As an experienced book collaborator, one of my main jobs supporting my clients is helping them overcome a feeling of overwhelm.
Overwhelm is the most common problem faced by new authors. Why? Because those who've never written a book before are inclined to over-do it. To put absolutely everything they have into the project.
This is a fine and generous impulse...it is a BOOK after all. The problem is that this mindset makes the actual writing of the thing pretty scary. Fear leads to a feeling of resistance. To procrastination. To inaction. To failure.
And we cannot have that, particularly if you are working with me.
So, I am here to provide a comfortable and rewarding path forward. If you would like to write a reflective memoir but aren't sure where to start, I have an idea:
Start by writing down the 10 lessons you've learned in your life that you want to be sure your children understand sooner (and easier) than you did. How did you learn these lessons? What's the story of your learning? This framework can then serve as the foundation for a graduation speech-style book. For each of your 10 chapters, see if you can tell more than one story to illustrate the lesson. From there, add in techniques, steps, data, and questions to guide the reader. Finally, consider if there is a deeper level to explore or even an intriguing reversal to consider.
Look what just happened if you've done what I asked in the previous paragraph: you've created an outline.
Congratulations!
For further inspiration, consider other books like the one I'm guiding you to write.
Here are some successful examples of this type of project:
That's all for now,
Laura
Hi! I'm Laura Schaefer. I ghostwrite great books for great people. Learn more at lauraschaeferwriter.com