure of your book, starting with the Table of Contents and becoming more detailed.

Once that plan is complete, you’re ready to write.

The Easy Way to Reengage with Your Dream and Get Your Writing Done

If that list above seems daunting, don’t worry! There’s an easy way to reconnect with your dream, get your writing done, and complete and publish your book.

Yes, I’m talking about my Get Your Writing Done program (opens in a new tab).

This program offers a number of components:

18-16 hours of live sessions on Zoom. We begin with some fun and easy mindful movement to get us into a flow state. Then we each set a brief (a word or so) intention for our session. Most of our time on Zoom is spent writing, AND you also have the opportunity to ask questions, meet with me in a breakout group, and often someone reads a brief excerpt and receives feedback from the community and me.
Access to all my self-study programs for nonfiction book-writing and for writing a book proposal. These tools include self-study courses, videos, interviews, exercises, ebooks and more to help you get started with your book concept

Let’s look at the program from the point of view of your book-writing plan.

Writing Your Book, Step by Step:

Looking back at what goes into your book-writing plan, here’s how you’ll get it in Get Your Writing Done:

In my Quick Start workbook, you’ll get guidance and exercises to help you determine your book concept. This includes :

Here’s who this book is for.
Here’s what I want to accomplish with this book (vision/goals)
Here’s why people will want to read and recommend my book!
Here’s how my book will support my readers’ transformation and/or accomplishments.

And you’ll also answer many of the logistical parts of the plan:

Here’s when I’m going to write: You can start with our Zoom sessions on Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET, and/or Thursdays, 11:30 – 1:30 ET. Of course, you can add additional times. And the Quick Start workbook gives you tools to figure out your schedule and timeline.
Here’s how I’m going to be accountable: The program itself provides some accountability, including the option to meet weekly with an accountability partner and to answer the 5 empowering questions to stay on track. Some people add coaching or editing to their program to get even more accountability.
Here’s what I need to learn and how I’m going to learn it: When it comes to what you need to learn about writing and publishing, we’ve got you covered. While Get Your Writing Done provides self-study tools, including detailed guidance for editing your work (without AI!), you can also get your individual questions answered by me on our calls. And we can brainstorm whether you need additional learning in your subject area.
Here’s how I’ll get feedback: Because the program focuses on each person being efficient with their writing time, we spend only a little time on calls, with one reader sharing an excerpt and receiving feedback on each call. However, it’s amazing what participants have gleaned from those short reading/feedback sessions. And on some calls we break out into groups of two to read an excerpt and receive feedback, so that everyone can share (or you can choose to keep writing and skip the breakout!). In addition, you’ll find a great deal of guidance in my Inspiration to Author self-study program — also available on the private program website. Guidance includes how to identify beta readers, the best questions to ask them, how to find an editor and more. Plus, I am happy to make referrals, or you can hire me as a coach/editor (and receive Get Your Writing Done at no cost with a coaching program).

Here’s how I’ll make sure the writing is clear, engaging, entertaining, valuable, compelling: Again, the feedback on the calls is a helpful start, as is the extensive self-editing guide. We can also brainstorm in the Zoom room or in a breakout group for additional support.
Here’s how I’m going to determine my next steps for publishing: The Inspiration to Author self-study program provides support with publishing decisions, and you can also get support on our calls, in the large group or in a breakout with me.

In addition, from time to time, I identify an area where the group could use additional guidance or support and create bonus material for participants. This includes a course I offered in March on developing a “creative abundance plan” that includes time for writing, self-care, and other activities essential for a fulfilling writing journey. The course was free to everyone in Get Your Writing Done. If that sounds cool—and useful—there is now a video and course materials available to you when you sign up for the Get Your Writing Done program.

The Invitation

If you’ve been feeling frustrated that your book isn’t finished yet, join me and a cohort of committed writers—a few of whom used Get Your Writing Done to finish their first book and are now working on their next book!

A few details

Join us on Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 pm ET, and/or on Thursdays, 11:30 – 1:30 ET. There’s no cost to come twice in a week!
Cost is $247/month. Or save big and sign up for 6 months for $997!
You can cancel your subscription at any time and will incur no additional fees.

We’re a friendly group of people who are kind, respectful and supportive! Read more about the Get Your Writing Done book writing program and sign up here .

Questions about the program? Email me here.

Writing Your Book Makes an Impact Way Before You Publish

February 12, 2026 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

Laurie Hunt Lisa Tener — Laurie’s visit to RI

On a plane trip returning from sunny Sarasota, I opened the folder with the final third of Laurie Hunt’s manuscript. I’d read the first two-thirds of the book through a number of iterations, but this was my first full read of the final third—a section she’d recently completed.

On the Impact of Writing a Book, Pre-Publication

I loved seeing how the book had evolved into an engaging invitation for personal growth.

And as I read, it struck me that, just as the book had evolved, so had I. I’d grown somewhat between my initial reading and this latest reading of this final third, several years later. One catalyst for this growth had been Laurie’s draft. Well before she completed her book, I’d benefited and grown in the reading —and re-reading—of it.

“Testing out” Laurie’s engaging questions for reflection created internal changes in me. While I’m a work in progress—quite like a book manuscript!—I could see how my perspective about race and whiteness had evolved. I found I was more open to what the book offered to teach me and to self-scrutiny. I could see where my thinking and beliefs had evolved as well.

With Laurie Hunt on her visit to Rhode Island a few years ago.

I thought, too, of the white women in Laurie’s focus groups who’d also inevitably experienced shifts as they explored Laurie’s model of “connected leadership,” which comes from doing the inner work around race that Laurie guides them through.

And, just like that, this post proved my point, beyond what I anticipated!

After I drafted this blog post, I sent it to Laurie for approval before sharing. Apparently, the draft of this post inspired Laurie to share several paragraphs from the manuscript in our Get Your Writing Done session today. Laurie’s reading prompted a rich discussion that began with voice and expanded into the book’s topic, raising awareness of our own race and racism. This discussion, in itself, heightened our awareness as a group and led us into a discussion of a topic that might otherwise have remained in the shadows.

I realized that this illustrated two things for me:

Yes, here was Laurie’s book manuscript, continuing to make an impact and
My blog post also had an unintended effect: it encouraged Laurie to share. (So a blog post can also have an impact pre-posting!)

Your book’s impact

Long before a book is published, it begins to make change in the world—in the author herself, in her beta readers, in her editor, in her students or clients, in groups that are exposed to it, in people the author meets and in the people that all those groups of people mentioned engage with.

Writing and publishing a book takes a long time. Sometimes it’s helpful to realize that your book is already making a difference well before it’s polished, finished and published.

I’m curious. How has writing your book impacted you? Can you think of ways your writing has impacted others, even before it’s published? Please share your experiences as a comment below or on social media!

Abundance: Your Empowered Writing Plan for 2026

January 29, 2026 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

Would you love to know how to plan for a creatively abundant year to:

Photo credit: Emily Homonoff
Easily start and complete your projects.
Avoid overwhelm.
Enjoy a rich, stress free writing life.
Continue to nourish mind, body, spirit throughout your day, week and year.

Fun vs. The Old Mantra (Not Enough)

I think I’ve hit upon a remarkably simple method that is both empowering and actually–get this!–FUN!

It started last fall when Robin Kall and I began to plan our 2026 writing retreat. As we brainstormed ideas for a theme, we realized that so many writers (and people who don’t even feel ready to call themselves writers) feel scarcity when it comes to the writing life:

Not enough time.
Not enough talent.
Not enough energy.
Not enough skill.
Not enough money.

Enough, already!

We live in an abundant universe and we get to co-create it. So, how do we do that?

We spent a few months just letting the idea germinate and then dove into putting it into practice.

The Plan for Creative Abundance

The goal was:

Make a plan that’s simple.
Make a plan that works.
Make it truly fun and empowering.

Nature Challenged Us

And then nature challenged us: a crazy snowstorm, changing forecasts, what to do? It looked like we could get away with making our Saturday/Sunday retreat one day in person, one 2 hour zoom session on the big snow day (Sunday) and a follow-up 2-day retreat in March. We figured our people would LOVE getting an extra day of retreat at no charge!

And, whether they attended in person, the zoom or both, we could give them enough to create their plan so that, come March, they could:

Making our writing/creative intentions for 2026
Gather in Narragansett and share what was working in their writing practice, weekly, and month-by-month plans.
Get support to problem-solve any challenges.
Refine their plans to work even better.
And of course, do lots more writing and fun.

Creating Your Intention

We started the day off by creating our brief intentions or themes for the year:

Note: You can do this too! Listen to my meet your muse guided visualization and ask your inner muse to help you set a theme or intention for 2026.

Replicate our intention process!

If you want to replicate our process, once you get your intention from your muse, paint the word(s) and any associated images on a tiny canvas. We used Posca paints , which I bought at Jerry’s Artarama, and these 3 x 3 mini canvases with easels!

Do it with a friend – it’s fun! At the end we shared our intentions around the circle.

Okay, you’re set on intention. What’s next? You need a plan to make it happen!

Your Plan for Creative Abundance

qigong for creativity — Photo credit: Emily Homonoff

I shared several prompts to help the writers explore anything that’s getting in the way of creative abundance: mindset, beliefs, past experiences, fears, as well as prompts to get clearer about what you want.

Then we prioritized. Not every activity or project goes on the plan. I suggested identifying one or two top creative projects for the year. Each will have multiple phases and it’s the phases we’re going to identify and estimate time for each.

We also explored self-care practices that create a strong foundation for our creativity – rest, sleep, journaling, quality nutrition, qigong, yoga, meditation, bubble baths, a cup of tea, time in nature…you get. Those go into the plan! I shared a few powerful qigong practices to empower!

Daily plans for a typical week

We started out by imagining what a creatively empowered week might look like:

When would we do the self-care practices (what days, what times)?
When would we write (days, times)?
When would we do other tasks related to our highest priority creative projects (querying, marketing, publishing, admin, etc.)?

Create a sample weekly plan: Carve out time for journaling, writing, foundational self-care, and writing-related activities (querying, marketing, etc.). This gave us a sense of how many hours a week we’d spend on writing and on other related or foundational activities.

The big annual plan, month-by-month

We listed each project (including self-care) and broke them down into the required phases, estimating hours per phase and how many weeks or months it would take.

Ready for a draft of the big picture for the year, we broke down which phases we planned to work on each month.

Now it was time for a more engaging and playful calendar:

On 12 x 12 card stock, where we laid out the 12 months of the year.
Using starburst and circular die-cuts, we placed our color-coded projects and wrote a breakdown of whatever phases we planned to work on that month.
And then we put our plans into action.

What made our plans so powerful is the simplicity. We didn’t try to put all our goals and projects into the plan–just one or two or three main projects and their phases, plus the self-care activities that support our creativity!

The next-day responses blew me away!

Here are some of the things people said on the call, after having started their plans the previous day:

“I thought it might feel constricting but it feels liberating! Just three days after setting the plan in motion, I found myself completing an essay I’d been blocked on, writing a social post, and outlining my next creative project.” – Tejal Tarro, author of illusions of this world

“This is amazing. [My Empowered Writing Plan] changes the energy to something that is exciting.” – Kiki Black, poet, journaler

Make Your Creative Abundance Plan for 2026

Once I heard how empowered people had become in just a day, I knew I needed to share this system more broadly. And I didn’t want to wait a long time to set up a sales page, yada, yada! We’re nearing the end of January, and you need your plan now, amiright?

So, here it is: A one or two session workshop on Zoom and we’ll send you the handouts and suggested links to buy materials (or just use what you have at home!)

Join me on February 16 and/or February 23 at 3 pm ET, noon PT for a 2-hour Zoom workshop.

Don’t worry, you won’t be staring at a screen for two hours; you’ll be making your empowering plan most of the time!

The Prep

supplies for an inspired writing plan for 2026 — Here are my supplies to make and decorate an empowered writing plan for 2026. You would need to purhcase these separately or just use what you already have in your home. Markers and paper work fine!

In advance, you’ll receive:

A template/worksheet for your daily week-at-a-glance plan.
A worksheet for your year-at-a-glance, month-by-month plan.
Writing prompts to explore and work through any resistance or blocks to creative abundance.
Writing prompts for preparing for our session.
Instructions for creating a bulletproof, empowering plan!
Links in case you want to purchase some of the supplies we used. Tip: You probably have good stuff at home you can use as well!

Do you have to prep ahead? Nope. It may help you to be more efficient, but you can just do the workshop on our Zoom call. You don’t even have to print out the handouts ahead of time if you don’t want to. We’re making this easy-peasy!

The Workshop

Make it easy on yourself and join me and creative others for this empowering workshop.

Most important: come prepared to have fun.

I’ll lead you in a guided visualization to help you get your intention word(s) for 2026.
You can explore any of the prompts to empower you.
I’ll lead you through the exercise.

You’ll see that you can come on February 16, 23, or both. It’s up to you.

It’s a powerful exercise that can empower you all year!

As I mentioned in my last post, I’d been constantly trading between journaling and writing poetry in the early morning or an hour-plus qigong practice. Creating the plan made me realize I just needed to get to bed earlier to enjoy both foundational practices.

I’m not much of a planner in general, but this worked like magic for me. And it can do so for you, too!

Retreat with Robin, me and an intimate group of kindred spirits

Want to join us in person by the ocean for two days in March? We have a handful of spots left. Get the details of the Creative Abundance Retreat and sign up here.

How Talking to Colleagues Can Change Your Perspective on What You’re Writing

November 6, 2025 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

In a recent Get Your Writing Done session, Louisa Willcox shared how a conversation with a colleague woke her up to a perspective she hadn’t considered in the book she’s been writing about protecting Grizzly Bears.

Louisa’s Book Insights

The conversation had led her to do some research, and she realized that for fifty years, the preservation of wild country outside Parks and Wilderness in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho has been achieved primarily through litigation to protect Grizzly Bears. That, she realized, is a terrible, non-strategic way to conserve wild land and puts Grizzlies in the crosshairs between conservationists, government, developers and other interests.

This led to a whole new chapter she is now working on, as well as information, data, and perspective to weave throughout the book. She hopes that this insight, along with the alternative approaches she describes, will transform how readers think about and pursue conservation at a time when threats to the nation’s largest remaining wild ecosystems are mounting.

How to Broaden Your Perspective on Your Subject

The secret ingredients for this potentially game-changing idea are:

Talk to colleagues.
Be open to “aha moments.”
Return to the data for further insights.
Be willing to rework your book as such insights arise, using them to spark new, actionable ideas, especially in the final chapters!

As you work on your book, are you discussing the subject with colleagues? Open to seeing the problems your book addresses from new perspectives and angles?

While it’s important to discuss your book with people you trust and be mindful about whom you share it with, it’s also incredibly helpful to develop your book in community: through conversations, feedback from beta readers, research, and possibly holding one or more focus groups.

When you discuss the issues, be open to new perspectives, especially when someone disagrees with you. What does that disagreement tell you? Is there a third way to view things that their perspective can open you up to? Or can you do some research to see what the data might be saying?

Please share any ideas this post has sparked, or any reactions to this post! Thank you!

And if you’re interested in hearing more about Louisa and colleagues’ work protecting Grizzly Bears, check out The Grizzly Times. You can click on the drop-down menu to sign up for the free newsletter.

How the Earth Breath Can Inspire and Support Your Writing

October 2, 2024 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

Last week, I delivered a keynote address for The Living Now Book Awards Ceremony: You’ve Won! Now Tap Your Creative Spark for Next Steps. Near the very start of my presentation, I shared “Earth Breath,” one of my favorite practices for creative flow.

I wanted to help participants relax, focus and feel energized so they could tap into their creativity as they considered how they want to reach readers, spread the word about their award-winning books, and create new opportunities for sharing their wisdom with the world. Earth Breath seemed perfect for that task!

Using the Elemental Breaths to Enhance Writing

I learned the Earth Breath almost three decades ago, when I lived in Boston. I’d been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, and in my search for healing, I came upon a system called “Polarity Therapy” that led me on a path to health and vitality. I became curious about how this “energy medicine” worked to heal me, and I began studying at the Polarity Institute under Doug Janssen in Watertown, MA, to understand the seemingly miraculous way it worked.

In Polarity Therapy training, we learned five types of elemental breath: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. The breaths are simple:

Earth: Inhale through the nose; exhale through the nose.
Water: inhale through the nose; exhale through the mouth.
Fire: Inhale through the mouth; exhale through the nose (like a fire-breathing dragon!).
Air: Inhale through the mouth; exhale through the mouth.
Ether: inhale through nose and mouth; exhale through nose and mouth.

Interestingly, each breath helps you experience qualities related to the different elements. I found that they could be applied in exciting ways to experience useful attributes of a particular element when those qualities came in handy for writing and creative tasks: Air can lead to fanciful flight. Fire can help you get in touch with your passion or anger. Water breath is excellent for flow. And Earth breath grounds you.

How Earth Breath Can Support Your Writing

In today’s post, I’d like to share how Earth Breath, in particular, can support your writing and various writing tasks such as:

Foundational work like clarifying the scope and focus of your book or writing project.
Outlining.
Identifying examples or stories to make the material more concrete for readers.
Developing experiential exercises that help your reader embody and experience the teachings you share.
Helping you access the bodily sensations to describe a scene or anecdote.
Editing and excavating!

Along with the applications above, you can use the Earth Breath when you:

Feel too spacey to write and want to be more present in your writing.
Need to access sensory detail to bring it to life for your readers.
Are writing about earth-related topics – nature, earth, gardening, somatic practices.
Feel exhausted and wish to energize.
Are stressed and need to relax.

In Breathe. Write. Breathe.: 18 Energizing Practices to Spark Your Writing and Free Your Voice, I share several elemental breaths in audio and/or video recordings that guide you through the easy and simple breathing practices.

For Earth Breath, I made a video that helps you experience the qualities of Earth through both the breathing practice and a simple qigong practice for connecting with Earth Energy or “Earth Qi.”

Try It Out Now

Try Earth Breath now by practicing along with the video and writing afterward. See how Earth Breath affects your writing. Share any observations as a comment below or in a social media post linking to this post (and thank you for sharing!). If you have a copy of Breathe. Write. Breathe. you may want to try some Earth-related writing prompts in Chapter 10! Don’t have a copy yet? Get yours here. If you buy the digital version, you can access the prompts instantaneously!

What qualities do you think of when you think of Earth? How might these qualities help your writing and when might you use them? What did you experience with practicing the Earth Breath?

3 Easy Ways to Outsmart Your Inner Critic and Write Prolific!

June 5, 2024 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

That inner critic can dampen creative enthusiasm, motivation, and productivity. When we start writing and hear that self-critical voice arise, it can put us in a tailspin.

The trick is to start from a different place that’s nourishing and joyful. Connect with your inner muse or creative source; the critic doesn’t stand a chance.

Outsmart Your Inner Critic

Consult your muse: Try my meet-your-muse guided visualization and ask your muse to help you believe in yourself and your writing.
Make a list: If the critic tells you no one will read the book, list all the reasons they will. If the critic says you’re a crummy writer, list all the evidence you have to the contrary. If you still feel stuck, ask a trusted friend to talk you down and help you make the list.
Breathe. Or Move. Well, that’s what my upcoming book is all about: using simple, easy breathing techniques and mindful movement to tap into your creativity. Slow, deep abdominal breathing is scientifically proven to enhance creativity—a great place to start. And if you think, “I’m not a meditator. I can’t sit still,” I’ve got you covered. More to come on this topic, but try this simple breathing practice for now.

This Book Will Silence the Critic and Make Your Creative Spirit Soar

In my upcoming book, Breathe. Write. Breathe., you’ll learn 18 beautiful and easy practices from ancient wisdom traditions (yoga, qigong and others) to help you access a creative flow state, bypass the critical inner voice, and transform self-doubt into boundless inspiration.

You’ll also read about my creative adventures, along with playful, quirky and unique writing prompts that will open the door to new words—and worlds—for you.

The book is interactive—QR codes provide access to videos and audio meditations, offering your portable writing retreat and perhaps more than one life-changing experience!

Mark your calendar for June 12 when the fun begins. We’ll have a virtual party at noon Eastern time, 9 am Pacific, with generous giveaways, bonuses and illuminating guests to celebrate. I’ll share a special practice you can use every time you sit down to write to get you into “the zone.” And we’ll do some writing. It will be the perfect day to gift yourself and your writer friends a special book I can’t wait to share!

Celebrate with Me: Enjoy the fun energy and inspiration, and lend your support!
Free Drawing: A chance to win a $100 or $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate.
Learn tips to outsmart your inner critic and build confidence.
Experience a fast & foolproof way to tap into creative flow.
Enjoy a fun writing exercise right on the call!
Meet special guests.

When you sign up, you will also receive a free copy of The TENER Method for Creative Flow, a five-page ebook.

5+ Writing Lessons I (re-) Learned Today

November 21, 2020 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

Some days you just have to re-learn the same lessons you picked up a year ago, or a decade ago and forgot. Here are the 5+ writing lessons I re-learned today. I hope they help and inspire you!

#1: Your Reader Changes

Writing Lesson #1 Your Reader is Not the Same Person at the End of Your Book as She Was at the Beginning

I came across this note I’d made to myself this morning while cleaning my office. I remember saying it to a client a few months ago (that’s how long it’s been since I straightened up my office)!

How do you write with this lesson in mind? Imagine your reader before she’s read your book and then imagine her after reading your wonderful book. What is she wearing? Where is she? What’s her body language? What thoughts and emotions does she experience? What’s her life situation and what do you see her doing?

Answer those questions about the instant before she reads your book and the same questions by imagining her after reading your book. You will be so much better able to serve your readers when you understand them in this fundamental way.

#2: Move and Breathe for Creative Flow

Writing Lesson #2 Moving Your Body and Breathing Deeply Can Make All the Difference in Creative Flow and Inspiring You

I’ve been making myself crazy filming about 75 video clips for my new book: The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day. I am super excited about this project but it has meant late nights at the computer until midnight and then another 45 minutes to an hour to wind down (I read a novel) and fall asleep.

I’ve read some great novels that way in the last few weeks: Wildswept by Octavia Randolph, American Queen by Ginger Moran, Gilded Dreams by Donna Russo Morin and I’m in the midst of Kristin Bair O’Keeffe’s Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything. But this lifestyle doesn’t make for a well-rested body and mind in the morning.

Feeling logy today, I took my own advice (after all I’m working on a separate book that explores various breathing and writing exercises to support creative flow). I did my qigong bouncing, several deep abdominal breaths and even hummed! That helped.

I also made myself a sourdough and red pepper hummus sandwich with the last of my farm share bib lettuce. Yeah, I needed food. Okay, I’ll admit, and some Theo’s organic dark chocolate with cherries and almonds.

I can’t begin to tell you how much better I felt after that movement, an infusion of oxygen and nourishment! Ready to write.

#3 Make Writing a Priority and Snatch Time When Your Can

Writing Lesson #3 Take Advantage of the Little Moments in Your Day to Write: You Don’t Need Hours

Since I was teaching my Get Your Writing Done program today, it was easy to do some more movement and breathing with my class, as we always begin, and then get to writing. Yet, temptations arose. My amazing video developer, Dan Thibeault of Fast Twitch Media, had just uploaded and sent me final and near-final versions of some of the videos that go into my new book, The Joy of Writing Journal.

These videos were my bright and shiny object, calling, “Watch me! Watch me! Don’t you want to see me?” I’d put hours into creating these videos with amazing people like Dan and my friend/producer/director/coach Portland Helmich. But I held my ground and wrote. “I’ll watch after.”

It took willpower to focus on writing first. If I can tame my monkey mind, so can you.

#4 Use Intention to Propel and Sustain Your Writing Practice

Writing Lesson #4 Set an Intention and Use it to Motivate You and Keep You Engaged

Our first two steps in the 5 Step TENER Method for Creative Flow are to a) Tune In and b) Engage Your Muse. After that, we c) Set an Intention. In class, we each set a one word intention by typing in the chat. While mine was “Re-energize” (remember my late night spent on video creation and novel-reading), half the class wrote “FOCUS.”

I find group intentions especially powerful. As one person reads the one word intentions in the chat, it often sounds like a poem. Today, though, it sounded like a message. Someone knocking on my door saying, “Focus. Focus. Focus.”

I think that intention of focus helped me even more than the idea of re-energizing. I stuck with my intention to write and welcomed the opportunity to write a whole blog post quickly. And here we are. I have 15 minutes of writing time left and only one more lesson to share.

#5 Get Help from Professionals Whose Strengths Compensate for Your Weaknesses.

Writing Lesson #5. Details matter, especially when working on a big project like a book.

Missing the details can result in time wasted–and not just your time but the people you work with who are counting on you.

I recently discovered that I would likely be considered ADD. Or ADHD. Or whatever acronym and initials are being used today. That explains a lot, says my husband. And my kids. And everyone who’s worked with me on a project. Such brain wiring can make us creative but it can also make for “scatterbrain,” errors, and wasted time.

While I can be surprisingly focused on a task like editing (and very detail oriented), working on multiple projects at once, or multiple windows on the computer, drives me batty–as I open window after window and flit from task to task, the stress mounts.

In my case, this divergent wiring resulted in my sending my publisher the wrong URL’s or links to the videos in my book even though she specifically sent me a template for organizing the videos. A linear mind would have had no trouble reconciling that template with the links in the manuscript, yes? Apparently not my brain. I added an extra subdirectory in the manuscript but not the video organizer, so that the URLs in the two documents did not match.

editor Lynne Heinzmann — *My editor, Lynne Heinzmann, photo by Robert Brewster Photography*

Now, we all have our strengths and weaknesses and I am a big believer in hiring people who make up for your strengths. In this case, after my friends, clients and colleagues served as beta readers and offered feedback, I hired a wonderful editor and proofreader, Lynne Heinzmann. I thought I’d covered my bases.

But I didn’t have her read the video organizer document and check it against the links in the manuscript; it just didn’t cross my mind to do that. The task seemed simple. I feel like a heel for wasting people’s time with my error.

Which I suppose leads to my bonus lesson.

My BONUS Lessons

Writing Lesson #6 Double Check Your Work and Go Through it Slowly (I tend to rush).

and my other bonus lesson:

Writing Lesson #7 Get More Sleep (Better rested, I may not have missed the inconsistency).

My writing time is up in one minute, and if I had one thing to leave you (and me) with, I think it would be that one can find many fruitful lessons in one day’s work.

What writing lessons and life lessons have you learned today?

8 More Reasons to Write a Book This Year

January 8, 2020 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

If you’ve follow my blog, you may have read my post or free ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

8 More!

For the new year, and in preparation for next week’s “Bring Your Book to Life in 2020” free training call, I came up with a few new reasons to write a book. I hope they inspire you.

You can find the obvious reasons (and some nifty, out-of-the-box reasons as well) in my free downloadable ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

Here’s some new inspiration:

To get in touch with the essence of your mission and message. There’s nothing like writing a book to help you get clear about your mission and calling. Writing a book informs how to share your wisdom in your truest voice. I’m living that lesson right now as I work on my favorite book yet. Wish me luck. I discuss my latest draft with my book coach on Wednesday!
To help people navigate uncertain or scary times: As a career/success coach, Tama Kieves noted the theme of fear coming up more regularly as clients grappled with greater uncertainty in our culture, environment, politics, work and social milieu, and, of course, their personal lives. Her antidote? Thriving Through Uncertainty, an invitation for readers to “walk through this doorway” into “the life you didn’t plan.” Her goal was to give her readers “the right support” for stepping out into uncertainty, to help people realize that what’s in their way, is their way, and to help them discover their most extraordinary answers, even in times of stress.
To support an under-served group of people: Unlike sleep books for parents of babies and toddlers, Lynelle Schneeberg’s Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach offers a solution to parents of school-aged children. (I can attest to its effectiveness — it empowered my youngest to become a great sleeper!
To get people out in nature: Craig Seyfried wrote Dad’s Journal: a Naturalist’s Guide to a Wonderful Life to honor his father and help others discover the adventures awaiting in deep connection with nature. Craig reports how moving it’s been to hear from people who knew and loved his dad. They share how reading about his dad’s journey inspired them.
To “change the trajectory of someone’s life”: Kristin Meekof, Author of A Widow’s Guide to Healing spent three years traveling the world (Kenya, United Kingdom, USA) interviewing over 100 widows for her book. “My hope is that someone who reads it will be able to connect with another widow’s story and feel less alone. Also, I included practical advice from experts who work with widows because loss has some very real challenges. I wanted to be able to guide widows through them.”
To Empower Readers: Leena St. Michael saw how burned out many of her fellow activists were becoming. She wrote The Happy Activist to give them tools to nurture and recharge in order to be effective and sustain their work long term.
To bring in new income streams: I recently heard from someone who just signed a book contract. Among several reasons, she envisions her book as a way to boost a new program she’s developing.
To give parents a breather: Dr. Carla Naumburg’s How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids offers parents practical tools and humor to deal with the inevitable challenges of parenting in today’s world.

Inspired to Get Going?

Need motivation to get started and impassioned? Download the free, inspiring ebook, 40 Reasons to Write a Book.

Thanksgiving Gratitude

November 26, 2019 by Lisa Tener 4 Comments

Thanksgiving Gratitude

Thank you for being part of my community and entrusting me as a guide, colleague and/or coach in your book writing and publishing journey.

As I think about Thanksgiving gratitude, this year, my mind turns to BOOKS! I am so grateful for books, in general and in particular.

This week, I’ve been reading Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul and it’s reminded me how profound an impact a book can have on a reader.

Sitting in traffic on Tuesday as I drove to Massachusetts to pick my son up from college, I employed Singer’s instructions to notice the thoughts and emotions and just witness them, rather than engage. The profound shift inspired notes for a playful little book that I’m, well, playing with this week. Being in the midst of writing another, bigger, book, this little experiment came as a surprise. And I’m enjoying the spontaneity and fun of working on it here and there.

The Untethered Soul has also helped me be less reactive in relationships and uncomfortable situations. It truly is changing my life and how I experience it.

Grateful for The Profound Difference a Book Can Make

I’m grateful for the many books I’ve read this year–books I’ve picked up like Michael Singer’s (after having it on my list for a long time), the beautifully written just published novels that I’ve been receiving in Robin Kall’s Reading with Robin Salon twice-weekly giveaways, the amazing books my clients have published this year, and also the client books I’m working on now. I’m learning so much from reading these books.

In fact, I just sent Dr. Lisa Langer my final edits for her about-to-be-published book, Deeper Into Mindfulness. As I read, I felt like the teachings were changing me, even though I’d never taken a mindfulness based stress reduction course (MBSR). Of course, now I’m looking for a course to take in the new year!

As I think about your book (or books!), I want to remind you of the difference you and your book can make in the lives of readers. You may offer profound tools for transformation, or humor to brighten a dreary day and shift a mood. You may offer your personal story and help readers feel that they are not alone in their difficult experiences. You may offer tools to help solve our greatest problems (talking to you, Kathy Pollard!) or a novel that helps readers develop empathy for characters, and therefore people, who may at first seem “other” or inscrutable. You may inspire, move to tears, move to action, enlighten, provoke laughter, spark connections and so much more…

So, Write that Book, Baby!

So, this Thanksgiving, I hope you’ll connect with your own gratitude for the unique gifts that make you the person to write this wonderful book that you are working on. And use that to strengthen your commitment to writing and publishing your book.

I’d love to know what you’re grateful for this Thanksgiving–and what you’re reading, as well!

The Secret to Making Progress on Book Writing Every Day

July 16, 2019 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

Every day I make some progress on my book writing.

Some days I surprise myself with new material for what felt like a fairly complete book.

Most days I do some typing or editing of the book or proposal. My friend Paula is typing up my handwritten edits when our schedules mesh.

No progress is too small when it comes to book writing!

Recently I reconnected with Cathryn who took Eric Maisel’s Deep Writing class with me (more about that in my post Here’s How to Finish Writing a Book). Cathryn and I decided to ask each other the 5 questions each week, the same questions I use in my Bring Your Book to Life® Book Writing Course.

Asking the questions gave me immediate clarity. I’d been fumbling with feeling that I didn’t have much new material to write, so I wasn’t writing 5 days a week when I didn’t feel inspired. By asking the 5 questions, I realized I needed to print out my book proposal and return to writing any blank or unfinished sections.

Now I have a plan and I can be much more productive.

So, what are the 5 questions?

5 Questions to Stay on Track with Your Writing

What did I commit to?
What did I actually do?
What worked (about completing the writing/work I committed to)?
What didn’t work?
What’s next?It’s ideal to ask and answer these with a partner, at least once a week by phone. Email works too. But you can do these on your own.

Given guests and travel, I suggested Cathryn and I check in by email this coming week. Better to connect by email than not at all.

Summer can be a busy time. Make it work for you by having a plan, getting some accountability and working your plan consistently. Evaluate whether it’s working. The 5 questions help you with all 3 of these strategies.

Let’s Hear from You!

What are you doing to make progress on your book writing? Any tips to share that help you with commitment, accountability, productivity or inspiration?

Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course: Making Writers and Authors of Healthcare Professionals

April 1, 2019 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

growing author platform - zender at Harvard course — Dr. James Zender (left) and other participants at Harvard Medical School’s Publishing Course. Dr. Zender will return this time as a speaker in 2019

As Harvard Medical School’s CME writing and publishing course, Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals, draws closer (it’s in June this year), I look forward to seeing my colleagues, the other faculty members, many of whom I have known for over a decade—literary agents, acquisitions editors at publishing houses, publicists, editors and others.

Especially exciting, is the time spent reconnecting with writers I have worked with and hearing about their latest accomplishments. Some sign a copy for me of their now-published book. Others share their latest platform building wins—from speaking at international conferences to becoming a podcaster or featured blogger on a large platform. And some, such as Dr. Randy Kamen, Dr. Carrie Barron, Dr. Craig Malkin, Dr. Diane Radford, Dr. Shawn Jones and others, return as published authors, speakers and guest faculty at the conference.

This year, I look forward to seeing Dr. James Zender, who will be on a panel sharing successful publishing advice. His book, Auto Accident Trauma, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in December.

Then there is the excitement of hearing about new book ideas and helping healthcare professionals think about the wisdom they have to share, how they want to share it (blog, book, social media or all three), and helping them shape their ideas. I heartily recommend this CME course to anyone in the medical profession who wants to write a book, blog, pen articles or increase their influence and impact in healthcare through writing.

Dr. Zender’s Results of Attending the Harvard Medical School’s CME Writing and Publishing Course

This year, as I prepared my invitation email, I got in touch with several authors who recently published or are about to be published by major publishers. When I contacted Dr. James Zender, his news was more than I could fit in a brief email and I realized it would make a great post. So, without further ado, here are the kind of things that can open up as you attend the Harvard Medical School CME writing and publishing course, make a plan and start implementing it!

Before the book even came out, the activities that Dr. Zender’s literary agent, Linda Konner, digital media strategist, Rusty Shelton, and I encouraged when we began working together immediately helped him reach more people. He successfully pitched a column to Psychology Today and his posts often became featured on the P.T. home page. He grew an active Twitter following and applied to speak at conferences. Exciting highlights include:

Dr. Zender was the invited keynote speaker at an international neurology conference in Paris, France in March.
He has twice been a featured speaker at the largest brain injury conference in the world (Michigan Brain Injury Association) and will likely be invited again for this fall.
He will serve on a panel as guest faculty at the Harvard Medical School CEU course on writing and publishing this June.
His blog made Healthline’s list of Best Traumatic Brain Injury Blogs for 2019.
He has over 5,000 follower’s on Twitter.
His Psychology Today blog, The New Normal, has over 60,000 reads.

Dr. Zender’s speaking career took off as he worked on his platform and prepared his book proposal
Says Dr. Zender, “I think the best thing that has come out of my work with you and the others from the Harvard Writer’s course, is it has connected me with other authors who are frontline game changers in medicine and mental health. As a result of my PT blog, I have been contacted my several international cutting edge experts and have become collaborators with them in their work which in turn highlights my work.
“It is amazing to have highly in demand authors contact me and want to talk with me about their work and what I am doing. It has led me into new important areas of research that is enriching my clinical practice and what I can offer to patients. For example, a top neuroendocrinologist contacted me, became my friend, invited me to his training and gave me two of his books. I have now become more informed about the impact of traumatic brain injury on the endocrine system than most physicians in the Detroit area, and that will be my topic at this fall’s brain injury conference in Lansing.
“As a result of my increased visibility, my practice has greatly expanded which has made for less time for writing, and doing other things so it is a balancing act that sometimes isn’t so balanced. But I love doing the research for my book and am constantly amazed by what I didn’t know I didn’t know.

5 Benefits of Attending the Writing and Publishing Course

Celebrating Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg’s book deal at last year’s course.

If you are writing (or thinking of writing) a book about health, medicine, psychology or related matters, consider attending this June. Benefits include:

A Crash Course in Publishing: Sessions will cover the areas you need to understand and master to become a successfully published author.
Meet Agents: Top agents in the field of medicine, health and well-being will be at this conference—ready to meet you, hear your ideas and provide feedback and guidance.
Meet Publishers: That’s right, acquisitions editors from publishing houses will be there including Yale University Press, Johns Hopkins University Press and ABC-CLIO.
Social Media Experts: You’ll learn how to get started, in order to reach people with your message through blogging and social media.
Refine Your Book Idea: You’ll even have an opportunity to pitch your book to a panel made up of faculty members and receive feedback on its marketability (and the strengths and weaknesses of your pitch, so you can refine it). During the breaks you can speak to faculty members and brainstorm about your ideas, platform and more, as well as getting your questions answered. (Come see me in the foyer!).

I hope to see you in June!

Some of the Books by Past Course Attendees

Should I Edit as I Write? Plow Ahead? Help!

March 26, 2018 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

“Should I edit as I write?”

“Should I really write a crummy first draft? It feels so raw and uncomfortable.”

“I keep finding myself wordsmithing and then I get so little writing done. Is that okay?”

There is a difference between writing and editing.

The short answer is that everyone finds what works for them, and you’ll need to experiment and see what works for you.

Generally, I do encourage emerging authors to write a rough first draft and edit later. There’s a freedom and power to getting it all down and then working with the raw material. However, not always. Here are my…

[bctt tweet=”Rules for When to Edit—and Polish—as You Write” username=”LisaTener”]

You’re not sure whether what you’re doing is working. If you have doubts about the book—whether your doubts are about the content, tone, structure or something else, it can be important to get feedback early on. Ask someone in your target audience what they like and what doesn’t work for them. Where do they confused or bored? What do they want more of? Ask an open ended question as well, such as, “What other feedback do you have?”
Should I edit as I write?
You’re writing a book proposal. Write a rough first draft of your sample chapter(s). Then, rather than writing the whole book, focus on polishing those one or two chapters for the proposal. Your agent or publisher may have changes to the book, so it will save you time not to write the whole thing in case there are dramatic changes in the book concept.
Your gut tells you to polish each chapter before moving on. I’m a big believer in each of us having internal processes that work for us. If it really works for you to fine tune as you go, listen to your intuition. However, check in and see if it’s really your intuition speaking and reassess to make sure your strategy is working.

If none of the three above apply, try writing rough drafts and keep moving. It will give you such momentum and freedom to get it down in draft form and later go back to perfect.

If you are editing, you may enjoy this post with 7 Quick Writing Tips, and this post with additional editing tips for tightening your writing.

A Turtle Day for Creativity and Writing

September 26, 2017 by Lisa Tener 2 Comments

creativity sunflower — A burst of creativity in front of the Contemporary Theater Company, beside the Saugatucket River

How’s your creativity and writing practice?

Could you use a bit of inspiration?

I’ve been kinda quiet on my blogs, I know. I’ve been a bit more protective of my creative time while working on a personal writing project.

Gotta take my own advice! I hope this post inspires you to do the same.

[bctt tweet=”Slowing Down in Nature Creates Space for Creativity” username=”LisaTener”]

Do you ever have trouble accessing your creative source—your muse, as I call it—when you’ve been running around “accomplishing” all day (or, perhaps worse, sitting at a computer all day typing)?

turtles and creativity — My blurry phone camera sometimes makes for interesting photo effects, like the pink light reflections on the river. Can you make out the turtles on their favorite branch?

A few days ago, running late for qigong class at the YMCA, I decided to take my qigong practice to the Saugatucket River in Wakefield, rather than arrive late. As I crossed the bridge to Sari’s Sanctuary, a large gazebo that overhangs the river, I kept my eye out for my turtle brethren.

It took a while but I spotted one swimming under the water among the lily pads, a bit of natural debris and a Wise potato chip bag. Two almost flourescent yellow dots mimicked eyes in the back of its head. Another turtle displayed the boxy design and yellow dots of a painted turtle, I believe.

I watched them awhile, then turned my attention to the red and yellow underbelly of the painted turtles sunning on a branch that sticks out of the water—a favorite of the turtles on the Saugatucket. One seemed different from the rest—no designs on his back and a steeper carapace. Something about him suggested a snapping turtle—perhaps, his snap!

From the gazebo, I looked for more signs of turtles swimming under the water, searching for telltale ripples.

As I watched the turtles swim, I found myself becoming less engrossed in thoughts and ideas and more just being present and watching, sensing the turtle energy. I felt watery, swimly, as if my mind submerged below the surface of my life, sunk deeper, exploring.

[bctt tweet=”Water Stimulates Creativity—and Writing!” username=”LisaTener”]

water and creativity — Can you find the turtle?

In the Indian systems of yoga and Ayurveda, as well as Chinese traditional medicine, water is considered the element of creativity. I can see why, as we allow ourselves to sink into the water we connect with our creative wellspring. Do you ever experience that feeling around water?

I wrote poems—a luxury I hadn’t enjoyed in many months—and the words flowed pleasurefully. I wrote about a shifting cloud of blackbirds, some territorial dragonflies, and, of course, my turtle friends.

Slowing down, standing still, writing poetry must have cleared some internal communication hub! I found myself taking dictation as more poems and then business ideas surfaced, ideas which I dutifully recorded.

And then I practiced qigong.

The day went completely differently from my plan. I loved the spontaneity, the creativity, the feeling of flow. I felt nourished in a way that I don’t when I spend the entire day at my computer.

As I then asked questions about the book I’m co-authoring, the answers came easily. I’d already done the work by not working, just being, on the river.

At a time when I’m counting on my creativity for a writing project, this kind of slow-down-see-where-I-am-led time is so vital.

I see in my writing how much it supports the process.

Being Your Book (stimulate your creativity and writing)

A few days later, I used my signature “Meet Your Muse” guided visualization to help me conceptualize the new writing project and develop some creative and fun features for a topic that can sometimes overwhelm people.

My muse’s directive? “Be the Book.”

“I am the book. It’s fun to be the book. It’s a good book.” I enjoyed the playfulness of the idea. It made it feel easy, too.

Once I tapped into the essence of the book, it felt easy to go there any time and mine the wisdom about the book already contained within me.

I know it may sound a little “airy fairy” but this kind of thing works. I do it with my clients all the time and then we see how it shifts the work from challenging or overwhelming to more intuitive, more of a flow.

Try It! Be Your Book!

How do you tap into your creativity and a sense of flow? Please share your comments below. And speaking of sharing, social shares are appreciated as well!

Have you been giving your creativity the space it deserves? Here are a few observations of mine. Do they resonate for you?

More Advice from Literary Agents

March 24, 2016 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

In my previous post about publishing tips shared by literary agents from Harvard Medical School’s publishing course, I mentioned that Dr. Julie Silver, who moderated the agent panel, said, “Agents love to lunch.” They also love to breakfast and dinner. Here are some points made over our meals together:

Linda Konner: Over breakfast, Linda mentioned how authors often focus on their next book too soon, diverting crucial attention from a just- published book. “I tell authors not to think about a second book until [their book has] been out at least six months. Most books don’t do that well from the very start.”

Most books take time to build momentum. Keep working to gather momentum. Rushing into your second book can actually make it harder to publish that book, if book sales from book one are not strong enough.

Linda’s other advice: “Just because you’re in a hurry to publish doesn’t mean you’re ready.” Many authors feel a sense of urgency about getting their books published and getting their book proposals into the hands of agents and publishers. However, it’s important to take the time to develop the ideas, polish the writing and also develop a very strong author platform. That way, when you approach agents and publishers, you don’t waste their time or yours—and you put forward the best possible case for publishing your book.

literary agent Jeanne Fredericks and Lisa Tener — With Jeanne Fredericks in front of the Fairmont Hotel, Copley Square

Jeanne Fredericks: Jeanne and I discovered the salads and vegetable/quionoa bowls at B Good on Boylston Street at lunch on Friday. Jeanne’s advice to aspiring authors? “Be open versus being right.”

Give yourself permission not to know things. “Ask questions. You never know what kind of referral, idea or information you will get.”

Jeanne advises course participants and other aspiring authors to help each other and share across social media circles. That’s good advice for any aspiring author.

Regina brooks literary agent and others — Left to right Dr. Julie Silver, Dr. Randy Kamen, Lisa, Regina Brooks

Regina Brooks: Regina, Dr. Randy Kamen and I squeezed in a quick dinner at the Westin before I headed back to teach an evening writing workshop. Regina mentioned the continued trend towards conglomeration in the industry, as Hachette purchased Perseus’ nine imprints. “More imprints are going away, and the smaller book deals are going with them.”

The bigger players tend to be more demanding about an author having a significant platform. One large publisher mentioned a minimum of 30,000 Twitter followers. Now, don’t panic. There are still mid-sized publishers out there. And there are niche publishers, too. However, you do want to be aware that the more you can do to build your platform, the more likely you are to have an expansive range of publishing options available.

literary agentt sally ekus — Literary Agent Sally Ekus © Sandra Costello 2015

Sally Ekus: I caught up with Sally after the conference and here’s what she said. “Attending the Harvard Writer’s conference reignites the passion I feel in talking with authors who are just starting out. Here is some advice that I didn’t get a chance to share on the panel:

We always encourage authors to do things “right, not rushed.” If you don’t have the time or patience to work on a solid proposal it is going to be hard, if not impossible to get the book right.
When looking for an agent: hopefully all agents can do the job, so I encourage authors to think about how that agent does the job when looking for the right fit.
Publishing is a shifting industry. Throughout an author’s writing career their editor may move houses or their publisher may get acquired by a larger house. Think about your agent as one of the most consistent relationships you have over the course of your career.”

There are so many terrific agents at the conference and never enough time to visit with everyone. Next year, I plan to get organized ahead of time, so I have more to report from Albert LaFarge and Don Fehr. Fortunately, I think I can count on seeing Albert LaFarge and his family when they return to the LaFarge family homestead during raspberry season in Saunderstown.

I hope you’ve found this publishing tidbits helpful and perhaps I’ve sparked your interest to join us for the Harvard Medical School CME writing and publishing course in 2017.

A Special Opportunity: Support SARK and John and Get Your Book Written!

September 4, 2015 by Lisa Tener 1 Comment

Some of my favorite authors feel like old friends even though I have not met them yet. Their voices ring true; their personalities pour forth on the page–quirky, playful, nurturing, wise or sassy. SARK–Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy–is like that for me. You can read something by her and feel as if, “Yes, that’s SARK. I’d know her writing anywhere.”

In the years when I ran myself ragged as executive director of a nonprofit organization in Boston, SARK kept my creativity and writing dreams alive, starting with A Creative Companion, and reading my way through SARK’s Journal and Playbook, Succulent Wild Woman, Juicy Pen, Thirsty Paper, Eat Mangos Naked, The Magic Cottage, Juicy Living Cards and more. Sometimes, I felt like she was writing just for me. Over the years, SARK’s books have continued to delight me with their fanciful invitation to play outside the sandbox.

So, when my good friend, Joshua Home Edwards, sent me a link to support SARK and her partner, John Waddell, during one of life’s more challenging journeys, I was moved to ask myself what I could do beyond the modest donation I made. I looked at the gifts for donors in their crowdfunding campaign and realized I could donate a spot in my Bring Your Book to Life Program® for 2016.

You can read all about SARK’s and John’s journey and the IndieGoGo Campaign to support them here.

There are many generous gifts you can receive for your donation. If you are looking to write your book within the next year, perhaps you want to do good for SARK and John, Save $1,000 off my Bring Your Book to Life Program® and make a commitment to focus on writing your book in a supportive and catalytic environment this spring, with lots of hand-holding from me. If so, there is one spot right now waiting for you here. Feel free to email me if you have questions about this offer.

PS If you are a SARK fan, too, share your favorite of her books or quotes as a comment below!

Each Chapter Better Than the Last: 3 Super Writing Tips to Rock Your Self-Help Book

September 2, 2015 by Lisa Tener 4 Comments

I’m in the midst of editing Micaela Karlsen’s manuscript for A Plant-Based Life, on deadline for her publisher, AMACOM Books. She sends a half chapter and I’m turning this one around in less than a day.

What’s making it easy is this: Each chapter reads better than the last. Despite her rush, she’s incorporating what she learned in the previous chapters to the current one.

Here are a few techniques making this chapter particularly compelling. Try them with your own writing:

Putting herself in her readers’ shoes–or skirts in the case of this dietary/lifestyle book: The writer anticipates the challenges her readers will run into–sympathizing, encouraging and providing responses to their challenges.

[bctt tweet=”Tip: Imagine a specific reader and write to that person as if you were having a conversation.”]

2. Simplifying and Chunking: She’s chunked content into charts that provide information at a glance. At my suggestion, she moved a huge chunk of a chart from chapter 2 to 3. She’s also broken down larger chunks into smaller sections with playful titles that will be meaningful to readers.

Tip: Some of her chapter headings use questions readers might ask themselves. Try this. Humor can work well, too, here.

3. Start Positive and Keep Stoking the Fire: Transformation takes work. If you’re writing a self-help book, your readers have plenty of opportunity to resist change, beat themselves up or self-sabotage. By starting each chapter–and many sections–with a positive, inspirational story or a bit of cheerleading, you help your readers fill their tanks before using any fuel. When they waste a bit of fuel on sabotaging or doubting themselves, there’s still fuel left in the tank from your earlier efforts. This makes it that much easier for readers to make some of the changes your book suggests.

Tip: This writer starts the chapter by reminding readers what they have already accomplished by chapter 3 and encourages them to know that this is a big leap. After the cheerleading, she also acknowledges the challenges they may be facing. Then it’s time for an inspirational story to help readers know they can do it, too.

Have a favorite writing tip? Please share below as a comment.

Have a writing question? We’ll take those, too. I love to answer readers’ questions.

Simplicity, Book Writing and Teaching by Connecting

February 17, 2015 by Lisa Tener Leave a Comment

I’d like to share a story about my recent experience with simplicity because it points to a powerful strategy for book writing.

Every year when I send out the welcome letter for my Bring Your Book to Life© Program, I apologize for the length and quantity of information contained! There’s just so much I need to impart about how to schedule the consultations with me, the questionnaire to fill out, what participants get with the program, how the optional accountability partner system works–and how to make it especially effective for you…the list goes on.

The complexity troubled me. Even after cutting out the information on bonus items and leaving that for a later date, there was just way too much info.

Then, I stumbled upon a book at the library, John Maeda’s The Laws of Simplicity, published at my Alma Mater (MIT Press). John got me thinking about how to simplify the process from class participants’ point of view. Rather than trying to give them everything at once, I thought about how they could access what they needed as needed and have one easy place to find the information when they most needed it.

We now have a private, members-only website where they can access all information on the class! It seems obvious now. Why didn’t I think of that before? I know the answer to that one: I’d been thinking in linear terms. They sign up; they get all the info. But life doesn’t occur linearly, really.

They sign up. They are busy. They maybe glance at the letter. Then it’s time to sign up for their consultation. Where is that letter? Can they even find it in their inbox? Or they want to send me their first 10 pages of writing to get some feedback. Do they even remember that there’s a format to follow? Probably not, but they can remember that there’s a website that has all the information they need and, perhaps, they’ve bookmarked the website so they can go there easily.

3 Big Mistakes in Book Writing…and How to Fix Them

So, how does that relate to book writing? When I receive a first draft of a self-help book from someone who has not gone through my Bring Your Book to Life© Program, I often find that the author has written from their point of view: Here’s what happened to me; here’s what you need to know. Sounds simple, but it’s not necessarily in the optimal format for the reader to make use of or even enjoy.

The Big Mistakes are:
1. Organizing for You: Instead Put Yourself in Your Readers’ Moccasins
s. Starting by Teaching: Instead, start by connecting.
3. Over complicating: Ask yourself, “Is this clear to readers?” If you don’t know, ask them if they get confused by it. Ask how you can make it clearer and simpler.

With a self-help book, start with where the reader is. When you understand your readers’ thoughts, problems and needs, you can meet them where they are. Help them see that you “get” them. Then share a bit about how you’ve helped others solve similar problems to theirs. Or how you’ve done that for yourself. Don’t start teaching before your readers have even decided whether they are on board. Give them a reason to read. Click Here to Tweet this.

Then, you can start teaching, but start with what they want to know, not what you want them to know. Or start with something that will invite them to read further–something counterintuitive, exciting, curious, unlikely, promising or even bizarre. Draw your readers in just as you would with fiction. You can find more on how to think like your readers here.

And, may I reiterate? Keep it simple. I recently read a manuscript that was structured by both 3 main points that the author promised to share, but then the text focused on several lessons before we ever reached the 3 points. I kept mistaking the lessons for the points, which made the experience both confusing and a bit frustrating in an otherwise enlightening text. Subcategories can be appropriate but make it simple and clear.

Do you have any questions about how to simplify or think like your reader? Ask here as a comment or share your insights and ideas as well.

A Dozen Things a Writer Needs

March 7, 2014 by Lisa Tener 14 Comments

1. A notebook: paper or virtual.

2. Something to write with: his own hands, a pen, a stylus, a keyboard.

3. Sleep: You can cheat short term, but long term, this one is crucial!

4. Desire: And a good night’s rest supports your passion–see #3.

5. Time: Yes, we all have this. It’s just how we choose to use it. You have 24 hours, just pick one or a half or a quarter.

6. Belief in herself: okay, most people doubt themselves to some extent. Just fake it till you make it. Somewhere deep inside you is belief. Keep showing up until doubt becomes belief and then transcends to knowing. Repeat.

7. Trust: Without trust you try to control. And you never get to the juicy stuff. let it all out on the page. You can pick through to discover the juicy stuff later.

8. Source: This is where the juicy stuff comes from. Good news–it’s part of all of us. You don’t need to strive here. Just discover.

9. Fans: Before you have fans, you need to be your first fan–or at least your advocate and cheerleader. Go, team, go.

10: A Place to Write: A comfy chair, a grassy spot in the sun, a dock along the river, a sun-filled porch. Go–find your spot and write.

11. A copy of Get It Done: From Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 Minutes a Day by Sam Bennett. Don’t have a copy? Add to my “things a writer needs list” as a comment below and the best answer will receive a free copy! (others can buy it here or other online booksellers).

12. Guidance: Join me and Sam Bennett on March 18 for a free teleseminar: Jump Start Your Book: 3 Insider Secrets to Easily Write & Finish Your Book This Year!

On the call, you will discover:

The secret to getting started, staying motivated and finishing your best book in record time.
A fool-proof formula for finding time to write, no matter how busy you are.
How to have fun and stay connected to your inspiration throughout your book-writing journey.
And more.

And, we’re giving away prizes on the call! CLICK HERE to reserve your seat.

Are You Beating Yourself Up About Writing a Book?

October 9, 2013 by Lisa Tener 3 Comments

I recently heard from a Bring Your Book to Life graduate who did not complete her book in the 8-12 weeks prescribed in the course–several years ago. She’d been beating herself up for years about it. But all that time, she’s been working on her book–and continuing to refer to the course materials and the notes I gave her about editing her work.

And I know she’s writing one heck of an amazing book. Her book required time to reflect, for her views to evolve, for research to catch up with what she knew, and–who knows? I believe in divine timing. This is what it takes to write her unique book.

Everyone’s different. Yes, Bring Your Book to Life is designed to help someone complete a first draft of a how-to or self help book in 8-12 weeks, starting from scratch–and many people accomplish that. Some people take longer. Some a little quicker. In the last class, someone completed two terrific books in that 8 weeks–one simple book and one quite complex.

Schedules and deadlines should empower you. They can create structure to keep you engaged and in action. They do not serve you when they make you feel guilty, ashamed or like a failure. It may seem like a fine line between excuses (why I didn’t get to my writing) and truth (I write regularly; I’m just taking a longer time to get this book written than planned).

Write regularly, find ways to stay accountable, develop a writing structure–and you will finish your book in the right timing for you. But don’t beat yourself up if it takes longer than planned…just keep writing.

5 Lessons Learned after Publishing Online

February 6, 2013 by Lisa Tener 5 Comments

author stephanie hrehirchuk — Stephanie Hrehirchuk

I received a wonderful e-mail this morning from Bring Your Book to Life Program graduate, Stephanie Hrehirchuk and thought you might find a few good lessons in it.

Stephanie wrote: “Funny story: I was surfing around at links connected to my name. I saw a strange picture that linked me to a health magazine I know. I submitted 2 articles to the magazine early last fall…to put myself out there and exercise some courage in exposing myself and my writing.

“So…they published one of the pieces in January. As I read it, I wanted to delete it from their site! The passive voice screamed at me and I found myself editing it as I read.

“I am obviously becoming a far better writer because I know at the time I wrote that article I thought it was really good :) Nice to know how I’ve improved since the start of your course.”

I see at least 5 lessons in this one:

1. Edit out passive verbs when you can. Well chosen verbs bring energy to your writing and hold far more power than adjectives and adverbs.

2. It can’t hurt to have an editor look at a piece you plan to post online. It often stays there forever.

3. Do a Google Alerts for your name so you know when something gets published by or about you.

4. A good writing class can help you become a better editor of your own work. Good writing is a skill that can be learned by almost anyone (it can be harder if you’re super-ADD and can’t stay focused within a sentence or paragraph, but otherwise most people can learn the skills relatively easily).

5. Forgive yourself any mistakes and focus on the positive: If you read Stephanie’s full blog post on the experience, you’ll find that she ends her post with “I’m pretty proud to have put myself out there. I think half the battle, if not more, is finding the courage to risk exposure and share your story with the world. My intent is always that somehow what I have to offer helps someone else. ” When you come back to why you’re writing, you keep the triumph of being published and any lesser issues are just lessons learned for next time.

Any lessons I missed? Any recent writing lessons you’d like to share?

book writing

You Need a Plan

The Easy Way to Reengage with Your Dream and Get Your Writing Done

Writing Your Book, Step by Step:

And you’ll also answer many of the logistical parts of the plan:

The Invitation

A few details

On the Impact of Writing a Book, Pre-Publication

And, just like that, this post proved my point, beyond what I anticipated!

Your book’s impact

Fun vs. The Old Mantra (Not Enough)

The Plan for Creative Abundance

Nature Challenged Us

Creating Your Intention

Replicate our intention process!

Your Plan for Creative Abundance

Daily plans for a typical week

The big annual plan, month-by-month

The next-day responses blew me away!

Make Your Creative Abundance Plan for 2026

The Prep

The Workshop

Retreat with Robin, me and an intimate group of kindred spirits

Louisa’s Book Insights

How to Broaden Your Perspective on Your Subject

Using the Elemental Breaths to Enhance Writing

How Earth Breath Can Support Your Writing

Try It Out Now

Outsmart Your Inner Critic

This Book Will Silence the Critic and Make Your Creative Spirit Soar

#1: Your Reader Changes

#2: Move and Breathe for Creative Flow

#3 Make Writing a Priority and Snatch Time When Your Can

#4 Use Intention to Propel and Sustain Your Writing Practice

#5 Get Help from Professionals Whose Strengths Compensate for Your Weaknesses.

My BONUS Lessons

8 More!

Here’s some new inspiration:

Inspired to Get Going?

Thanksgiving Gratitude

Grateful for The Profound Difference a Book Can Make

So, Write that Book, Baby!

5 Questions to Stay on Track with Your Writing

Let’s Hear from You!

Dr. Zender’s Results of Attending the Harvard Medical School’s CME Writing and Publishing Course

5 Benefits of Attending the Writing and Publishing Course

Some of the Books by Past Course Attendees

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Being Your Book (stimulate your creativity and writing)

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