Comments on: Writing is hard hard hard hard hard! http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/ Work Less and Do More! Sat, 22 May 2010 00:11:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Marcel http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-605 Marcel Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:27:15 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-605 I know what you're talking about ... So here are several ideas: - As mentioned above, write each idea as an article that give value independently. Seth Godin did this in "Small Is The New Big", but I've seen this done many times before. Collate in to 'chapters' later; or not. - Write, write, write. Keep going because you'll learn how to write. "Perfect is the enemy of good" & what you're trying to do is get content out. If you evaluate yourself after each article, you'll become despondent & stop. I've always wanted to learn how to play electric guitar, but I got bored of playing the first 2 lines of "Nothing Else Matters" & "Smoke On The Water". The point is, you have to keep playing for days before you can play anything in public. So just write, even if you think you suck. - Why not just 'get it done'? Write out a framework, keep a notebook of all your favourite advice - then hire a professional writer & make him/her a co-author. Who cares if you don't get all the credit? You want a book, right?! And honestly, this is the easiest way; it costs more but the chances of actually getting it published at all are much, much higher. Also check out gihanperera.com - he's got some fantastic ways to leverage content & ideas that you've already got into different product lines, including books. Best wishes, - Marcel (Co)-author of "The Serious Business Owner's Guide to Creating Customers For Life" I know what you’re talking about …

So here are several ideas:

- As mentioned above, write each idea as an article that give value independently. Seth Godin did this in “Small Is The New Big”, but I’ve seen this done many times before. Collate in to ‘chapters’ later; or not.

- Write, write, write. Keep going because you’ll learn how to write. “Perfect is the enemy of good” & what you’re trying to do is get content out. If you evaluate yourself after each article, you’ll become despondent & stop. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play electric guitar, but I got bored of playing the first 2 lines of “Nothing Else Matters” & “Smoke On The Water”. The point is, you have to keep playing for days before you can play anything in public. So just write, even if you think you suck.

- Why not just ‘get it done’? Write out a framework, keep a notebook of all your favourite advice – then hire a professional writer & make him/her a co-author. Who cares if you don’t get all the credit? You want a book, right?! And honestly, this is the easiest way; it costs more but the chances of actually getting it published at all are much, much higher.

Also check out gihanperera.com – he’s got some fantastic ways to leverage content & ideas that you’ve already got into different product lines, including books.

Best wishes,
- Marcel
(Co)-author of “The Serious Business Owner’s Guide to Creating Customers For Life”

]]> By: Michael Purpura http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-604 Michael Purpura Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:00:32 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-604 Why not MindMap it backward from all the separate pieces you have to a central idea, and then rearrange the structure of it until it constitutes a doable framework? Or even MindMap it forwards leaving the central idea as a variable until you have the rest mapped and reorganized? Who knows, it may even give you new ideas for the title of the book. Why not MindMap it backward from all the separate pieces you have to a central idea, and then rearrange the structure of it until it constitutes a doable framework?

Or even MindMap it forwards leaving the central idea as a variable until you have the rest mapped and reorganized?

Who knows, it may even give you new ideas for the title of the book.

]]> By: Shannon Paul http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-603 Shannon Paul Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:47:24 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-603 Maybe it would help to stop thinking about this project as a "Book" and just write a series of articles. When you've made all the pieces you want to make, just weave them together like a patchwork quilt and perhaps the framework will reveal itself... Just a thought. I'm sure you'll work it out. :-) Maybe it would help to stop thinking about this project as a “Book” and just write a series of articles. When you’ve made all the pieces you want to make, just weave them together like a patchwork quilt and perhaps the framework will reveal itself…

Just a thought. I’m sure you’ll work it out. :-)

]]> By: Kathryn Hall http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-602 Kathryn Hall Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:19:26 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-602 GOOD writing is hard, Stever. But you can do it. You just have to put that frustrated voice on a shelf for awhile and work through it. It's only ONE part of you that is unhappy. There's another voice in you that knows you can do it, wants to do it and is happy you have a book deal. Listen to him.:) Hugs. Kathryn GOOD writing is hard, Stever. But you can do it. You just have to put that frustrated voice on a shelf for awhile and work through it. It’s only ONE part of you that is unhappy. There’s another voice in you that knows you can do it, wants to do it and is happy you have a book deal. Listen to him.:) Hugs. Kathryn

]]> By: Rob Kendrick http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Rob Kendrick Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:06:38 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-601 Organizing data physically (where it can only properly be in one place at a time) is much harder than being able to tag digital data, isn't it? Stever, try this: Instead of doing a huge repository of random tips, try narrowing down the tips by anything more specific: for instance, base this book primarily on helping your standard busy-busy businessperson. Maybe your next book could focus on entrepreneurial tips, etc. A good technique I remember from a class I took was this: Take the entire chapter and summarize it into a paragraph, then give that paragraph a title. It's hard, but it can help you to organize a bit. Just don't try to organize every little thing into a logical thought process. Our brains fire off in random directions (oo, bird!), so it's a vicious, never-ending cycle. Organizing data physically (where it can only properly be in one place at a time) is much harder than being able to tag digital data, isn’t it?

Stever, try this: Instead of doing a huge repository of random tips, try narrowing down the tips by anything more specific: for instance, base this book primarily on helping your standard busy-busy businessperson. Maybe your next book could focus on entrepreneurial tips, etc.

A good technique I remember from a class I took was this: Take the entire chapter and summarize it into a paragraph, then give that paragraph a title. It’s hard, but it can help you to organize a bit.

Just don’t try to organize every little thing into a logical thought process. Our brains fire off in random directions (oo, bird!), so it’s a vicious, never-ending cycle.

]]> By: Naomi http://www.steverrobbins.com/blog/2008/09/writing-is-hard-hard-hard-hard-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-600 Naomi Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:54:16 +0000 http://blog.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/?p=95#comment-600 I'm not sure if this is what you mean by "conversationally creating," but sometimes I can get started by trying to explain what it is I can't write about to my father, a smart man who knows NOTHING about my field. (I don't subject him to this in fact unless I'm really desparate, just prop him up in my imagination and let fly.) Eventually the framework does show up, it's just obliterated in the first draft, much like a toilet-papered tree has structure that's obscured. But once I get something down, however shoddy, I can work with it. I’m not sure if this is what you mean by “conversationally creating,” but sometimes I can get started by trying to explain what it is I can’t write about to my father, a smart man who knows NOTHING about my field. (I don’t subject him to this in fact unless I’m really desparate, just prop him up in my imagination and let fly.) Eventually the framework does show up, it’s just obliterated in the first draft, much like a toilet-papered tree has structure that’s obscured. But once I get something down, however shoddy, I can work with it.

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