About seven years ago, I started taking writing seriously.
I started to write down the stories that came into my head…. fiction. And I’ve loved it.
However, for all those years I thought I was only a fiction writer.
I mean I started blogging and talking about what I was learning about writing and telling stories, but in my mind that was just for fun. I was just sharing what I was learning. That was something I loved to do anyway.
Then, one day I had this idea. I thought I would love to help others learn from my own experiences as I wrote and published my first book.
So, in my usual why not try it fashion, I began to work on writing the modules for my first online class. As I was working on each lesson one-by-one, I started making notes in Scrivener on what I needed to put in each section.
Wouldn’t you know it, it wasn’t long before those notes began to look like chapters.
So I thought, what the heck, I’ll just organize these ideas into chapter-like ideas and maybe that will help me get my thoughts organized better as I work on the online class.
Here’s what happened.
I was about halfway through creating the online class and realized that all those notes had started to look like a book. It made sense to keep writing it until it was done. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m finishing chapter 8 as we speak with about four chapters to go. I guess I will turn it into a book after all. The title echos the content of the online class. Write and Publish Your First Book: A Step-by-Step Blueprint to Write, Self-Publish and Market Your Fiction or Non-Fiction Book.
I thought I’d share some tips I’ve learned through writing this first non-fiction book.
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5 Tips to Write Your Non-Fiction Book
What I’ve discovered as I’ve written this book, is that when inspiration hits you need to go with it. When you see a need and you have experience on the subject, you can fill that need.
I’ve learned that these are great reasons to begin writing a non-fiction book. So here’s some thoughts to help you get started.
1. Start by Blogging about what you love. Just the idea of practicing in public and hitting the publish button on the first post I wrote on my blog scared me silly three and a half years ago. But, I felt I had to write. There were things I needed to write about. I wanted to talk about what I was learning on writing and publishing, but I also wanted to inspire other creatives to move through resistance and thrive in life.
So I continued to write and learn about writing books. This is what I learned. A weekly blogpost helps to keep your writing muscles working. By consistently writing, that’s how your natural voice begins to emerge. Blogging is a habit that is invaluable for any writer who wants to write non-fiction. You can even write blogposts that will in time, turn into a book.
2. Don’t wait for the perfect moment before you start. I began blogging without knowing anything about writing. I just knew I had some thoughts I wanted to share with others and I wanted to connect with others. So I just wrote through trial and error, learning as I went. But, I do regret waiting so long to write and publish my first fiction book. And I also wish I would have started writing the second fiction book and this new non-fiction book sooner.
However I’m happy that I’m almost done writing both books now. I think the reason for the delay was because I didn’t feel like I was an expert. My aha moment came when I heard Jonathan Milligan talk about how to become a Leading Learner. You can begin by leading from the front, even when you don’t feel good enough. If you’re Leading from the Front, instead of focusing on what you lack, focus on what you know. This is a great way to share what you’ve learned. You only need to be a little bit ahead to add value to someone’s else’s life.
3. Mentors are Great and so are Beta Readers. Besides learning from mentors through podcasts and blogs, I was grateful when my teenage girls offered to be my first readers. I’ll be asking them to read through the non-fiction book too, because the more eyes on the book, the better. I’ve also had other writers – Beta Readers – read through my books. They’ve been so helpful with advice on how to change words and phrases to make the chapters flow better.
4. Build Your Platform and continue to write. Don’t stop getting your blogposts out there and talking about those things you’re passionate about.
Stay committed to writing about what you love to talk about, and you’ll soon attract the readers that want to read what you have to say.
Start to post on your social media about similar things to what you’re blogging about – focussing on how you can help others. Share exciting things you’re learning and share content from others that has really helped you learn and grow. Share encouragement or content from others in your niche that will be of benefit to your readers most of the time and watch how more people start to ‘get you’ and begin to have conversations with you. It’s such fun.
5. Savour each moment of writing, publishing and connecting with people. This one is actually more of a challenge for me. Sometimes I’m so focussed with my next goal and what I need to get done that day or week, that it’s like I get into “driven” mode and forget to smell the roses along the way. Write what is fun for you. Don’t try to fit into any person’s expectations or conform. Readers will love to hear about your perspective.
Remember to keep connecting with the people you love… after you’ve finished your words for the day. I take one day off a week and it really helps to energize and inspire me. This is one of the reason why I really appreciate my husband and children.They pull me away from what I’m doing and have me join in their fun every once in awhile.
Those are my tips from what I’ve been learning on how to write your first non-fiction book. I’ve discovered that while it takes a little bit of effort to sit down and actually write, it’s quite fun to write about those things that you’ve been studying and your experiences through it all. It’s also been so much fun to connect more with readers who resonate with you and your books.
What are your tips on writing non-fiction? I love to hear your thoughts.
*Photo Credit: Created with Canva
