One of my MicroBook Magicians asked me this week — what if I don’t feel like planning today? What if I just want to dive right in? I want to write write write but I know I need to research some stuff!
And to that I say:
HURRAH!
Fill yer boots, because there is no wrong way to write a book.
There is no single right way either.
Here’s what I told her.
If you’re feeling the urge to write write write, do it and do not worry about the bits you don’t know.
Because the wonderful thing about just spilling your brains, even if you don’t know where to start and you know there will be gaps because you need to do more research, is that in writing it out you’ll show yourself what’s missing.
I’ve found that by writing something like:
“Ugh I want to write about camel humps today but I don’t know where to start and it’s really pissing me off. In fact, it pisses me off that people think camel humps are filled with water. I mean what’s gonna happen in the desert sun? They’ll boil and pop, which is ridiculous. They’re filled with fat but I don’t know what the mechanism is and where the water is stored. In the fat? Who knows. Better check. But here’s what I DO know: a camel can drink 200L of water in one sitting and not need to pee for weeks.”
Is it silly? Yes.
Is it something I can work with? Also yes.
Suddenly, I have the beginnings of a piece, I have an opinion about people’s general knowledge of camels, and I know I need to check the mechanism of camel fat and water storage.
That way, you’ve started writing, you’ve scratched your “I just want to write dammit” itch, and you’ve given yourself a framework for research that’ll help you NOT disappear down an endless hole of “research” procrastination.
Planning has its place. But so does just writing from the heart or brains or lungs or whatever other vital organ powers your creativity.
If you’d like this kind of encouragement personalised to you and your book, you might want to join me for Book Coach In Your Pocket this November.
It’s very cool.
Find out more here:
How to work with The MicroBook Magician
Nonfiction Book Ghostwriting: Idea to book in just 20 weeks
Buy My Book: How the hell do you write a book?
VIP Book Breakthrough Day: Make a quantum leap in book progress in just one day
Book Coach In Your Pocket: Your first draft done (or all but) in just 30 days
MicroBook Magic: Write your MicroBook in just 8 weeks
Creative Playground: Write every day + get advice, support, and bonus access to my workshops! (1 week trial for £1)