Before diving into how to start off writing a book, we need to make some decisions first. This is pivotal in succeeding at any endeavor. So...
1. Decide what you want. What exactly are you looking to accomplish here? You need to have a clear vision or else you'll just wander aimlessly and get frustrated for not getting anywhere. Before you go any further, read Learn of the Many Ways to Share Your Story. Now complete this sentence: “In telling my story, I want to…”.
2. Decide what you are willing to give up to get what you want. It would be foolish to think that you can add one more thing to your list of things to do without interfering with all the other things you have going on. So, identify what you are willing to give up to get what you want.
Time. Writing your memoirs will take time, period. It’s not a matter of finding the time to do this, but rather scheduling the time to do it.
Treat this endeavor as a class, Memoir-Writing 101. Identify a time slot in your week that you can devote to attend…AND a place of peace and quiet where you can work...alone.
This may be hard. But trying to think and write with distractions all around will frustrate you…and frustration leads to more frustration…and more frustration leads to no fun. And this should be a fun experience. So do what you can to remove all distractions during your class.
Obviously, if you will be devoting time to this class you will be replacing time spent on something else. It may be a night of television or a mealtime with your family or a period of sleep… This step is about realizing the fact you will need to give something up to get what you want and making a conscious decision as to what that something will be.
As for the time slot, whether you decide to “meet” once a week for a few hours, twice a week for an hour or two, or once every other week for however long, do what works for you. The point is you need to set aside a consistent time that you can devote to this project. Consistency is key.
Write this time slot into your calendar.
Commit to it. If there’s no commitment it won’t get done.
However, if all you want is to dabble in it, that’s fine. Dabbling can be quite fun. But understand dabbling will not bring forth a book. So if you’re serious about making progress on this project, set aside a time and write it in your calendar.
Next, Decide on a Plan...