How to Plan Your Book

Are you thinking about writing your first book, but aren’t sure where to start?

When it comes to writing, for most people, it isn't that easy. So, how do you get the ideas from your head onto paper and into some kind of format that is sensible? Of course, there's no magical formula that fits every single writer – what works for one writer is completely ineffective for the next. However, most writers would agree that planning your book is essential.

One of the reasons that so many people never finish their book is because they did not have a proper plan for their book.

My personal method for this is to write out ten to twelve topics or chapters that I want to focus on. Then I break each one of those chapters into ten to twelve points or (subchapters) that I want to cover in each of those chapters. I usually end up with one hundred to one hundred and twenty topics to write on and I simply write on one to three of those subchapters each and every day.

I once read that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. That is how I attack writing a book. The first book that I wrote was, “Success: The Blueprint to Achieving Your Dreams and Goals” in that book I mention that success is the little things that we do over and over again. In order to be a successful writer you must carve out some time to work on your book each and every day, even if it is just an hour a day. 

You will be surprised what you can accomplish in just an hour a day, if you are consistently setting that time aside. The time that you set aside should be the time that works best for you. I am a morning person so the ideal time for me is between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. (that seems to be the only part of my day that I can actually control,) after 8:30a.m., my day can take me into so many directions and no two days are ever the same. Hopefully your life is not that hectic. The point is you must find time to write, the time will rarely find you. My suggestion is to get up an hour earlier if you are a morning person, or stay up an extra hour if you are a night person. Whatever you do just be consistent and make sure that the people close to you know that, that time for you is sacred and must not be disrupted.

Having a plan for your book will help you focus when you sit down to write each day. You will know exactly what to write. In fact, the more detailed you make this plan, the more quickly and easily you will write your book. You will spend less time staring at your computer screen wondering what to write or what comes next. You will already know. It will be right there in your writing plan. You will simply follow your plan as if it were a map, a treasure map to your fortune.

Key Goals to focus on:

       Have a set time to work on your book every day. If you need to take a day or two off per week, schedule that as time off. Don’t let your deadline pass.

        Choose a unique place to write. If possible this needs to be different from where you do other activities. The idea is to make this a special space so that when you enter it, you’re ready to work on your book.

Planning out your book before you start writing it, can save you time, money, and prevent yourself from hitting a wall after writing your first couple of pages.

Stay Accountable

      Set a goal for a specific word count. To make it easier to finish your book, break each chapter into equal lengths:

? 40,000–50,000 words is the average word count of most nonfiction books

? 80,000 words–100,000 words is the average word count for most novels

        Give yourself weekly deadlines. It can be a word count, number of pages, or some type of measurable goal. Just have something to aim for, and someone who will hold you accountable for reaching your goal.

Get feedback early. Ask a handful of people, whose opinion you trust, to read a chapter or two of your book and ask for their response to your work thus far. No matter what the response is keep writing.

Stay Motivated. Every writer started somewhere, and most of them started by creating some type of schedule to fit their writing into. The ones who make it are the ones who do something to finish their manuscript day after day.

For more information or help with completing your book, it is best to hire a book coach. I help people get their books finished and published within 90 days. Simply email Max Fortune at [email protected] or call (844) 417-4177 or visit my website www.askmaxfortune.com.