Create a start-line outline
Your Ultimate Kickstart Writing Strategy
Create a start-line outline
Your Ultimate Kickstart Writing Strategy
Your Quiz Results:
Create a start-line outline
You know you want to write a book, and know what it’ll be about. Perhaps you’ve been learning about, curating, and crafting your idea forever, or maybe it’s a new concept that you know needs to be shared. Either way, you can imagine this thing—even if you’re not sure how, exactly, it’ll come out onto the page.
You’ve done a ton of work to get to this point. Understanding your idea is huge. Compelling writing comes from clear thinking, and you’re well on your way. You know what you want, and we can make it a reality.
Why we want to outline
Now it’s time to
kickstart your writing strategy
Why we want to outline
Now it’s time to
kickstart your writing strategy
Before you can get to writing, publishing, and holding your book in your hands,
you need to create an outline to get you moving.
How we'll create a start-line outline
We are going to…
Figure out what’s going on for your readerso you know where to start your writing.
~
Decide what you’ll offer that readerso you’re clear about where you’re taking them.
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Create a start-line outlineso you can write with ease, knowing you’re giving the reader something meaningful (with the reassurance you can change your mind any time).
How we'll create a start-line outline
We are going to…
Figure out what’s going on for your readerso you know where to start your writing.
~
Decide what you’ll offer that readerso you’re clear about where you’re taking them.
~
Create a start-line outlineso you can write with ease, knowing you’re giving the reader something meaningful (with the reassurance you can change your mind any time).
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. Figure out what’s going on for your reader
You know who would benefit most from this book and is ready and eager to hear your message. Now, figure out what’s going on for them when they first pick up your book. Meet them where they’re at.
Write on these questions: What’s going on in your ideal reader’s life? What made them search for a book on this topic? What are they scared about? Why are they willing to try anyway?
Understand what’s going on for them so you can start your book in the right place.
Step 2. Decide what you’ll offer that reader
Books are about transformation. You’re making a promise that at the start of the book, the reader will think, feel, or experience one thing, and by the end of your book, they will have a different set of thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
So, what transformation are you going to offer? Look at other books on the market for inspiration. Consider how your reader’s life will change when they’ve read and acted on your message. THAT is the transformation you’re offering.
Knowing this tells you where your book will end.
Step 3. Create a start-line outline
With steps one and two, you have your book’s start and end points. Now, fill in the steps in between to create a start-line outline.
Make a bullet point list of each step required to get from that starting point to the transformation. Don’t overthink it. Write fast and use as few words as needed to remind yourself of each point. You’ll craft and edit later—right now we’re just getting the ideas down. (That’s why it’s called a “start-line.” It’s just a place to get you off the starting line. Nothing is set in stone.)
If you have an existing brain dump of ideas, return to it after writing the first draft of your start-line outline and add in anything you’ve missed.
When you’ve done these three steps, you’ll have figured out where you book will start, the transformation it will offer by the end, and the basic steps to get from that start point to the transformation. You’ll have a start-line outline, which will help you get over the starting line and get writing your book.
Let me intro myself: outline
Let me intro myself: outline
Let me introduce myself
I’m Liz Green, the editor, book coach, and ghostwriter behind Green Goose Writing.
I’ve written nineteen books, taught college writing classes, and am an Author Accelerator certified book coach specializing in memoir.
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.
Outline inspiration
“Nature has no outline. Imagination has.”
—William Blake, 18th century English poet
Outline inspiration
“Nature has no outline. Imagination has.”
—William Blake, 18th century English poet