Many of us write books in our heads yet publish none. Empty sheets and blank screens can be intimidating. Yet time, content or resourcefulness are usually not the main culprits that stop us from writing; the issue is the ability to articulate our thoughts on a blank page the same way we feel or experience them.
It’s easy to recognize how powerful the written word can be for your thought leadership and to change the habits and perceptions of others around you. Yet, many in business do not take advantage of this tool.
At a deeper level, especially as entrepreneurs and business leaders, we may have the gift of gab, so we prefer to speak rather than write. Speaking is within our comfort zone while writing longer form pieces can feel like labor. We speak three-times faster than we can string our sentences in ink or on a keyboard.
If you are like this, I understand. In fact, I used some of the techniques I list below for this very article in order to overcome these hurdles. When I feel like I don’t want to write or don’t like writing, these techniques are what I deploy and have deployed to author five books.
Scribble Down
The first step is to scribble down the title of your chapters in something like the notes section of your phone. You can use a laptop or a journal if you prefer.
Record
I record my thoughts on the voice notes section of my phone or laptop when I experience the creative energy that lures me into the zone. I record each chapter till I feel empty or zoned out. You can also write in increments if you are documenting a long piece like a workbook, manual, handbook, curriculum, e-book or memoir.
Split up your content into daily or weekly achievable increments. Design the goal, length and subsections of each chapter. Document the etymologies of each chapter and have them in a journal beside you to guide your trail of thought. Articulating the content for each chapter may feel daunting; however, breaking them down into bits is a much less tedious task.
Emotional Connection
Each chapter should also capture the required emotions, feelings and vocal textures because it is crucial for your audience to hear your voice in their heads while reading your book. This also makes it more enjoyable to write.
Transcribe
Once you are done with your recordings, upload the content on a transcription app; there are a handful of apps that will transcribe your content for free and the transcription only takes a couple of hours.
Lastly, read through the content to confirm the accuracy and precision before outsourcing it to a freelancer, an editor or a proofreader who understands your content, paradigm, model of the world and writing style. Successful leaders know how to delegate and work with others to create a product.
Experiencing Writing
The beautiful thing about writing is that our words can travel to countries we haven’t visited or may not be able to visit. It also creates a web, community, tribe of masterminds and inherited family all over the world. In the world of business where connections are everything, this is especially important. You can use your unique voice, experiences and business savvy to help expose others to new ways of thinking and experience the world through a different lens. Books expose us to cultures we didn’t know existed and turn strangers into friends.
I am rooting for you and reminding you that you are enough, you know enough and we can’t wait to feast on your words and host a part of you in our homes and offices. Go for it, you don’t have to start perfectly, you just have to start.
