This post is a transcript for Diary of an Indie Writer, episode 29:
Using journalling to start writing your book šļø
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Journalling has some incredible benefits for us as writers. Itās been the foundation of my writing practice over the last 8 years and it has held deep benefits for so many writers I have come across and worked with.
Today, Iām going to share how journalling can actually help you write your book.
Thatās right, journalling can help you write down the book thatās inside of you.
Whether youāre more of a āplotterā or a āpantserā, whether youāre new to writing or youāve written a book already, journalling can help you write down the book inside of you.
šĀ READ: āPlotterā or āpantserā: What kind of writer are you?
The principles Iām going to share today apply to both fiction and non-fiction. This is exciting stuff! You can apply it to whatever genre you are writing.
So how is it possible to write down your book with journalling?
Arenāt ājournallingā and āwriting a bookā two completely different kinds of writing?
Actually, the two can be combined into a whole. It can work really effectively. The secret involves journalling with prompts.
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The method
Hereās how it works:
STEP 1: BOOK IDEA
Take your overarching idea for a book & write it down.
This can be:
a transformation or heroās journey youāve been onā¦
insights from a business youāve been working onā¦
a fictional storyā¦
etc
STEP 2: BOOK CHAPTERS
Write down 3-5 chapter ideas beneath that.
You can think of these as (very) rough chapters. Donāt think about it too much.
STEP 3: JOURNAL PROMPTS
Choose one of your chapter ideas, and write down 3 prompts for it.
STEP 4: START WRITING!
Using one (or more) of those prompts, start writing!
A working example
Letās illustrate this with an example.
e.g. You want to write a book about growing plants in a hot environment.
BOOK IDEA:
āHow to grow plants in the desertā
CHAPTER IDEAS:
- āThe seeds you need to buyā
- āHow to nurture those seedsā
- āThe ingredients for a healthy desert plantā
- āSome things to watch out forā
- āGetting started with growing plants in the desertā
CHOOSE ONE OF YOUR CHAPTER IDEAS:
Letās go with: āThe ingredients for a healthy desert plantā.
Jot down 3 prompts to help you write around this chapter. For example:
1) What are the ingredients for a healthy desert plant?
2) Why are light and water so important for plants?
3) Whatās the difference between growing a desert plant, and a regular plant?
START WRITING!
Set a timer for ten minutes and start writing, using one of the above prompts.
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In summary
You can start writing your book on one sheet of A4 paper.
In the space of a half hour, you can go from idea to writing.
The beauty of this method is that it breaks down the big task of writing a book into little chunks.
So thatās it. Book idea. Chapter titles. Journal prompts. Write!
When you write using prompts, and you task yourself with writing for ten minutes, you trick yourself into getting started. More often than not, after ten minutes, youāll be happily writing away.
Thatās how journalling using prompts can help you write your book.
This method is particularly useful for:
- Those who have been procrastinating on starting their book for a while now
- Youāve started writing but havenāt made any real progress
As we shift into Spring, now is the perfect time to carve out the time and give yourself permission to write down your story.
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Jas Hothi is a writing coach & author. With a Masters in Positive Psychology (MAPP), heĀ loves to help folks write their stories using their unique creative rhythms. He is currently offering a free copy of his book, The Indie Author, to anyone who signs up for his newsletter. SIGN UP HERE to get yours.