Write your Passion--Part 2

The other day I posted about a friend from church who asked me how to get started writing. Her mother has been posting mini-devotionals on FaceBook for over a year. She let me read the most recent, and it was quite good. It had all the necessary elements of a good story. An interesting anecdote with a touch of humor. What the writer learned from the experience. A takeaway application for the reader.

My friend wanted to know how her mother could put these together into a book. Her mother had already done the work. The writing part. A little more work and she could turn her writing into a passive income. I was quick to assure her it isn't easy. Too many people think it is. No successful writer becomes that way by sticking a few cute stories together and throwing them onto Amazon where they sell day and night for the rest of the writer's life...and beyond.

It is so much work. That said, there is money to be made writing. The simplest way to do that is to find your passion and to write it. What are you passionate about? Sports? A particular sport or all sports? Either way, you are not the only one. Cooking? Kids? (My bad. I didn't mean cooking kids. You saw the question mark, right?) Animal rescue? Craft beer? Knitting?

Whatever your interest, someone else is interested in it, too, and they are looking for more information. What have you learned while pursuing your passion? Suppose you make the most delicious Parker House rolls for every family dinner and church function. A friend called you today and asked you to teach her how to bake them. Could you? Providing you aren't planning to take your secret to the grave, could you teach her how to make your Parker House rolls?

If you can explain it to a friend, you can write it. If you can write it, you can turn your passion into an income stream. If you bake the best Parker House rolls, chances are you can bake something else. Do you know how many cooking shows are on TV right now? A lot. People love it. Even non-bakers are fascinated in the art of baking. Lucky for you it's your passion?

There hasn't been a better time in history to be a writer. Or to become one. All you need is something you're passionate about and the desire to share that passion with others. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? There is so much to gain.

Write your Passion

Someone asked me today about how to get started writing. Let me warn you, the moment you become a published author everyone you ever met will come to you with that question. Some are interested in writing books. Most, like the woman today, write smaller things, like inspirational or how-to articles and devotionals. Since this blog was created to inspire & encourage you to live life to the fullest, and there are probably others out there wondering the same thing as my friend, I thought I would answer her questions here.

Most of us, including ones who have no interest in writing, believe we have something to say. Something to share with the world. In today’s digital age, it is easier than ever for writers to share our message, and almost a shame if we don’t. Blog posts like this one, devotionals, sermonettes, or articles can be put together with a common theme and published as an ebook.

Suppose you are an expert on early childhood education and have written articles for magazines or your local newspaper. You could collect some of those articles on a common theme—let’s say potty training—and create a book.

Ebooks don’t have to be long. In fact, some of the most successful are less than fifty pages. It depends on your topic of course. But let’s stick with potty training. I would imagine you can say all you need to say about how to inspire a little one to use the big boy or girl potty in less than 50 pages. If we’re talking about childhood anxieties or something more complex, it would probably be a whole different matter. Not that potty training isn’t complex, especially for those in the throes of it.

If you’ve written articles on a particular subject, you’ve already done the work. The only things left to do are to find your common theme, put the articles together in a cohesive format, hopefully add a few things that haven’t been previously published, and format for publication. You’ll need a catchy cover & blurb that draws the reader in, of course.

Series is king. Since we started with early childhood education, we’ll stick with that example. You are an expert in more than just potty training. There are so many topics parents are interested in that you know all about. You know the arguments on both sides of the vaccination issue. What to look for in choosing a preschool. How to break a thumb sucking habit. How to overcome separation anxiety. The list goes on and on.

Start going through those old articles and blog posts. You probably have more than you realize. If not, write some. What topics interest you most? What do you know a lot about? How can you share your knowledge with others & become a published author at the same time?

Happy writing.

One-Problem Writing by Dennis Becker--A review

Last week I downloaded a free copy of One-Problem Writing: A Writer's Guide to Speed writing Helpful, Nonfiction Books & Earning Money in 7 Days or Less.

If you're looking for a textbook or week-long study guide, this book isn't it. It's only about 70 pages. But that should be pretty obvious from the description. By the title alone, you should be able to figure out what you're getting. In short order, Mr. Becker explains how anyone can write a one-problem book and make money off it. Best of all, your one-problem books can lead readers to your other writing or whatever business you're in.

I never thought about writing nonfiction before because I didn't think I knew enough about anything to write a book on it. That's why I stick with fiction where I can make up everything. But Mr. Becker's book showed me even I know enough about something to write a one-problem book about it.

I've published ten fiction titles, but I wasn't sure where to start with a nonfiction project. I downloaded several books to explain the process, but this one was the most concise, logical, and exciting. After gobbling down the book, I couldn't wait to get started. I particularly loved Mr. Becker's challenge to all readers to write and publish a one-problem book in 7 days. I sort of cheated since I already had a project in my head and halfway mapped out. Now a week later, my project is written, though not formatted or in order for publication. I'm waiting to finish at least one more title so I can release as a series. Thanks, Mr. Becker. for a great little resource.

Click on the link above to grab yours.