Pomotion Tip

I got an e-mail from my brother, web designer extraordinaire, and he told me about a link service I’d never heard of–some of you may use it already–called del.ico.us. Sites with lots of links do well in search engines, and this service creates a link directory on your web site. You can “tag” sites you frequent and assign categories for your favorite sites, such as Authors, Historicals, Fiction, Resources, etc. I have begun tagging sites on my blogroll and author sites that I’ve swapped links with on my regular web. You can scroll down on the left sidebar on my blog to see what the tags look like (link in signature) or to see how it would look on a web page, you can view my brother’s site: http://residueofdesign.com/ You can change the list style view and colors, too. The more tags a category has, the BIGGER it appears.

Also, if you click on a category that your web/blog would fit and don’t see a link to it, let me know if you’d like me to “tag” it on my site. This is one way we can help each other drive traffic to our sites. Who knows, perhaps some nonbelievers will venture onto one of our sites and be exposed to the Word!

This Page Intentionally Left Blank

I’m taking a break from blogging today. In case you’re wondering why…here’s the list:

• If you know me at all, you know I’m the world’s best procrastinator. I have two submissions due in the next two days. Gotta edit.
• It’s supposed to be friend’s day, and I have a list of those who have agreed to be guests, but with all the hoopla in my life during the past week–I didn’t remember in time to be fair to them. I’ll try to do better on that.
• I’m going to the hospital today to meet my new GRANDDAUGHTER! Doctors are going to induce labor for Don’s youngest, Sarah, in just a few minutes. Her name is Ava Reese in case you’re wondering. Ava is for Don’s mother. Don’t know where they got Reese, but I like it. She will be Ben & Sarah’s second little girl. Don’s oldest daughter & her husband have three adorable boys. It’s about time to post some grandkid pics again. Maybe this evening…

Lead On!

One of the “Writing Facts of Life” is that every story, essay, article or book, whether fiction or nonfiction, must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Jumping directly into the body of your piece is likely to elicit a “Huh?” from the reader, followed closely by the sound of a book or magazine slapping shut.

The most important paragraph in any piece of writing is the first one, called the Lead. Your opening is more than an introductory handshake to set the tone; it’s a commitment to the reader that your prose will entertain, intrigue, inspire, and inform him. Think of the Lead as a seconds-long commercial to entice your reader to “buy” the remainder of your story. A tall order, yet with the number of techniques to choose from (see list below), the challenge of writing an opening is not an impossible task. It can even be fun.

• Start with a Question–“Can you pigeonhole every aspect of your life into one of two categories: chore or obligation?” What 21st Century woman wouldn’t be instantly intrigued by such a start? I opened a speaking engagement with that question and the audience immediately identified. Many sat up and listened attentively, hoping something in my presentation would offer them an alternative to their rut-ridden lives.
• Start with a Familiar Quote–Here’s an opening from an article about handling stage fright: “In the list of people’s greatest fears, public speaking ranks higher than death, meaning at a funeral, most folks would be more comfortable in the coffin than presenting the eulogy.” Familiarity puts your reader at ease. And most people can identify with familiar quotes, which is why such sayings become popular.
• Start with a Personal Experience–I once began a piece on communication by relating an experience with one of my co-workers. Here’s an excerpt: “I managed to survive a brief but memorable career in the high-stress, behind-the-scenes arena of the trucking industry known as dispatch.” The audience settles in, knowing you’re about to tell them a story. Everyone likes stories. A word of caution on personal experience openings, however: get to the point soon. Once an editor cut my entire lead because I took about five paragraphs to make a connection between my story and my topic.
• Start with a Descriptive Passage–Imagery is an effective means of drawing a reader into your story and works well with fiction as well as nonfiction. Here’s an example from one of my past columns: “My garden resembles a roller coaster. It’s not that the rows aren’t perfectly straight. They aren’t, but that’s another matter; it’s the highs and lows that concern me.” After continuing with the garden’s description, the article went on to make a practical application.
• Start with an Anecdote–The classic “Once upon a time” opener is a great all-purpose story starter. Things to watch for with this lead style are clichés–overdone and worn-out passages. Keep it fresh.
• Start with a Contrast–Good for a “where we’ve been (or are) and where we hope to go” article or speech. One of the most famous examples of a contrast opening is Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
• Start with a Startling Statement–This attention-grabbing method is often used in journalistic writing. People are fascinated by phenomenons. To read examples of the “shock treatment” beginning, flip through nearly any magazine on the supermarket rack.
• Start with a Factual Statement–The best example I can think of for this style of Lead is the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The author, God, then goes on to elaborate on the opening statement. This is a common but effective way to begin a news story, but, as seen in the example taken from Genesis 1:1, this Lead method can be employed in any writing situation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of Lead styles. Look through magazines, newspapers, books and papers. You’ll find many more methods with which to start a story. As you consider the purpose of your prose, you’ll be able to judge which type of Lead is appropriate. Of course, you can always start with a joke!

How?–Part IV: Order from Chaos

Have you ever considered the logical sequence of creation? Before God created fish, He created the seas. Before He created mankind and animals, He created grass, flowers and trees. Each step laid the foundation for the next. While nothing can compare to the awesome power of God Almighty, we can follow His example of logical sequence when structuring our book’s contents.

At this point, you probably have perhaps a dozen or more manila folders, each teeming with notes from your research. Skim through each folder and select its key concept. Write that concept on a 3X5 card. If more than one main concept or topic comes to mind, break the folder into more than one; keep one folder per main topic. For example, look back at the bubbling exercise about Animals. While this make-believe book’s subject is Animals, the subtopics (a.k.a. chapters) would include domesticated and wild. Each of those topics will be broken down into subheadings within the chapter (such as Hunting Wild Animals and Photographing Wild Animals), but first we’ll form the structure. This exercise will evolve into your book’s Table of Contents.

Gather your stack of 3X5 cards, each with a main topic written on it. Can you see an order in the topics? Just like all good writing, a book’s structure will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Most nonfiction books begin in some way with an introductory chapter that includes why the book will help you. For instance, a book on gardening often begins with selecting a site and preparing it for planting. The final chapters of most nonfiction books usually summarize and offer some sort of "call to action." You might want to flip through the Tables of Contents of several nonfiction books to see how those authors have ordered their chapters. Shuffle your cards around until you get a grasp of how you might want your book to flow.

Now that you have a good idea of the order of your chapter topics, it’s time to come up with titles for those chapters. I’ve already shared how I titled the chapters in my book The Prodigal Daughter, but there are a number of ways to choose chapter titles. If you’ve ever attended a CLASSeminar, which I highly recommend to all Christian writers and speakers, the first thing you learned was how to think in outline form. Nearly everything can be converted into an outline. The subtopics (chapters) are like branches from a tree (book). They are all connected. A Table of Contents is nothing more than an outline.

There are many styles of Tables of Contents. See if you can find examples in other books from each of the types listed below. Experiment with your own book’s chapter titles. Pick several styles and name your chapter titles accordingly. You’ll soon figure out which style fits your book perfectly.

• Sentence–Each chapter title is a sentence. 
• Question–Each chapter title is a question.
• Word–Each chapter title is one word.
• Action Verb–Each chapter title is an action verb.
• Alliteration–Each chapter title begins with the same phonetic sound.
• Acrostic–The first letter of each chapter title spells a word.
• Scripture–Each chapter title is a scripture or phrase from a scripture.

And so forth. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of Table of Contents styles. You’re also welcome to develop your own unique style. The purpose of this post is to give you a starting point to brainstorm from.

Now you’ve got your chapters selected. Go through your folders and pick out subheadings. Unlike fiction, nonfiction chapters tend to be fairly consistent in length. Say you’ve selected approximately 2400 words for your chapter length. If you have four subtopics within each main topic, you’ll have four subheadings of approximately 600 words each. That is how you’ll write your book–in small manageable segments, each with a logical beginning, middle and ending.

So, in our make-believe book about animals, one of the subtopics was on photographing wild animals. Say, during the organization process, we’ve decided to make that a chapter instead of a subheading. Now our chapter’s subheadings can be divided into either locations (desert, mountain, forest, etc.) or perhaps types of animals (mammals, fish, birds, etc.). If your entire book is on photographing wild animals, which would make more sense than attempting to write one book on such a broad subject as "animals," then perhaps those subheadings just listed would become chapters instead of subheadings. And one could easily write an entire book on just photographing desert animals. You’ll know how to narrow and slant your book’s focus by this point.

In a book about photographing forest animals, perhaps one chapter will be on lighting. A subheading might be on use of natural light. Another subheading within that chapter could be on artificial lighting. As you begin to write your book, take each subheading as if it were a short article (probably 600-1000 words), give it a lead (beginning), middle, and ending. Just repeat that process for each subheading within each chapter until your book is finished!

Congratulations! You’re well on your way to becoming the author of a nonfiction book and this post concludes our clinic on "The Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of Writing the Nonfiction Book."

Our next blog clinic will be titled "Perking Up Your Prose." We’ll discuss the ins and outs of the actual writing process. It may be a few days before I get started on that, but hopefully it will begin by the end of this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remembering Lisa Arey…

Life is short; friends are precious. This week our small community mourns the passing of a friend, Lisa Carole Pearce Arey, 44, who went to be with the Lord following a nearly ten-month battle with complications from cancer and West Nile Virus (pictured in the middle between my daughter Elena [on the left] and her friend Christy [on the right]).

My relationship with Lisa channeled through my children, both of whom spent many hours seated in desks in her classroom and under her direction on the stage. Several things about Lisa stood out to me:

• Lisa was brave. Nearly all the other forty-something women in our town rush to Bernie’s as the first sliver of gray peeks through our parts, but Lisa went gray gracefully. I remember the day I bent to pick up something and my son Val (before he grew 7 inches in a year and became tall enough to see the top of my head) yelled, "Mom! Your hair!" My first instinct was to grasp the top of my head, but memories of a last summer’s yellow jacket incident halted my hand. "What about my hair?" "It’s SILVER!" I explained to him the facts of life: My haircolor is fake. He then asked, "You mean, if you didn’t color it, it would ALL be silver? Like Mrs. Arey’s?" Yes, Like Mrs. Arey’s. Very brave move, Lisa!
• Lisa was practical. Our high school offers Drama I, II, and III. There is no Drama IV. After completing years one and two of Drama, Val enrolled in Drama III during his junior year (school year 2005-2006). I remember talking with Lisa shortly after school started. She explained that my son was attempting every conceivable method to convince her to allow him into Drama class again during his senior year. She explained that this would require her to write a complete curriculum, which wasn’t necessary as everything he needed to know about Drama had been covered in the three-year course. So she announced there would be no Drama IV. Not even for Val. Very practical. (Note: Due to Lisa’s sudden illness shortly after last school year began, Drama III was converted into a study hall and Val is taking it this year–his senior year.)
• Lisa was fun, but firm. The kids loved her. Although I’ve seen her face redden and her eyes bulge during play rehearsals, Lisa allowed the thespians a little more familiarity than say, a math teacher would allow her students, letting them call her "Larry" — a nickname for "L"isa "Arey". However, she NEVER allowed the students to call her by her first name. It just wasn’t proper.
• Lisa was trusted. Moments after Elena’s first experience with blue lights in the rear view mirror, who did she tell? Lisa!
• Lisa had great faith. My last conversation with Lisa occurred a few weeks before the West Nile Virus attacked her immune-weakened body like a lightening strike. She looked forward to her final chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The treatments had made her violently ill, and she longed to get on with her life and her teaching. She told me, "I don’t fell as though I have cancer; but that I had cancer." She had believed God had healed her. And she was right. A body scan last spring revealed she was cancer-free. Although Lisa wasn’t able to communicate vocally during her last months on earth, her family held firm to her faith, surrounding her with a constant prayer vigil though her church and community.
• Lisa never gave up. I remember the day the virus struck her brain stem. Lisa’s temp shot up over 105 and soon the word reached her friends–she was not expected to live through the day. Yet she fought for nearly 10 months. A minuscule amount of people stricken with West Nile Virus even become symptomatic. Out of those few, even fewer require hospitalization. But, for those with weakened immune systems, the virus can be, and, for Lisa, was, deadly. However, even through the painful respiratory and physical therapy, Lisa fought every day to improve, struggled to do more, longed to return home. When she became aware of her surroundings, she was able to respond through head nods, shrugs, and smiles. In the end, a blood clot took her earthly life, but those of us who knew her can still see her smile.

A scholarship fund will soon be formed in Lisa’s name. Details will be posted once they become available.

How?–Part III: Consider the Source

Okay, I admit it. I’m a research junkie. I love scouring through old tomes, notebook in hand, jotting down interesting bits of info. I could spend days listening to folks talk about their lives, their past. I shudder whenever I throw away a newspaper or magazine — have I just tossed some useful tidbit I might need for a future feature? And the Internet…don’t get me started! It’s a knowledge-seeker’s dream.

When writing nonfiction, the forefront purpose of research is to learn the truth. That means, well, one must be careful about gathering information. Most nationwide magazines have a full staff of fact-checkers. You don’t have to watch too many newscasts to hear of someone, somewhere, whose writings came back to haunt him. Embellishing the facts is not an option. Neither is plagiarism, which has been in the headlines enough recently to make every writer word-wary.

The solution to those issues is Research. Proper research will alleviate the need to embellish the truth or steal someone else’s thoughts. Concepts and titles cannot be copyrighted; words can. This isn’t a lesson in legalities and the rules of copyright infringement are easily accessible–through researching that topic–so check them out before publishing your prose.

If you think research means hours on end spent huddled beneath the dim green glow of a library desk lamp–think again. While probably the best supplier of printed reference material, libraries are just one source of information. Others include:

1. Personal experience. Need to describe how the breezy spray of lake water spritzing your face feels? Ride a boat. How about the grainy-molasses smell of a freshly opened bag of sweet feed? Visit a farm. With the variety of research methods available, sometimes good old hands-on experience is either forgotten or used as a last resort. If you can at all, experience what you need to describe. It will make your words believable because they are real to you. Consider the following passage from one of my novels: She watched in amazement as a burly man skillfully placed six segments of a circle into a waiting hub. He then swiftly removed a red-hot rim from the forge and placed it around the spokes. In an instant, he submerged the entire device into a tub of water, producing a sizzling cloud of steam. After the blacksmith retrieved the newly formed wheel, he arranged it on a mock axle, spun it to check for flaws, and, finding none, stacked it with the others awaiting their red coats. How was I able to describe the blacksmith’s actions accurately without time-traveling back to the 19th Century? I visited Silver Dollar City (near Branson) and watched a real blacksmith produce a real wagon wheel.
2. Interviewing. Entire books have been written on how to properly conduct an interview. If your project requires you to gather information from the experience of others, you’d do well to seek out one of those books. A couple of "golden rules" about interviewing–always ask the person’s permission before taping the interview and remember to send a thank-you note afterward. A note of caution–interviews often contain the subject’s opinions and often memory lapses. If it’s a personal story, that is fine. If it’s a news story–interview as many as possible to get the facts. Eyewitnesses, especially of traumatic events, are notorious for befuddling their accounts.
3. Newspaper & Magazine articles. Unless it’s a tabloid or an opinion-based periodical, newspapers and especially magazines (due to their longer lead time and therefore ability to check facts more thoroughly) are generally considered reliable sources of information.
4. Books. Most books are a good source of the truth on a subject, however, there are many things to consider when using a book for your research. The author–what of the author’s reputation? Is she respected or repulsed? How about the publisher? Is it self-published or printed by a vanity press? If you’re not familiar with the publisher, you can Google the company to see. Most traditional publishers take care to print factual information. This doesn’t mean all self-published and vanity press productions are not true. If you use information from those sources, just double check it for accuracy. Most small presses don’t have a fact-checking staff and often are left to trust the author. The vast majority of authors attempt to write the truth, but the small percentage who may be too lazy or unconcerned could cause you problems if you take their words as "gospel."
5. The Internet. Now I love the Internet, however I am aware than anyone can put up a web site about anything within a matter of hours, with no accountability. Just as you would be wary of a self-published book, be cautious whose site it is that you’re trusting. If it’s a personal site, you can use it to lead you to a more trustworthy source. Again, I’m not accusing every webmaster out there of promoting falsehoods online, but just letting you know who to trust and who to double check. Government sites, Educational facility sites, Nonprofit sites, Company sites are typically reliable sources. Many databases are available on the Internet. Again, just be cautious as to who has posted the information.
6. Other sources. The realm of research isn’t limited to the traditional sources listed above. I’ve contacted chambers of commerce around the country to gather travel brochures. The availability of information is only limited by your imagination. Think of other ways to learn about your topic. If you come up with some unique and interesting, please share it with the rest of us.

How?–Part II: Organizing Your Thoughts

I mentioned the "Writer’s Notebook" earlier. This is an essential tool for every writer. I keep a small one in my purse and jot down ideas and notes as they come to me. Once you begin brainstorming either with the bubbling exercise or with a group/partner, more and more ideas will come to you. I’ll confess. I’ve lost tons of ideas in the past by not keeping up with them. I know many were good ideas that could have been useful when writing, but they’re gone now due to my lack of organization. I’ve written notes down on napkins at a restaurant, sticky notes, the back of bank deposit slips–all dangerous habits.

Then I started using a notebook. Notice I said "a" notebook. One. It fits well in my purse and it’s the only one I use. At first, I got OCD about my new-found organization with notes and tried using different notebooks for different Works in Progress. That was insane. Then I used different colored pens for each project’s notes within one notebook. Until the day I had a "green pen" idea and realized my green pen had melted in my car! Now what? I’m stuck in mid-thought without a green pen. It was paralyzing. Today it’s one notebook. Whatever color pen I can grab. Jot it down, scribble it, doodle it–whatever. No attempts to organize within the notebook. Tell your Left Brain to take a hike when you pull out that little pad of paper. But…those precious ideas do need to be managed eventually. And once you transfer the idea into one of the project management systems discussed below, you can scribble through it, tear the page out, leave it alone, or whatever you like.

There are several ways to do that effectively, and you’ll most likely develop the one that works best for you–it may be a combination of the three I’ll share below, or you may come up with an entirely different method (in which case, I’d love to hear about it!).

• Note Cards–Many writers use a card filing system for their notes. At this time, the only note cards I keep are a small 3X5 box of book ideas. The only thing written on them is a potential title and the premise. These are future projects which I may or may not ever write, but once that idea has popped in my head and entered my notebook, I transfer it to my file of "Book Ideas." Some authors keep card files for each book project, using either dividers different colored cards for each chapter’s notes. This can be fun, as you can dump all your cards in the floor and shuffle through them, see how best to arrange the chapter order, etc. Personally, I don’t use this method as every note, interview, and article used for research must be transcribed onto a note card (whether by hand or cut & pasted) to fit into the little box. Some people like that and swear by this method, and that’s fine for them. This method may work for you, just not me.
• Binder–Many authors set up a binder for their projects. Some even set it up to look like the book, including a title page, front matter, back matter (if you’re not sure what those terms mean, use Google or wait until we discuss it on a future post), dividers for chapters, etc. I’ve tried this before and it’s okay, but I still have my own little way I like to keep up with my notes & ideas. Personally, I do use a binder for my research in historical novels. I’ve written or have in progress several that have more than one setting as the characters travel. I place dividers and print off notes about each location and place that information into a binder. Then, if I need to know which wildflowers grew in the Kansas plains in 1849, I can flip over to my Kansas prairie section and read all about it.
• File Folders–Ah, this is my method of choice. I’m not a super-organized person, so this method is VERY EASY to use! For each book project, I keep a portable filing cabinet (the little plastic ones they sell at Wal-Mart) by my desk and fill it with blank file folders. Each one contains information and research/interview notes for a separate subtopic from my main book concept, most of which will become individual chapters within my book.

  Another thing about my file system (I shudder at the word "system"–if y’all only knew how UNorganized I really am!)–once a book project is done, I transfer the info into a big pocket folder and stick it in my main filing cabinet. I can recycle the manila folders if they’re not too beat up and keep my little portable plastic file box at my feet during the next book. I’ll admit that I really have three portable filing boxes, because right now I’m actively working on three projects. But it keeps my notes separate. When I’m ready to work on a specific chapter of a specific project, I just grab up its folder and get going. When I’m working on the computer, I have a main file folder under My Documents labeled Book Projects. Then I create a new folder for each Work in Progress. In that folder, I create a separate folder for each chapter. Once the chapters are ready for the revision/editing stage, I combine them all into a new folder, which I usually label "Working Copy," and work on it out of that file until the project is done.

  I like file folders, because if I snip something out of a newspaper or magazine during the research process, I can drop it in the folder to take notes from later without having to prepare it in some way to fit into a binder or card system. This also lets me see at a glance which subtopics are overflowing with information and may need to be subdivided further when I’m choosing chapters and which ones may not have enough information to sustain an entire chapter. The ones with little info can either be assimilated into a different chapter as a subheading or perhaps that subtopic isn’t significant enough to use. Those are decisions I’ll make after the research process is over.

Speaking of research–that is our next topic of discussion on the "How?" part of writing a nonfiction book. I just like to have my folders set up before I get too deep into research so I won’t lose information I’ve worked hard to gather.

How?–Part I: Picking Your Book’s Title

There are probably as many ways to write a book as there are books on the shelves, so I can only offer what works for me. Once a topic is selected, some authors go straight into the research stage before selecting a title. In fact, I know some artistic people who never title a piece of work until it’s finished. Some are superstitious; some feel a title limits their creativity. I like to pick a Title first, then a roughed-out Table of Contents. This TOC will likely change, but it serves as a road map and helps me create a list of items to research and people to interview. Once the research stage begins, however, new ideas often crop up, so I understand the reasoning of those who start with research.

Your book’s Title is very important, and the selection of it should be considered carefully. I once acquired an agent/author agreement based solely on a project’s Title/Subtitle (The Prodigal Daughter: Hope for Runaway Christians and Those Who Await Their Return). The Title should instantly reveal the book’s topic and intrigue its audience–preferably in five words or less. The Subtitle can elaborate on the specifics, but still use concise wording.

The bubbling exercise is a good way to start your title-selection process. Look at the key words you wrote. Look up quotes on those topics. (The Internet is an invaluable tool for quick research, such as quotes.) Do a search of your key words on Amazon.com and see what other titles are out there. Sometimes a book or article plays off the title of another title. For instance, when Dr. Dobson’s book Parenting Isn’t for Cowards was released, I received an assignment to write an article about houseparents of residential children’s homes for Christian Woman magazine. I picked the title "Houseparenting Isn’t for Cowards," and the editor didn’t change it.

One thing that has helped me is to pray about it and sleep on it. I’ve woken in the night with title ideas more than once. Other times, the title will jump out at you unexpectedly. Keep a notebook handy at all times to record thoughts and phrases when they surface. I jotted down the words, Wings of the Dawn, as the title of my first novel during a Bible class when a young girl read them from the Psalm 139.

The Bible is a great source of titles. In my book The Prodigal Daughter, nearly every chapter title came straight from scripture. I had all these ideas I knew I needed to share–things that had helped me as I trudged homeward from a life as a prodigal–but I had no idea how to organize my thoughts. My original proposal had very didactic chapter titles, each beginning with the words "you can," but it might as well have been "you should," for that was the underlying message. My agent suggested to rethink each chapter title in a way that would draw the prodigal home–not push him farther away.

That night, I re-read the story of "The Prodigal Son" in Luke 15 and prayed for guidance to name the chapters. I woke in the middle of the night with phrases straight from that passage racing through my mind. Those snippets of scripture became titles for many of the chapters in my book. Here are a few examples: "Give Me My Share!"; "In a Distant Land"; "Wallowing with Pigs"; "I Perish with Hunger"; "No Longer Worthy"; "Make Me a Servant"; "Arise and Go"; "Bring Out the Best Robe"’; and "All That I Have is Yours".

One thing I do once a I’ve picked a Title–especially for a book–is Google it in quotes. See what comes up. Is there a web site with the exact name? Try typing the exact words of your title into the address line of your browser followed by .com and see what happens. Surf over to Amazon.com and do a search for your title. Is it overdone? Never been used? Somewhere in between? Titles can’t be copyrighted, so don’t worry if a few with your same title pop up. But consider these things:

• Who wrote it?
• Was he or she a very popular author or someone unknown?
• Was the book a bestseller?
• When was it published?
• Is it still in print?

I once came up with what I thought was a GREAT title only to discover Max Lucado had written a book with the same name. Because it was a fairly new release from a very popular author, I ditched my title idea for something else. (Frustrating, I know, but think of the day when a new author Googles a potential title and changes her mind when she learns YOU have just released a book with that name?)

Many times I’ve reserved domain names with a title of a work in progress to use for future marketing. You might not need to reserve a domain name for a novel’s title, but for a nonfiction book, it can be helpful. You may wish to sell ancillary products from the web site, produce a newsletter or blog, or any number of things to get your book noticed.

The next part of HOW? will discuss how to begin the research process and organize your thoughts into a usable structure for your book.

Welcome Feedblitz!

If you look to the left, just under my picture, you’ll notice something new–a Feedblitz subscriber box. Instead of wondering if I got sidetracked today or if I remembered to send my Wednesday guest interview questions in time to post (I did get sidetracked this week & forgot–sorry!), you’ll know for certain when a new post is up on Lines from Linda because Feedblitz will drop a line in your e-mail box. It’s VERY easy to sign up (takes about 2 minutes) and best of all–it’s FREE!

If you have your own blog, check out Feedblitz’s service. It might be just what you need to keep your readers informed of what’s happening at your little corner of cyberspace.

When & Where?

When? and Where? Sounds like a parent interrogating a teenager about to embark upon a date! These questions are important to consider before you begin the actual writing process, however, because their answers will help you establish your routine. I’m not a big "routine" person, but it helps when taking on a project as big as writing a book.

Where do you plan to write? Stephen King, in his book On Writing, recommends a room with a locked door. Erma Bombeck’s kids tell of passing notes under the door of her office during her writing time if they needed her. And they knew not to disturb her for trivial matters. We’re not all blessed with the luxury of a separate office in our homes. And I’m sure King and Bombeck didn’t start off that way. But we can pick a place that has both room to shuffle your notes around and good lighting. The light in my corner desk was pitiful, so my son bought me a large swivel desk lamp, which works great.

Notebook computers are handy and portable. Any room can transform into an office with a laptop, but it’s still necessary to be able to look at your notes, so a desk is helpful. I’ve taken my laptop down to our pond and watched the ducks swim while I jotted down ideas or wrote. A lot of writers scoop up their satchels and head to a coffee shop or the library to work. Wherever works best for you. Some like to listen to classical music while composing their lyrical symphony; others want no other sound than the clicking of keys. You can try both to see what you like.

When is another thing to consider. Distractions are your enemy. When can you work undisturbed? Mornings? (If your brain is awake that early!) Or late night? (Save enough energy!) One misconception about writing is that you’ll need large blocks of free time in order to complete a manuscript. If that were true, most of my multi-published friends wouldn’t have any books to their credit. Innovation is the key here. J.K. Rowling jotted notes on scrap paper as ideas came to her. Marilynn Griffith, a fellow member of ACFW, teaches a class on how to write your book in 8-minute increments. In fact, sometimes a large block of time can place pressure on us–I have two whole hours to write tonight–I’d better get a LOT done!

The biggie with using small segments and traveling to coffee shops/ponds is keeping up with your work. If you don’t have a flash drive (also called thumb drives), it’s a great investment. Their prices have dropped dramatically since they were first introduced. All you need is a computer with a USB port, and most models made in the past several years are equipped with at least one. I have a home office and can sometimes find time to write during breaks at work. Plus I have a laptop. Therefore, my flash drive is almost indispensable.

One last thought before we get into the "How?" of writing a nonfiction book:

If your brain is sputtering with the words "But…but…but…" and conjuring up a multitude of "reasons" why you don’t have time or space to write your book, go back and re-read your "Why?" Keep it in front of you. Your "Why?" must be bigger than your "buts…" or else you’ll never finish your book.

Now, as we used to say in the Marines before our morning exercises: Ready? Begin!