New Year’s Resolution – to Write Your Book

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions in December and January, such as to get in shape & lose weight, get more sleep, earn more money, and even find a new hobby. The Huffington Post states that, “only 8 percent of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions, according to one commonly cited statistic. There are many reasons people can’t stick to their resolutions, from setting too many of them to getting derailed by small failures.”

That a very small percentage of people keeping their resolutions! Those “small failures” can chip away at one’s resolve and make it hard to pick up where they left off, causing resolutions to fade into the days, weeks and months as the year goes by. Instead, many find that making their resolution a goal, it becomes easier to celebrate the small successes and reach their goal.

A Writing Process that Works for You

As writers, we often have many ideas for a book. In fact, The Huffington Post reports that “more than 80 percent of Americans would like to be an author,” which means that most of you reading this right now might be entertaining the idea of writing a book, and that you may have made this a New Year’s Resolution. Whether it’s a business book, your memoir, that next great American novel, or a children’s book for your grandkids, don’t let your dream of writing fall into the 8 percent category…and here’s how to get started.

Write Every Day

Set aside time every day to write. Even if you’re only spending 15-20 minutes writing, just do it. Schedule time on your calendar to dedicate to writing just a little bit, every day, and soon you’ll find that you have enough content to present to an editor.

Use the “Sticky Note” Method.

Get yourself some colored sticky notes and identify a blank wall. Write the topics or “chapters” on the sticky notes and arrange them according to how you want your story to develop. You may find along the way that you rearrange the sticky notes as you write, but that’s okay! It’s part of the creative writing process.

Prepare for Inspiration

Keep your phone or a notepad nearby at all times. Sometimes a creative thought comes completely out of nowhere, like when you wake up at 3am. It’s helpful to write down that thought (or text yourself) so you don’t forget it later.

Start with these three simple steps and you’re on your way to being an author! Brain Pickings suggests, “It takes more than “willpower.” When he became interested in how long it takes for us to form or change a habit, psychologist Jeremy Dean found himself bombarded with the same magic answer from popular psychology websites and advice columns: 21 days.”

That’s all it takes…just 21 days of scheduling time to write, using the sticky note method and always having a notepad, and you’ll find that the writing process is not as daunting as it seems. And you’ll have a better chance of keeping the New Year’s Resolution.

Need extra advice? Reach out to the pros at MyWord Publishing!