How is your writing going, Sarah? I am working on finishing a nonfiction book this year. I recently took a BookFinishers Bootcamp by Rhonda Douglas for two weeks and I loved her help. She said if you find yourself spending longer than 3-6 months or so on your first draft, you need to look at your mindset. She also gave us Rules for the Draft such as not editing as you write this draft, which I've had a hard time not doing...but it has definitely slowed me down when I do. I have written a few posts about writing and mindset, too.
That is really helpful advice about drafting and not editing as you go along. I think that has been my problem with all book writing projects to date - I end up reading what I wrote previously, hate it, and then I end up focusing on that rather than pushing the story along. Consequently, I lose momentum. I have read somewhere that some writers hand-write first and then type it up, and only then can you make edits.
Louise Doughty's book has been very helpful. Straightforward exercises (although I wouldn't say that they are easy), and she encourages you to shift your mindset too.
And thanks for the recommendation about Rhonda Douglas' course, I have been looking for something like this, especially when it comes to helping with planning/and outlines.
You're welcome. I found Rhonda's bootcamp really helpful. She has a very comprehensive 1 year long program that costs maybe $2500 or so, but I felt like I got what I needed from her Bootcamp. Planning and outlines are a lot of work. My book is called Tenderly Transformed: Growing and Healing Through Turbulent Times. I look at how people are thrown off balance by life's bumpy times, like mental health, addictions, health related losses, other grief, etc, and then how can they continue to grow through the hard times. If they feel stuck, what helps them get unstuck and ultimately emerge changed. I started it during the pandemic. I found myself struggling during that era in ways I don't usually struggle. I think a lot of people did. As a counselor by training, I wanted to write an encouraging book with some tools to help people get through tough times and experience transformation. I'm doing very well now, but the lessons learned during that hard time were really informative. Now as I still serve some clients (I call my work coaching now--more freedom to do what I want), I find myself more effective than ever because of what I learned personally. I have multiple sclerosis, so cultivating resilience and dealing with mindset and faith as sources of strength has made a big difference. Your book sounds interesting to me.
Thanks for sharing details about your book - with your experience working in the field of counselling and now coaching, you'll have such a breadth (and depth!) of knowledge to include. I have to be honest, I don't know a great deal about MS, so I can only imagine the impact that it has had on your work and life.
Sorry to hear that you struggled during the pandemic. There is much to learn from that time, but it feels like the world has moved on so quickly. I know that I struggled too, and it is one the reasons I decided to take a career break from teaching, I found returning to the classroom a very mixed experience.
How is your writing going, Sarah? I am working on finishing a nonfiction book this year. I recently took a BookFinishers Bootcamp by Rhonda Douglas for two weeks and I loved her help. She said if you find yourself spending longer than 3-6 months or so on your first draft, you need to look at your mindset. She also gave us Rules for the Draft such as not editing as you write this draft, which I've had a hard time not doing...but it has definitely slowed me down when I do. I have written a few posts about writing and mindset, too.
Also, what is your nonfiction book about if you don't mind sharing?
I am working on a fiction piece about a woman based in Hong Kong (haha - I mean, people say, write what you know!)
That is really helpful advice about drafting and not editing as you go along. I think that has been my problem with all book writing projects to date - I end up reading what I wrote previously, hate it, and then I end up focusing on that rather than pushing the story along. Consequently, I lose momentum. I have read somewhere that some writers hand-write first and then type it up, and only then can you make edits.
Louise Doughty's book has been very helpful. Straightforward exercises (although I wouldn't say that they are easy), and she encourages you to shift your mindset too.
And thanks for the recommendation about Rhonda Douglas' course, I have been looking for something like this, especially when it comes to helping with planning/and outlines.
You're welcome. I found Rhonda's bootcamp really helpful. She has a very comprehensive 1 year long program that costs maybe $2500 or so, but I felt like I got what I needed from her Bootcamp. Planning and outlines are a lot of work. My book is called Tenderly Transformed: Growing and Healing Through Turbulent Times. I look at how people are thrown off balance by life's bumpy times, like mental health, addictions, health related losses, other grief, etc, and then how can they continue to grow through the hard times. If they feel stuck, what helps them get unstuck and ultimately emerge changed. I started it during the pandemic. I found myself struggling during that era in ways I don't usually struggle. I think a lot of people did. As a counselor by training, I wanted to write an encouraging book with some tools to help people get through tough times and experience transformation. I'm doing very well now, but the lessons learned during that hard time were really informative. Now as I still serve some clients (I call my work coaching now--more freedom to do what I want), I find myself more effective than ever because of what I learned personally. I have multiple sclerosis, so cultivating resilience and dealing with mindset and faith as sources of strength has made a big difference. Your book sounds interesting to me.
Thanks for sharing details about your book - with your experience working in the field of counselling and now coaching, you'll have such a breadth (and depth!) of knowledge to include. I have to be honest, I don't know a great deal about MS, so I can only imagine the impact that it has had on your work and life.
Sorry to hear that you struggled during the pandemic. There is much to learn from that time, but it feels like the world has moved on so quickly. I know that I struggled too, and it is one the reasons I decided to take a career break from teaching, I found returning to the classroom a very mixed experience.