365 Stories In a Year (and a whole lot more)

The single most important rule in writing is to write consistently. This does not mean every hour or every day but it does mean to write on a regular schedule. This is the only way to get your work done in a timely manner.

The best way to start writing, even if you can’t think of anything to say, is to simply start. Usually the act of typing will jog your mind to produce the next thning you want to write.

When doing a complete rewrite, make a new outline and plug in the portions of the original draft that still work before starting to rewrite.

The first thing to remember about a title is that it’s only purpose is to get your attention so you pick up the book and open it.

To get attention, the title must be intriguing, plant a question in the reader’s mind, or make a strong promise. The words “how to” are great title starters. Another [...]

Editing is the step that follows writing. In most cases it is best to write the entire piece, whether book or article, before beginning to edit. If you don’t, you risk reworking material that may never appear in your book or article.

It is important to write with complete clarity so your audience understands exactly what you want to say. This means you do not use convoluted sentences, generalizing words, and vague references.

Many non-fiction books will benefit a lot from the use of graphics to summarize and visualize certain concepts of processes.

These graphics can be simploe or complex although simple is usually better. Create them in color so they can be used in electronic versions of your book.

The way you end your writing, whether it be a book or an article, is extremely important. This is the point where you tell your reader what to do with what you just wrote, the call to action or the lesson.

If you just end, your reader will be confused and will turn to the next [...]

When you are getting ready to write, first think through what you really want to say, then outline your piece before you begin to write. In addition make sure you know who you are writing to. If you are no clear on our audience, you are wasting your time writing.

Rewriting your article or book is the single most important part of writing. This is where you take a first draft that is okay and make it marvelous.

Rewrite logically, looking for compatibility, grammar, headings, style, etc. and making sure all of these are directed at what your reader wants, not what you want.