Choose and cruise
Your Ultimate Writing Kickstart Strategy
Choose and cruise
Your Ultimate Writing Kickstart Strategy
Your Quiz Results:
Choose and cruise
You’ve been doing the real work. You know what your book will be about, and you have your ideas fleshed out in a few bullet points or even (if you’re like me) in an obscenely tall stack of notes. You might not be totally confident in your plans, but you do have your idea nailed, and you’ve figured out a few details.
This is huge. You’ve played with your ideas and proved this is something you really want to pursue. You might not know what to do with these ideas (yet), but you know this book has potential, and you’re willing to put in the effort so it can fly.
Why we want to choose and cruise
Now it’s time to
kickstart your writing strategy
Why we want to choose and cruise
Now it’s time to
kickstart your writing strategy
Before you can get to finishing, publishing, and holding your book in your hands,
you need to choose where to start writing and feel what it’s like to cruise through the ideas.
How we'll choose and cruise
We are going to…
Choose where to start writingso you can get going without feeling overwhelmed,
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Know how to write a chapterso you don’t waste time and can cruise through the writing, and
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Have a plan for editingto make the writing great (without interrupting your flow).
How we'll choose and cruise
We are going to…
Choose where to start writingso you can get going without feeling overwhelmed,
~
Know how to write a chapterso you don’t waste time and can cruise through the writing, and
~
Have a plan for editingto make the writing great (without interrupting your flow).
Sound good?
Here’s how we do it…
The three steps below are your easy-to-follow strategy tailored to where you are in the writing process right now. This is your personalized roadmap to finally write (and finish!) your self-help or business book. They take some work, but you are more than capable. Take the steps one at a time and start making real progress. You’ve got this.
Step 1. Choose where to start writing
You have some clear ideas, so now you need to choose one and start writing on it.
But here’s the thing: you DO NOT need to start at the beginning. Many folks get stuck thinking they have to start with the intro, but that’s often the hardest part to write. Start with whatever is easiest or most interesting for you.
We’re not looking to write perfectly; we’re just trying to get some momentum. So, quit overcomplicating it. Pick whatever seems easiest or most interesting, and write something—anything— about that.
Step 2. Know how to write a chapter
There are many ways to write a chapter, but if you’re stuck, following a structure might help. This isn’t writing by template; you’re using a checklist to ensure you include the elements that keep readers turning pages, and in the order that’s most impactful.
Take your easiest or most interesting idea and use this guide to draft a chapter on it that’s engaging and absolutely awesome.
And remember: it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just get something down. We’ll fix it later.
Step 3. Keep going
When you’ve finished step two, we’re just gunna rise and repeat. You wrote a crappy first draft that you now isn’t “good enough,” but it’s done. DO NOT go back and try and make it better (yet).
Instead, take the next easiest or most interesting idea, use this structure, and write a chapter on it. Again, it will not be perfect. It might even super crappy. That is okay.
Choosing an idea—any idea—and cruising along with it is key to getting through the first draft of your book. You can make it all better later. For now, keep on choosing and cruising until you’ve knocked out all the ideas in your outline. You’ll be amazed at what you accomplish.
Let me intro myself: choose
Let me intro myself: choose
Let me introduce myself
I’m Liz Green, the editor and book coach behind Green Goose Writing.
I’ve written 16 books, taught college writing classes, and edited countless manuscripts to help people tell their stories.
But those I work with don’t think of themselves as “real writers.” They’re everyday folks like you who want to write a book that will inspire others but are stuck trying to get the words on the page.
Maybe you're used to getting things done in other areas of your life, and you’re frustrated that, for some reason, your book just isn’t working. But you know now is the time to push through and do this.
And I love that. I love working with people who are stepping outside their wheelhouse, maybe feeling a bit scared or intimidated, but doing it anyway because they know they have something worth sharing. If that’s you, you’re my kind of person!
I am here to help you kickstart your writing, finish your book, and feel proud of sharing your words with the world.
Choose inspiration
“The secret of making progress is to get started.”
—Mark Twain, 19th century American writer
Choose inspiration
“The secret of making progress is to get started.”
—Mark Twain, 19th century American writer