There are two ways to write a book. You can just start writing and see what develops, or you can create a plan first. Either way is fine, but planning out what you want to say and how you intend to accomplish that goal makes the actual writing much easier and faster.
Here’s why: when you know what you want to say, you can align all your material and ideas to accomplish that. With a goal in mind, it’s easy to figure out where all the pieces fit and find the most direct path to get you there. Then with all the big-picture decisions made, you just need to show up and write. And you’ll never find yourself in that sticky situation, asking yourself, “What does it all mean?” I’ve been there myself, and sometimes it takes months to figure it out.
For example, I went on a hiking trip last summer and knew I wanted to write about it. I kept good notes, wrote several pages when I returned home, and even did some research on the area where I hiked. However, I wasn’t clear on what I wanted to say with the essay. I had several ideas and thoughts about it, but couldn’t find a solid way to connect everything and actually write it so it said something new and different.
So guess what? This same little essay has been sitting on my to-do list for . . . I’m embarrassed to write this . . . almost a year, patiently waiting for me to put all the pieces together.
Knowing what you’re trying to say before you write makes writing easier. But what if you’re not sure what you want to say? How can you figure that out? Over the years I’ve developed a process for coaching books out of people—asking strategic questions and talking to them about their goals and experiences until the book idea emerges. But when you’re just getting started, or you’re not sure what you want to write about, try keeping a journal. Make writing a daily practice by spending a few minutes journaling about what’s bugging you, what you notice, and what you learn throughout the day. Some ideas will fizzle, but others will stick with you until you figure them out.
You know what finally got me unblocked on that little hiking essay? My journal! Just the other night, as I was sitting in bed thinking about the day, my mind wandered back to that trip. I pulled out my journal and started writing a few thoughts about it—something I’ve done several times since starting the darn thing. And then it suddenly hit me. I realized exactly what that trip meant to me and I figured out exactly how to end the essay. I wrote it all down, and then turned off my bedside lamp satisfied. I’d let it roll around in the back of my mind for so long that it finally worked itself out.
When you write in your journal, you’ll start to see themes emerge and you’ll find that some things you just can’t stop thinking about, like my hiking trip kept coming up as something I needed to write. Then it’s just a matter of figuring out what you want to tell your readers and how to put that message into words, which, as I learned this week, journaling can help with as well. If you have any inclination to write, journaling is a habit that will serve you well long into the future, particularly when it comes to developing ideas. You never know where your journal can lead you!
Comments? Do you write in your journal every day?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great post! You are so right that journals can help any writer work out their ideas. I write in my journal regularly, though not every day. My journaling is not always about a specific piece of writing, but paying attention to daily life can spark those ideas and connections.
If fact, I believe so strongly in the power of journaling to develop ideas, uncover themes in your life, and keep in touch with your inner knowledge that I started a small company this year incorporating journaling and bibliotherapy, and focusing on the power of the written word to maintain wellness.
Excellent entry Sherpa! You & your clients should Check out “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron for a wonderful journey of journal-ing to help develop your creative side.
That’s a great suggestion! I haven’t read “The Artist’s Way” in a long time, but it’s a good one. Thanks!
Thanks for commenting, and what a great foundation for a business! Journaling is so important–I’ve found that I don’t really know myself very well when I’m not writing down my thoughts.
I used to keep several journals- one for writing, one for “real life,” one for goals, one for my thoughts to/for/about my godson… you get the idea. With so much fragmentation, I found that I was overwhelmed and didn’t write in any of them. Then I found a book about Leonardo DaVinci that talked about the journal he kept all of his life: many volumes, but one at a time- with everything in it! I got rid of all of the “extra” journals and now keep everything (except my thoughts to/about/for my godson because I will give that volume to him to keep eventually) in one place. I was surprised to find that doing this creates, or maybe just documents, some unusual crossovers between writing and all other areas of my life, creating a continuity and diversity in my writing that might not be there otherwise.
Thanks for commenting, Joanna. I do the same thing: keep one journal with work thoughts, personal thoughts, everything. And it’s interesting to hear Da Vinci did too!
Melinda