Do ‘Just One Thing’ To Get Your Book Done
By Donna Kozik, Guest Expert
Many times when we think about writing and publishing a book our minds careen out of control into the depths of overwhelm.
Let’s put the brakes on that.
Instead, what one thing could you do right now to move forward in your dream of becoming a published author?
Here are four “just 1 thing” ideas I have for the want-to-be-published. I encourage you to pick one to apply today so you can be a published authors sooner rather than later.
1. Develop Your “Goal Statement”
If you join one of my “Write a Book in a Weekend” events, the first thing I will encourage you to do is write and send me a goal statement describing why you want to write your book and what it will accomplish for you.
It doesn’t have to be long-200-300 words should do it.
And there is great power in those few words-more often than not, it’s the participants who take a few minutes to write and send me their goal statement who get their book done by the end of the weekend. How about that?
No coincidences.
2. Describe Your Ideal Reader
When you are in the throes of thinking, thinking, thinking about your book and get caught up in the “doing” of writing, it can be very easy to become, frankly, quite self-absorbed-meaning you lose focus about who the book is for in the first place: your reader.
Another short assignment I would give you as a “Write a Book in a Weekend”
participant is to write a short description of your “ideal reader.” Tell me about one person who will benefit from your book. Is it a man or woman? What age? Where do they live? What do they do? And then the big question: what is the biggest problem or challenge they face that your book will solve?
3. Write Your “About the Author”
You might think this is a “save for last” item, however I encourage my peeps to write their “About the Author” section first, stressing not only their own credentials, but the specific problems and challenges their readers face and how they intend to solve them. It’s another good way to get your book defined in your own mind, plus provide yourself with a big picture overview.
4. Take the “10 Minute Challenge”
This is a simple but effective technique to get going on a larger project.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and GO, GO, GO, GO, GO! Challenge yourself to see how much you can write in those 10 minutes. Most likely you’ll get such momentum going you’ll add another 10, and another, and another. I use this often, including now as I write this piece. 
5. Speed Write About Your Favorite Topic
Sometimes what gets in our way is thinking too much about what we “should” write versus what we “want” to write. No one says you have to start with Chapter One. A great way to jumpstart your book project is to pick your favorite topic and start writing about that, even if it might be the “wrap up” chapter.
You can see a common theme to all these ideas-getting started somewhere, anywhere! It’s amazing-and also magical-about what getting started can do for a person. I encourage you to pick one or two of the items above, apply them right now, and let me know the results.
Donna Kozik is a two-time award winning author who has been featured in Woman’s Day, Women’s World, Teen People, The L.A. Times, The Baltimore Sun, NPR’s “Marketplace” and other media. She now shows others how to write and publish a book fast and easy to use as a “big business card.” She does this through “Write a Book in a Weekend” live and virtual events.
[...] also an interesting message when I headed to Carrie’s site. Carrie’s most recent post Do just one thing to get your book done, is relevant to my personal journey these [...]
This was a very inspiring piece. I have a couple of manuscripts I’m sitting on, one is a quote type book Donna spoke of on the call. It was good to meet Donna.
Thanks.
5 great suggestions, and much appreciated.
I always have trouble with #2 trying to figure who my ideal reader is. Too many years of working with “generic skills” – ex/ learning how to learn – the kind of skills that people need after they’ve been “taught how to fish” but the fish stocks died out. Some folks call these skills “meta-skills” but that sounds too formal.
Example of generic skills: creating, resilience, patience, compassion, perseverance. Character skills – things everyone needs. But it’s hard to target “everyone” as ideal readers.
Any ideas? Suggestions? Bruce Elkin @ http://www.BruceElkin.com
[...] Do ‘Just One Thing’ To Get Your Book Done [...]
Great focus suggestions! She covered these in our call, but it really hits home when you see it print!
Gotta go….write!
Thanks for sharing
Excellent article, very motivating. I think we all ponder the thought of writing a book and something like this may be the nudge we need.
(I enjoy your tweets, thanks for all the info)
This is great advice, I especially enjoyed the part about describe your ideal reader, so often in writing we forget to consider the obvious of who are audience will be and what they want. Thanks for the reminder.
Solid advice, now how to get my 2nd grader to do it
Thanks
Chuck
http://theworkfromhome.biz
Super advice, thank you. I’m happily writing my fiction but really struggling to get on top of the non-fiction book I have bouncing around in my head.
I think these tips are just the kickstart I need.
What a great article! The steps described are great activities to help overcome some of the major blocks to writing: the overwhelming nature of writing a book is overcome by just writing for 10 minutes; the fear of who am I to write a book is overcome by identifying your credibility; and the ideal reader exercise helps you to develop a relationship with your audience.
I love it! I will do this today!
[...] in Uncategorized at 6:33 pm by flitknit Donna Kozik wrote a guest blog on The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson, describing several first steps to becoming a [...]
Carrie and Donna – Two of my favorite tweeps! It is so great to see your collaboration here and I really appreciate allof Donna’s great suggestions for just diving in and getting a book project started. I have known for awhile that I have several book sin me yet have felt that the task of “writing a book” was such a huge undertaking – that I didn’t know where to even begin. Not a surprise that you two have succeeded in eliminating that excuse for good. I thank you for that and look forward to launching downthe path of my own book project!
Amy
(On twitter @LotusAmy)
I have the draft done on one of my book projects, but with 4 small children and all the other business projects I have been working on–I have not completed it. I really like the tips you have given and I look forward to implementing some of them to help me move forward in the process!