Did you know that November is the month of WNFIN — otherwise known as the Write Nonfiction in November challenge? I swear I didn’t make it up! Perhaps you have heard of NaNoWriMo — also known as Natitional Novel Writing Month which also takes place in November. Well since I don’t write novels, WNFIN is much more suitable for me.WNFIN was started by Nina Amir, a creativity and publishing coach, as a personal challenge for nonfiction writers to take a full 30 days to write the book that’s been sitting in the front of your brain, but never really had the time to sit down and actually make it happen. It’s kind of like moral support for those of us who write in isolation (who doesn’t write in isolation?). It is kind of fun to know that other nonfiction writers around the globe are focusing on writing a book this month.
What am I Writing This Month?
I am working on my second book this month — tentatively titled, “Alternative Approaches to Living with Fibroids.” I have built up another audience of women on another blog over the last 3+ years who are looking for support for their fibroids. My plan is to do interviews with holistic health practitioners who address fibroids in some way in their work. The book will also be peppered with the stories of women who have tried various therapies and what their experiences were like.
My Book Writing Process
If you haven’t attempted writing a book as of yet, I thought it would be helpful to give you step-by-step glimpse into my own thinking process about how I am approaching this particular book writing project.
- Target book publishing date: January 1, 2015
- How many people do I want to interview: 10 wellness professionals, 5 to 10 women with fibroids.
- Make a list of the 10 wellness professionals I want to interview. What makes each individual special?
- Construct a personal email to each of the wellness professionals.
- Send the emails and begin organizing interviews.
- Announce the book to my email list and ask for people who may want to be interviewed.
- Ask my list for pre-orders for only $5.
- Begin crafting the book as I complete each interview.
Since this is a collaborative book where I am using mostly interviews with others, I have to make sure that I have time in my schedule to actually meet with people over the phone. I generally do my best writing at 4am, however that will have to wait until after the interviews are done. I don’t think I will get anyone excited about meeting me on the phone at 4am…
Will You Join Me for WNFIN?
Do you have some extra time in your schedule to write a book draft? Ok… Can you carve time in your schedule to write your book? It doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Here are 7 great ideas you can steal right now to get your book writing going today!
- Teach your readers how to complete a process from start to finish.
- Take your most popular blog post or posts and use that as a starting point for a book.
- Tell a story or stories about how you were able to solve a problem for your client.
- Got materials from a presentation or workshop? Turn that into a book!
- Interview leaders in your field about their personal business secrets. Transcribe them and make a book.
- Share your favorite holiday recipes along with tips for healthful eating during the most stressful time of year.
- Answer the most popular questions your clients have about how you can make their lives better.
The only way to write your book is to put one foot in front of the other, carve out the time in your schedule to get some stuff done, and just write. There’s no magic fairy dust. You just have to sit and do the work.
I will be sure to update on my journey to publishing my second book.
What are you writing this month?
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Halona Black
Nonfiction Ghostwriter | Editor | Content Strategist
Halona Black is a Ghostwriter, Editor, and Content Strategist. She ghostwrites books, articles, and thought leadership pieces for C-level executives, coaches, and keynote speakers.
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Great ideas Halona. I am working on a book about living with kidney disease.
Sounds like an interesting book. What support do you need to make sure it gets done?