At the end of last year, I read several brilliant books on writing: A New Guide to Better Writing, The Elements of Style, The Art of Readable Writing, The Complete Plain Words, The Reader Over Your Shoulder, Made to Stick, and Style. (If you noticed a difference in my reviews of Power Through Repose, The Wayfarer on the Open Road, and Smart Choices, this is why!)
The biggest thing I’ve learned from these books is the importance of creating a proper outline before you write. If you structure your work properly upfront, writing is easy. I guess that’s why I struggled when I tried to edit my book during my four-month sabbatical (i.e. voluntary unemployment) in the middle of last year. I didn’t have much of a plan. Initially, I just started polishing the existing content without taking time to consider if it needed more than just surface work. Then I switched to reading more content to get different perspectives and ideas. Four months later and I was pretty much where I started.
But this time will be different. This time, I’m taking a very thorough approach. I’ve given myself plenty of time to get this done (this is my single biggest goal for the year) so there’s no need to rush. I want to make sure I consider all the possible angles so I end up with something I’m proud of and something that adds value to all of you.
Since my book will essentially be a comprehensive summary of all the personal development articles I’ve ever written (yikes!), this is going to be a long process. I’ll have to read through over 100 blog posts and almost two dozen book reviews. But even though it’ll be the toughest thing I’ve ever done, I know it’ll be worth it. I’m also really excited because I’ll be publishing the book in a way we’ve never seen.
Curious? Then stay tuned for more!
