Sunday, March 1, 2020
Can You Really Write an eBook in a Week
Can You Really Write an eBook in a Week If you could write a book every week, what would you write about? Is it even possible to write a book in a week? Browse Amazon, and youââ¬â¢ll find all kinds of writing books promising to teach you how to write a book in just a few days. I used to be cynical about these claims. I was a plodding writer. I believed you had to write slowly, otherwise youââ¬â¢d create shoddy work. The promise of writing a book in a week was hyperbole ââ¬â or so I thought. Things began to change for me when I discovered that Isaac Asimov wrote over 500 books in his lifetime. On further examination, I found that other authors had equally prolific outputs. Belgian novelist Georges Simenon also wrote and published more than 500 books. Meanwhile the childrenââ¬â¢s writer Enid Blyton authored over 750 novels and story collections. Still I clung to my old beliefs. ââ¬Å"Sure, they could do it,â⬠I told myself. ââ¬Å"But they had special gifts. For most writers, slow is normal.â⬠I believe I was right that for most writers, slow is normal. But in all other respects, I was wrong. Fast writing continued to seem impossible to me until I had no choice in the matter. Iââ¬â¢d been a professional blogger for several years, and then I got my first ebook client. I was thrilled. But the work came with a special request. My client needed the ebook finished within one week. Could I do it? I was terrified, but I wanted to give it a try. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. Now, I could discover what I was capable of. That week, writing slowly was no longer an option. I got up early on Monday morning and began work. I started writing at 7.30 a.m., pushing myself to write as fast as I could. I poured my heart into every word. If anything, my writing seemed more vibrant for not being churned around my brain before being committed to the page. I finished the first draft Iââ¬â¢d done it. Iââ¬â¢d pushed through all my misconceptions and fears about writing. Iââ¬â¢d learned I was capable of far more than I previously imagined possible. Whatââ¬â¢s more, I knew Iââ¬â¢d created something good. My clients were delighted with my work. But what would readers think? Eventually, the first review came in. Five stars. Iââ¬â¢d really done it! How much did I write that week? Ten thousand words. A relatively short book, but a respectable length ebook. Looking back, and knowing whatââ¬â¢s possible for me now, 10,000 words doesnââ¬â¢t seem like a whole lot. But at the time, it seemed like a miracle. If youââ¬â¢ve never tried writing fast, I recommend seeing what youââ¬â¢re capable of. Challenge yourself to double your daily output. Even if what you write isnââ¬â¢t perfect, because youââ¬â¢ve written twice as much as usual, youââ¬â¢ll have an extra day free for editing. And chances are, you wonââ¬â¢t need to do nearly as much editing as you think. Youââ¬â¢ll only discover whatââ¬â¢s possible So why not give fast writing a try today? Iââ¬â¢d love to hear how you get on.
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