I Have So Many Ideas! Where Do I Even Start?
Hey Fen,
I have so many ideas for a book, and I keep getting stuck with even starting. How do I know which idea to focus on?
Sincerely,
Seeking Clarity
Dear Seeking Clarity,
Oh, my friend, join the “thousand book ideas” club! I’m right there with you! Informational, instructional, memoir, essays, short stories, novels, poetry… I have ten thousand books I want to write, and only, alas, 24 hours in a day.
For years, I started and stopped, started and stopped, and never quite got done with any one project. It’s the Eternal Work In Progress problem! Once I learned how to get really clear with my focus, it changed everything.
Now I have four complete manuscripts, two published, two to be published, and several more in the process of being written (with every expectation of ACTUALLY FINISHING). And what made the difference was CLARITY.
Start With Your Why
Why are you writing a book? How do you want your life to change as a result of writing this book? How do you want the world to change as a result of writing this book.
Get really clear about the outcome you’re hoping for. If you have a business, whether you’re a CEO, a consultant, a keynote speaker, or a coach, you may want the book to support your business. If this is the case, then ask yourself what will change in your business as a result of writing the book. Also, ask what will change in your industry and for your customers as a result of writing the book.
If you are more mission-, vision-, or legacy-driven, then ask yourself what will change in the world as a result of your book. Then ask what will change in your life.
Know Who You’re Writing For
When we start the Foundation Bookshop, most authors have several audiences in mind for their book - multiple “who”s. We encourage them to narrow it down. By focusing on one audience, you won’t exclude the other audiences, necessarily. But what you will do is get very specific for the audience you most want to reach, and thereby reach them more effectively.
When we’re working with an author whose book will form the foundation for a business, or will support an existing business, we ask them to tell us about their intended audiences. Then we ask them to tell us which of those audiences they most WANT to work with. Then we ask them to tell us about a SPECIFIC PERSON who represents this audience.
Then we tell them to write for THAT PERSON. This creates incredible clarity in regard to tone and voice, as well as helping to answer the final question: What to write.
Here’s What To Write
Once you know the who and the why, the “what” almost writes itself. What does your “who” need to know in order for you to achieve your “why”? Write it down. This is your “what”.
If you can, condense these three elements into one succinct sentence. This is hard, but it will give you incredible clarity. If you like, come do the Foundations Bookshop with me & Kory and we’ll get you there. This is your Foundation Statement.
This is the clarity you need to get started and actually make progress.
Print out your Foundation Statement. Frame it. Pin it to your bulletin board. Post it where you will see it every day. I like to post mine next to my bed so I see it when I wake up every morning. Other people put it by their desk, or on their fridge, or all of the above!
Keeping it in front of you will help you maintain focus and stick with the project so you can actually complete it.
Try that, and let me know how it works for you.
Warmly,
Fen
