What I Learned Writing 3 Books in 5 Months

Recently a friend in one of the three Shut Up & Write groups I joined when writing my books shared a comic.

It showed a woman on the sofa with her hands in her hair with the caption, “2019, If only I had more time I’d write my novel.”

Below that, the woman was in the same position and the caption read, “2021, I guess that wasn’t it.”

IN 2020, I WROTE

I was someone who wrote in 2020. For me, researching and writing was my coping mechanism. I know many people struggled with illness, some with COVID, parents had to navigate children at home, some lost their jobs, or had relationship challenges.

In many ways, I was very lucky. And yet, even in the best situations, writing does not come easy. Even many of the most famous writers say they prefer having written to sitting down to write.

I was also lucky because of a plant.

THE FIRST BOOK

At the beginning of this pandemic, I would not have considered myself a writer. I had spent a lot of time in 2019 watching videos about writing but I had never written a book.

And to be honest, I didn’t know if I had enough to say. I didn’t think I could fill even one book.

I had been researching for this book for more than half a year when I was asked to watch my friend’s plant over the winter holiday. Spending a week in a heated apartment (I live in an old coal-heated flat and I wasn’t very good at managing the coal), gave me the comfort I needed to get started.

When I started my writing project I thought I’d be writing a booklet, something that could help people become more powerful storytellers, sharing their groundbreaking research, transformational work, or meaningful insights.

What happened then? How did I write three books!? How did I do this when I didn’t even think I had enough material for one book?

TOP 3 LESSONS LEARNED

1. ALWAYS FILL YOUR TANK

Writing needs ideas. A piece of writing is like the tip of an iceberg. A lot of ideas and research are under that one idea. In order to write you need to keep your idea collection full.

>> For ideas on collecting ideas, check out 12 Days of Creativity

In 2019 I had started being intentional about filling my creative tank. I watched numerous courses on CreativeLive (sometimes watching a lesson a day across 20+ days to save money), Coursera, Udemy, and videos about writing on YouTube.

In 2020 I decided to write about empathy. I spent countless hours filling my tank. I listened to podcasts. I found interviews with authors talking on various topics around empathy and storytelling. I read their books. This led me to more authors, more podcasts, more research.

Filling my tank was fun. It didn’t feel like work. I was exploring a topic I was deeply interested in and each discovery was like taking a new journey. It was a year of travel without traveling.

2. A GOOD REASON CAN KEEP YOU GOING

You need a good reason to start writing. Knowing the reason you started writing your book will help you through the energetic ups and downs of the marathon which is writing a book.

I started writing because I was asked for more information about the WeStory, an empathy-based story framework. But also, my brain was full. I had done so much research that I needed to synthesize the ideas floating in my head. The writing was necessary to continue my journey of discovery.

Books happen in drafts. I’ve heard writers write 7-8-10 drafts. This first draft is the rough material that will now be shaped with editing, more research, rewriting, and more time.

3. TAKE BREAKS

In order to write, I need to take breaks. Thinking is one of the most energy-consuming activities for the brain, so if you think a lot you need to take a lot of breaks.

The Pause is a technique I first used when I was creating my course, Find Your Authentic Voice. It helped me get through dozens of roadblocks while writing, scripting, recording the lessons I shared in the course.

I use The Pause in conjunction with timed writing sessions that I start with deep breathing. The combination of breathing and setting a timer helps calm the nervous system and focus my attention.

Much of what I’ve read about flow states you should have 45-90 minutes of extreme focus time without any interruptions.

My brain doesn’t work that way. I discovered that when I have a loss of words or I’m unsure what to write, I need to get up and get away from the computer.

I get up, do something different, and in the background, my brain rests, accesses new ideas, and typically halfway through cutting a carrot (my Pause tends to include chopping veggies) I know what to say and I then have to rush back to the computer.

You can also try asking yourself creative questions before you go to sleep. I wrote an article about this, Solve Creative Problems While You Sleep.

If you want to know more about The Pause and how to use it, check out my mini-course, The Pause.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Fill your idea tank until it is overflowing, define your reason for writing and then create a process that works for you. These were foundational to my ability to write.

I want to leave you with this. If you haven’t been filling your tank, it is not too late. Start now. You can listen to podcasts when you are biking to the grocery store or preparing dinner. You can start reading by committing to reading just 10 minutes a day (that was my commitment in 2019). You can even start by beginning to notice what lights you up, what articles or topics make you want to run to Google and explore more.